Things to do in and around Brewster, MA (Cape)

[TheBEast]

My wife and I are headed to the cape for the first time (hard to believe we've both lived in NE all our lives and have never been) in a couple of weeks. We have two small kids (3.5 and 9 months). We've got a place rented that has a private bayside beach. We're just looking for other suggestions of things to do and see and any good places to eat. I suspect we'll be beach bound most days, but will probably look to mix it up with some small/short trips around the area to sites or other beaches. We'll be there from 8/28 (Sun) through 9/6 (Tues). Anything to avoid over the holiday weekend?

Also any must have beach items you and/or your family can't live without or have found really helpful for the beach? Our older daughter has been to the beach the last 2 summers, but this will be our first time to the beach with a 9 month old. We've got a pretty good beach sportzbrella thing for shade, but are thinking about getting one of those tent type things with a floor.

Thanks for the thoughts on the dreary Monday.

 

[Grassi21]

Nice! We are up there all the time. My in-laws have a place in Brewster. We will be up that week but we are renting a place in Wellfleet. We are there so ofter with the in-laws that renting a place to get away from the in-laws for some true family time is worth it.

For the bay side beaches be prepared for low tide. When the tide goes out during low tide you can literally walk out from the beach for close to a mile. There are pros and cons to this. Pro, great place to walk during low tide. Con, if it is hot out and you are posted up on the beach you might have to walk quite a ways to get wet.

Some dining options in Brewster:

El Guapos Great Mexican food! They have a number of picnic tables inside and outside. We primarily get take out. Obviously they have Mexican food but they offer other options that are more suited for kids.

Brewster Fish House Great seafood, typically voted one of the top seafood restaurants in that section of the Cape. They do not take reservations so go early or expect a wait.

Cobies One of the best fry shacks on the Cape. Really close to the bayside beach spots. Good food but you can encounter a wait if you hit it at the right time.

Not too far away in Dennis:

Grumpy's Excellent lunch and breakfast. There is typically a wait but the service is great and they do a great job of turning over the tables pretty quickly.

The Marsh Side Great views, lots of tables, recently gutted and renovated. If you do encounter a wait they have a beautiful wrap around porch with benches and great view of the marsh and their gardens. Had the lobste mac and cheese a couple of weeks ago and it was great.

If you are looking for a day to do some shopping hit Chatham. The majority of their shops are all located on main street so it is easy to park the car and spend the day there. While in Chatham you can head out to Chatham Light (were me and the wife got engaged) and check out the Coast Guard station and maybe catch a glimpse at some Great Whites... no joke, tourist have flocked to this spot for the last few years to see the sharks.

There are so many options... If I think of some other interesting ones I will post up some additions.

Oh, there is also Drummer Boy Park in Brewster right on 6A. They have a great playground for kids and a huge old windmill that has been restored on the grounds.

 

[bvibert]

I'm going to be camping in Brewster this weekend with my kids. I don't really know what we're planning on doing, it's kind of a big family thing. Hoping to get some MTB in at Nickerson SP though...

 

[Grassi21]

I'm going to be camping in Brewster this weekend with my kids. I don't really know what we're planning on doing, it's kind of a big family thing. Hoping to get some MTB in at Nickerson SP though...

Dude, we are up this weekend too! Bringing you GPS unit? I have no knowledge of the park but my in-laws place is 5 mins from Nickerson. The only stipulation is that I have to find my bike in the basement... ;-)

 

[drjeff]

Gotta take the drive out to Provincetown! As much as there are for sure some "interesting" sights to be seen in P'town, the last 10 o so miles of the drive in and along the dunes is an incredible sight. Plus, there are a few funky shops out in P'town that just from a color perspective will entertain the kids for sure!

 

[Grassi21]

Gotta take the drive out to Provincetown! As much as there are for sure some "interesting" sights to be seen in P'town, the last 10 o so miles of the drive in and along the dunes is an incredible sight. Plus, there are a few funky shops out in P'town that just from a color perspective will entertain the kids for sure!

Shop Therapy!?! Just don't go upstairs....

In P-Town there is Art's Dune Tours. They load up in downtown and then drive you out to the protected dunes for a tour. Really nice tour and they usually do one around sunset as well.

 

[bvibert]

Dude, we are up this weekend too! Bringing you GPS unit? I have no knowledge of the park but my in-laws place is 5 mins from Nickerson. The only stipulation is that I have to find my bike in the basement... ;-)

I've been using my phone for GPS, so I'll have that. I'm camping with my Dad, my wife decided not to come since her back is still messed up, so I don't know what he has planned. I've got your number in my phone, I'll give you a call, even if it's just to hook up for a beer or something. Gonna be there Thursday through Monday.

 

[Grassi21]

I've been using my phone for GPS, so I'll have that. I'm camping with my Dad, my wife decided not to come since her back is still messed up, so I don't know what he has planned. I've got your number in my phone, I'll give you a call, even if it's just to hook up for a beer or something. Gonna be there Thursday through Monday.

Cool. My wife's cousin and her husband and kid will be up with us as well. Give me a shout and we can try to hook something up.

 

[snowmonster]

I'm spending my summer weekends in Eastham. If you're in the area, send me a PM. My stomping grounds are usually the Lower Cape (Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet and, occasionally, Truro and P-Town) so my recos will be limited to those areas. I've been to Brewster several times but I'm no expert on the area and can't make recommendations other than to say head to the Brewster General Store and take a look at some of the curios there. The ice cream shop next door is good.

- If you like the beach and want some wave action, go to the Cape Cod National Seashore. $45 gets you a season pass ($15 parking per day). Beaches in the Cape don't get any better than this. CCNS beaches include (from N to S): Coast Guard, Nauset Light, Marconi, Head of the Meadow, Race Point and Herring Cove. Coast Guard is consistently rated the best although you have to park and take a shuttle to it. Nauset Light is my personal favorite though you have to get there before 9 as the lot fills up quickly. CCNS is celebrating its 50th year so they have a lot of neat programs for adults and kids. Check out the CCNS Visitor Center at the Salt Pond in Eastham for info. Beach tip: the best shelter I bought is an LL Bean Sunbuster Shelter. If you know how to set up a tent, this is a cinch. Much better than an umbrella and it won't blow away. Also, the water can get cold (the highest water temp this summer has been 62F and the rains aren't going to help warming it up some more). If you have a wetsuit, you might want to bring it.

- If you like to bike, take the Cape Cod Rail Trail. It winds its way from Dennis to Wellfleet. Lots of bike shops and ice cream stands along the route. The end of the trail in Wellfleet is a short ride to White Crest beach. Jump in the Atlantic to refresh!

- Best sunset views: Rock Harbor, Orleans; Mayo Beach, Wellfleet; Herring Cove, P-Town; and First Encounter, Eastham. Rock Harbor is a gem.

- There are free concerts on Mayo Beach in Wellfleet throughout the summer. Last Friday was 70s-80s night. The Friday before that, they had an outstanding reggae band.

- Chatham: aside from shopping and watching for whales from Chatham Light, there's a lot of good eating here. Chatham Squire for seafood, Wild Goose Tavern for a little more upscale American and the Impudent Oyster for French/a fancy meal. If you want to live it up, head to Chatham Bars Inn and have a drink on the verandah.

- Orleans: Sir Cricket's for fish and chips and Finbar's for their fish tacos (ahi tuna taco and blackened tilapia taco are outstanding). Hot Chocolate Sparrow for desserts, hot chocolate and ice cream (the cakes are delicious). If you like baseball, stop in at The Baseball Shop. Neat memorabilia and baseball convo. You can get most of your beach stuff at Nauset Surf off the rotary. Phil is a great guy. Your kids will probably want bodyboards to ride the surf at CCNS.

Eastham: Arnold's has good food and long lines. Basic fried seafood and steamed lobsters and ice cream. They have a mini-golf on premises. It's right on the bike trail and on Rt. 6. Box Lunch has good sandwiches and Red Barn across the street has great pizza and subs. There's a driving range along Rt. 6.

Wellfleet: Drive in movie theater right on the Wellfleet-Eastham border. They usually show kid friendly films. Pretty neat experience with burger stand and ice cream bar. Mac's Seafood in Wellfleet town has a walk-up location on the town dock for to-go food (try the fish burrito) and a sit-down restaurant down the street (sushi is good). Bookstore Restaurant in front of Mayo beach is good and the Bombshelter bar has a great atmosphere. Say hello to Chris the bartender. If you like French, go to PB which is off Rt. 6 on the road to Lecount Hollow. Good French food. Fancy and pricey. Reservations a must. They have an excellent bakery and go there if you want real croissants, pain du chocolat, madeleines, baguettes, etc. Get a croque monsieur for the beach. If you can get away from the kids, the Beachcomber Bar is a Wellfleet classic. If there's one thing that you should do on the Lower cape, it's this. It's by the beach on Cahoon Hollow. They have a restaurant which serves the usual stuff but the centerpiece is the bar. Grab a Goombay Smash/Pina Colada/Dark and Stormy/Strawberry Daquiri from Ben the bartender and get a Devil's Plate from the raw bar. Cape life does not get better than this.

Enjoy!

 

[Black Phantom]

My wife and I are headed to the cape for the first time (hard to believe we've both lived in NE all our lives and have never been) in a couple of weeks. We have two small kids (3.5 and 9 months). We've got a place rented that has a private bayside beach. We're just looking for other suggestions of things to do and see and any good places to eat. I suspect we'll be beach bound most days, but will probably look to mix it up with some small/short trips around the area to sites or other beaches. We'll be there from 8/28 (Sun) through 9/6 (Tues). Anything to avoid over the holiday weekend?

Also any must have beach items you and/or your family can't live without or have found really helpful for the beach? Our older daughter has been to the beach the last 2 summers, but this will be our first time to the beach with a 9 month old. We've got a pretty good beach sportzbrella thing for shade, but are thinking about getting one of those tent type things with a floor.

Thanks for the thoughts on the dreary Monday.

Check out Marathon Beach. Get there early.

Sesuit Harbor for a relaxing dinner or lunch. BYOB.

East Dennis Oyster Company for a tour.

 

[TheBEast]

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions! It'll be our first real vacation with the kids so should be interesting. Hopefully just lots of RandR and time playing in the sand with some sites mixed in. We'll be eating in mostly, but will probably try to hit a few spots for dinner to mix it up. Kids are young so the low tide thing shouldn't be all that much of an issue. I'm just looking forward to having our own private beach at the end of our little neighborhood to hang out and avoid some of the crowds on most days. A couple of days we'll likely venture out to P-Town and the ocean side of things.

 

[BeanoNYC]

When is Carnival in P-Town? Isn't it this week? Either way...get to P-Town and enjoy the fun. It's a great place. Maybe a whale watch on the Portugese Princess is in order as well.