Things are starting to get back to normal.  Sleepaway camp was a go this summer so we decided to escape the Texas heat and head north to Cape Cod.

First Stop:  Lunch in Boston- Yankee Lobster Company
Would I dine again? Yes.  It has been years since I had been to Boston and decided I needed a lobster roll as soon as I got off the plane.  Good thing Yankee Lobster is a short drive from the airport and on the way to the Cape.  We were there as close to 12 noon as possible, got a table and enjoyed our lunch!

Check In at the first Bed and Breakfast: The Inn at Yarmouth Port
The Experience:  Kathy and Chuck are fantastic hosts and they go above and beyond to make sure you have a great stay.  One of the reasons we chose this spot was the location. We had a car so we could drive to other towns on the Cape like Chatham and Harwich and explore.  Our room was the Blue Room and it was recently renovated.  Although the bathroom in the blue room was small, the room was quite comfortable for me and my husband and was located on the second floor with street and garden views.  We were there for 4 nights, enjoyed breakfast each day out in the garden and returned each afternoon to freshly baked treats. Kathy and Chuck made sure were were taken care of when it came to our beach day at Mayflower and our bike ride to Chatham.  Kathy’s attention to detail is amazing and she does all the cooking and baking.  And Chuck will join you during breakfast and give you his best recommendations for around town. We have a feeling that this spot will be booked if we decide to plan another last minute trip in future years!

Dinner: Fin
Would I dine again? Yes.  The service was great and we enjoyed our meals. We sat out on the deck and as the night went on, we got to see the beginning a of a beautiful sunset.

The first sunset and our Beach Day:  Mayflower Beach
We drove to Mayflower Beach to see the sunset and decided to return the next day to spend the morning at the beach.  We did a three mile walk over to Corporation Beach and back and loved seeing the beautiful homes on our walk.

Lunch: Captain Frosty’s
Would I dine again? Yes.  This is the spot we came to 12 years ago and the belly clams are awesome. This was a late lunch of clams and chowder after enjoying Mayflower beach.  I will always come back here.

Dinner:  Sesuit Harbor Cafe
Would I dine again? If we had been able to get in, most likely. The line was wrapped around the parking lot and we decided to leave and head elsewhere. Mistake on my part.

Dinner: Kream ‘N Kone
Would I dine again? No.  We left the pier and Headed to Kream ‘N Kone since I read they won for best clams. We had originally gone to the Susuit Cafe since I wanted a lobster roll, so we ordered that and fried clams. Sad to say, I left disappointed.

Sunset at Corporation Beach:  Another nice spot close to the B&B is Corporation Beach.  We walked over to the rocks and watched the sunset after dinner.

A Day in Harwich, Chatham and Orleans
We decided to spend the day exploring the lower cape and started in Harwich as it was rated one of the best main streets to visit.  We then drove over to Chatham, had lunch at the pier and then had drinks over at Chatham Bars Inn.  Last we went to Orleans to see a few lighthouses and then head back towards our B&B.

Lunch: Chatham Pier Fish Market
Would I dine again? Yes.  We took a walk down to the pier, ordered lobster rolls, one traditional and one Connecticut style, and walked to the pier to see the fisherman. No need for me to see them bringing up the fish again but definitely a good reason to come back and eat here.

Drinks: Chatham Bars Inn
Would I dine again? Yes.  Beautiful views and great drinks!  This hotel will also be on the list as an option the next time we return to Cape Cod.

Dinner: RC’s Pizza
Would I dine again? Sure.  We were so tired from the day and I had not made any reservations since I wanted to be able to just go wherever we wanted during the day so we ordered a pizza from RC’s at the Petersons Market and ate in the garden at the inn.

A Day of Biking
My husband loves the outdoors so after a day of shopping in Harwich and Chatham, I knew we needed to be a bit more active.  We stopped by Barb’s Bike Shop in South Dennis.  We decided to head to Chatham and rented ebikes to make the 20-30 mile ride in the heat.  The Cape Cod Rail Trail was a great ride, very scenic and had one option to ride to Chatham and another path to Wellfleet.

Lunch: Wild Goose Tavern
Would I dine again? Yes.  We biked from South Dennis to Chatham and stopped in town for lunch. A Cape Cod Reuben sounded light and perfect and it was a great sandwich! My husband got the swordfish sandwich special and we left ready to continue our bike ride.

Dinner:  Fisherman’s View
Would I dine again? Yes.  Our reservation was for the patio but with the rain rolling in, they moved us inside.  We decided to do oysters and steamed lobsters and enjoyed a great evening.  The rain never hit so we were able to take some photos of the views and the beautiful sky as the storm rolled in.

On to Falmouth!

Mid-Day Snack: Cotuit Oyster Company
Would I dine again? Yes.  I have family on the Cape although I didn’t realize it until a few weeks before we arrived.  It had been ages since seeing my cousin so we stopped by on our way to our second inn to say hello and catch up.  A short trip to Cotuit Oyster Co to pick up super fresh oysters, a lesson on how to shuck oysters by my cousin for my husband and some great  conversation!  I left thinking I need to be better at staying in touch (David – call if in Dallas!!!) and that this new skill will need to be put into good use at home!!  Now where can I get super fresh oysters in Texas??

Bed and Breakfast: The Captain’s Manor Inn
The Experience:  As you pull up, the house is absolutely beautiful and fully decorated for the 4th of July.  Patti greets you and at some point you are introduced to Randy who will keep you talking and laughing.  Our room, The Hatch Room, was on the first floor at this inn and bigger than our last room.  We had a private section of the wrap around porch and enjoyed some quiet time reading. The experience here was different since we could walk everywhere- the bike rental shop was walking distance in one direction and the town of Falmouth that had tons of shopping and restaurants was in the other direction.  Again, we were treated to breakfast each day and fresh baked cookies. On checkout day, Patti sent us on our drive with bottled water, snacks and salt water taffy.

Lunch: The Quarterdeck
Would I dine again? Yes.  We made it to Falmouth and I FINALLY got to order steamers. Lucky for me they were available today and I left super happy after this lighter lunch.  My husband decided to try their version of a cape cod reuben and said it was quite good.

Dinner:  C Salt
Would I dine again? Yes.  And I will say yes two more times if asked again. Small intimate restaurant but very casual feel. Service was great but the food- wow! Get the calamari. Not in the mood? Get it anyway. It is fantastic and the flavors will surprise you. We also had the special salmon crudo appetizer which was spectacular and finished with the tuna entrée.

A Day of Exploring
Now that we were in Falmouth, we had some other spots to explore.  The weather was a bit rainy and the temperature dropped but we made the best out of it.  First stop after breakfast was a drive to see Nobska Light House, then a short “hike” to the Knob where we missed the views due to the weather, then more clams for lunch and then a short bike ride on the Shining Sea Bikeway.  The most exciting part of the ride- we came face to face with a FOX!

Lunch:  Seafood Sam’s
Would I dine again? Yes.  The “hike”, or shall I call it a walk, was short but I was still ready for lunch.  We stopped at Seafood Sam’s for some more fried belly clams and chowder and crossed our fingers for drier weather. And yes, the food was great!

Dinner: Water Street Kitchen
Would I dine again? Yes.  We had a reservation to sit out front but with the weather and the recommendation from Randy at the Inn, we called and they moved us to the bar.  Both my husband and I loved the atmosphere and the food was great.  We both ordered the cioppino and the black squid ink bread completed the meal!

Time to check out and head to Boston!

Lunch: Epic Oyster
Would I dine again? Yes.  On the way to Boston, we decided to stop for a quick lunch.  Epic is usually open only in the evenings but we got lucky to stop in for lunch.  We were there right at 12 and it was probably one of my favorite restaurant experiences.  Not only because I had some amazingly fresh oysters and a “stuffie” (stuffed quahog) but it was a small bar area and we just got to sit and watch them shuck.

Hotel: The Westin Copley Place
Would I stay again?  Yes.  One night on the way back from the Cape before heading back to Dallas.  I greatly appreciated the location because as we arrived it got cold and the rain hit.  Being able to walk indoors from the hotel to two malls was quite helpful!  As for the actual hotel, I requested a suite upgrade but it was denied.  Lucky for me, they upgraded us to a corner suite on the 32nd floor once we arrived in person to check in.  Views of the Charles River and Fenway!

Drinks:  OAK Long Bar + Kitchen
Would I dine again?  Yes.  Thanks to one of my wonderful colleagues, she recommended this spot before dinner.  We ran in the rain from the Westin over to the Fairmont and had a drink before heading to the North End.  I loved the atmosphere of the bar and had a great drink.

Dinner: L’Osteria
Would I dine again? Maybe.  There are SO many restaurants in the North End so I would prefer to try many more than going back to the same one if taking a vacation.  We opted for our favorite meal that we cannot get very easily in Dallas- Veal Parm!

Dessert: Bova’s Bakery
Would I dine again? Yes.  After dinner we met friends at a bar in the North End and I kept thinking I had time to hit Mike’s which was next door to get a cannoli.  Turns out I was looking at the wrong time zone on my watch so I was an hour off.  Bova’s was right down the street so we got cannoli and other cookies/pastries to bring back to the room for a midnight snack.

Breakfast: Stephanie’s on Newbury
Would I dine again? Yes.  Thanks to that same colleague who lives in Boston, she said we must stop by this very popular brunch spot.  All I wanted all week were pancakes and they made it happen!

Lunch: Regina Pizzeria
Would I dine again? Yes but a different location.  We were told Regina is the best but we decided to do some touristy stuff after breakfast so the closest spot was at Faneuil Hall.  I think next time we will head to the North End to get a slice.