A Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast
in Yarmouth Port Massachusetts

A truly prodigious and original artist, Edward Gorey (1925-2000) lived in an historic house in Strawberry Lane, Yarmouth Port. He gave to the world over 100 works, and you can visit his home, which is a lovely stroll from the Inn, to see his wonderful, quirky, and sometimes dark artworks and writings. His illustrations were published in The New Yorker, The New York Times and in books by a wide array of authors from Charles Dickens to Edward Lear. The museum is planning a new exhibit for 2009 called “Celebrate Gorey’s Creatures - Real and Imagined”, which will run from April 16th to December. His many animal caracatures challenge and delight the mind, and a visit to this wonderful home should not be missed.

Oh how we have missed you during the winter. Your return each year serves the Cape Cod community in two invaluable respects. The first of these is a rather obvious one to all of us who know and love you : you serve the freshest of fish and seafood, cleanly cooked to perfection, and always with a smile. Then there’s the welcome reminder your re-opening brings that spring is just around the corner – thank you for that!

Only ten minutes from our Yarmouth Port inn, Cookes  is a popular choice for tourists and Cape Cod residents alike, with it’ relaxed ambience. The dining salon was bustling on the evening last week that we decided to pay our visit. From the expressions on many diners faces, ours included, and the occasional nod of approval, I guess we can only draw one conclusion : it’s business as usual, and we can’t wait to return. Oh and the other thing that spring is on its way. Well we really already knew this after last week’s wonderful sunshine, everyone seemed to be out getting that whiff of ocean air that we find so envigourating.

If you dont already know Cape Cod or believe this year is as good as any to renew your acquaintance, well now is the time to start making those plans. Why not take a look at Mid-Cape along Cape Cod Bay, you will not be disapointed. Who knows, you might just choose to spend some time with us.

 During the last 300 years there have been 3,000 or more shipwrecks in Cape Cod’s waters, the majority of which were between Chatham and Provincetown. The advent of lighthouses, some twenty or so on Cape Cod’s shoreline in the last 200 years, went a long way to safely guide vessels through these treacherous waters. Seven lighthouses still operate, while several others, now decommissioned, can also be found. The 1914 opening of the Cape Cod Canal was also a significant factor in the decline of the number of shipwrecks.

Here are nine of the most well known lighthouses to choose from to go and see, or indeed you could plan a day out to see all of these. Be warned that there is a lot of healthy exercise involved, so you may decide to target half this number.

Start perhaps with the most northerly, which is Race Point Light, you’ll need a stout pair of sneakers as you have to leave your car and walk the last 2 miles along the beach. The lighthouse was first erected in 1816. Nevertheless more than 100 ships were wrecked in this area between then and 1949. You can stay overnight at this one, but you will need to make a reservation well in advance.

There are two other” twin lights” around Provincetown, Wood End erected in 1873 and Long Point 1823, both guarding the entrance to the harbour. The former is now solar powered. Both are a walk along the breakwater, there is a summer boat service to Long Point from MacMillan Wharf.

Back on Route 6 again travelling south a matter of minutes, turn onto Highland Road and follow this to the end , then right onto Lighthouse Road. Highland was the first lighthouse to be built on Cape Cod in 1798, but the present lighthouse was erected in 1857 and moved inland in1996.

Probably by now you are feeling like a bite to eat after such an energetic morning - I did warn you – but you can relax now with a beautiful view over Wellfleet Bay while you tuck into a dozen oysters freshly gathered from those famous oyster beds 200 yards from your table. The Bookstore Restaurant is well known by locals and regular visitors to the Cape for its seafood and magnificent view. So it’s here that you can contemplate the adventures of the afternoon and soak up that New England feeling of tranquility. After lunch, allow yourself some time to visit the many art galleries in charming little Wellfleet village – you can almost at will switch back and forth from serene calm one moment to yet another discovery the next; this is one reason that I believe makes Cape Cod such a great tourist destination.

If you can face another five lighthouses, Route 6 will take you onto Eastham’s Nauset Light, whose original structure was built in 1838. The current tower was moved to here from Chatham in 1923. From the parking lot you can take a short walk along Cable Road to the Three Sisters, towers that were constructed in 1892 and replaced in 1923 by the current Nauset Light.

Our remaining three lighthouses are all in Chatham at the end of the scenic part of Route 28 which hugs the coastline between Orleans and Chatham. There are some spectacular views along the way. Chatham Light is on Shore Road at the end of Main Street and was built in 1877, however the first structure pre-dated this by 69 years. There are tours available inside the lighthouse during the summer months.

The Monomoy Point Light is only accessible by boat. The original tower, built in 1823, was rebuilt in 1849 and finally decommissioned in 1923 before it became part of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge. Overnight stays are available at the lighthouse keeper’s house.

The last of our nine, if you are still in the hunt that is, is Stage Harbor Light, which requires a mile walk along the beach from the Harding Beach parking lot. This was the last lighthouse to be built on the Cape and was closed in 1933 to later become a private residence.

Well it has been another day on the Cape to remember, but it has not quite finished yet. There is maybe time to see the sun go down at a wonderful restaurant with a view ( believe it or not there are not very many ). The Ocean House, yes that’s the one that your ever attentive innkeeper made you a reservation for the previous day – you sure won’t get a table without one  – and it will make the evening one to remember.

We always appreciate feedback from our guests during breakfast , on their previous day’s exploits, when we continue to help them with their plans. There is a good amount of information on our website to help visitors understand the enormity of what there is to do and see on Cape Cod, before they arrive. Sometimes we put together daily itineraries for our guests’ entire stay – and nothing gives us more pleasure!

 Why not take a plane ride to Nantucket this spring, summer or fall, and if you choose a clear day your 15 minute flight will treat you to magnificent views up the arm of the Cape as far as Provincetown, the National Seashore and Chatham, and of the Islands themselves. If you are really smart, you will time your return to see a magical sunset – what a way to finish a wonderful day on Nantucket.

We have done this several times ourselves, and can vouch for its advantages over taking the boat, but that’s not to say the fast ferry is not a pleasurable experience too. Island Air will take excellent care of you, as indeed they have of us in the past. The flight itself  is exhilerating, in a nine seater aircraft, with the added bonus of the precious time you will save not only in the journey but also at the check in desk , where you can arrive as late as 10 minutes prior to departure. The total time saving on the round trip can be as much as 2 hours.  Flights leave from Hyannis ( Barnstaple Municiple Airport ),which is only eight minutes from our inn, and there is plenty of reasonably priced parking.

There are a number of sightseeing airplane rides available on Cape Cod, should you not wish to take advantage of the Nantucket option, which is hard to beat. Fly Wilma Sightseeing Tours offers bespoke as well as standard flights out of Provincetown – you can ask to see whatever you like, well up to a point that is, and Captain Hal will take you up in Wilma, which was built in 1927 and may just be the oldest commercially operating aircraft in the U.S.A. So you can go off to see lighthouses, dunes, The National Seashore etc. etc. and maybe if you’re very lucky, the odd whale here and there.

You might want to take a look at Cape Cod under a more environmentally friendly Cape Cod Soaring Adventures at Marston Mills Airport. Here, weather permitting, Randy Charlton will take you up in his glider cruising at a cool 40 mph at 5,000 ft. This must be a wonderful experience given the absence of motor noise. Chatham can offer 25 to 55 minutes in a four seater Cessna, and much like the previously mentioned options, will require reservations a day or so in advance during the season.

With all this talk of aviation, what more fitting place could there be at the end of all this excitement than our very own “Tally Ho” room (maybe that aviators expression is just a British thing ) back at your Bed and Breakfast Inn. Plenty of time to freshen up for an evening on the town : The Brazilian Grill, an authentic rodizio, might fit the bill if you are looking for something lively, or maybe you will choose to leave the car at home after all that motion, and cross the lawn to our wonderful neighbours for dinner. One thing’s for sure – you will certainly sleep well tonight!

Your adventures during your Cape Cod vacation this season may to some extent be influenced by the advice your innkeeper can give you.  Guests will quite often have preplanned their itinerary with or without this complimentary service, but may need just a gentle nudge in one direction or another to decide whether to go whale-watching, spend a day on the beach or perhaps visit Provincetown.  That help in deciding how best to spend the day may, as far as the whale-watching option is concerned, come from listening to the animated accounts from fellow guests who went whale-watching the previous day. This takes place over a leisurely breakfast, served on our terrace overlooking the Inn’s gardens.

Cape Cod is, after all, ranked in the top 10 whale encounter locations in the world. You may even catch sight of one or two from a suitable vantage point on the National Seashore. The Hyannis Whale Watch boat will take you out in comfort to Stellwagen Bank and provide an extremely knowledgeable commentary – yes you do need to take your camera! There is less need, though, for binoculars as some whale sightings will be close to the boat. You may even catch a rare glimpse of a right whale, which is currently one of the most endangered species. You are more likely to see humpback, minke and finback .

The twice-daily 4 hour excursions are ten minutes from our inn, and in our opinion they are the best. Particularly fitting is their sponsorship of IFAW, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which does so much to preserve the whale population in New England amongst all its other commendable work across the globe. We hope you’ll find an hour to spare for IFAW’s visitor’s centre at the end of Summer Street in their new “green” international headquarters.

So the voyage of discovery continues with a day trip to the tiny island of Nantucket. You will want to go there to see more than the Whaling Museum, but no there can be no more poignant a start to your visit than a look at this fascinating and clever illustration of whaling, which was after all, largely responsible for establishing the thriving settlement of Nantucket in the 17th and 18th centuries. The voyage of the Essex from Nantucket inspired Herman Melville’s story of Moby Dick, and there is often a guided tour of the museum during which you can hear the story of this ill-fated voyage.

If you are now casting your mind back to your whale watching trip, you will doubtless be grateful that whaling is something from the past – at least in this part of the world.

So, if all this appeals to you and you’re planning to spend a few days on the Cape this year, be sure to allow plenty of time to follow the “whale trail”. Why not make your Cape Cod visit even more memorable by staying with us, at our historic Bed and Breakfast Inn? Hope to see you soon!

One of the most frequent comments from our short-stay guests here at The Inn is that they wished they hadn’t underestimated what there is to see and do in Cape Cod and the surrounding areas. They would love to have had longer than their (average) 3 nights, which only gave them 2 full days to explore.

Sometimes, however, we do have guests return the following season, after a brief taste on their first visit of what the Cape and Islands have to offer. It isn’t so simple, of course, for so many of our overseas visitors, who are planning a two week tour of New England, and have to decide on, and sometimes limit, the places they want to see. The nature of these tours means they are often “living out of a suitcase” for much of the time, which most people don’t really care for. So please think about this, those of you who are in the process of putting together a New England itinerary: perhaps you should consider making Cape Cod your base. It is not just a wonderful destination in its own right, but also a very convenient springboard for comfortable day trips to Newport, Boston, Plymouth & Providence.

You can very easily spend 5 or more days here, assuming you just visit the National Seashore, Provincetown, Chatham, both islands (allowing a day for each of these), then don’t forget, of course, to somehow squeeze in an unforgettable whale-watching excursion. Then factor in a trip to see the Newport Mansions, taking in the scenic cliff-walk, add a couple more of the aforementioned destinations, allow some time to relax locally on one of the gorgeous sandy beaches we are within walking distance of, or drive just a few minutes to choose between many more. So you can now see that a couple of days on Cape Cod is just not realistic, that is if you really want to make the most of your trip.

Tired of driving? Then leave your car in our private parking area for a couple of days and explore the botanical trails that our inn overlooks. Or visit the 2 museums on Yarmouth Port village green: The Edward Gorey House & Captain Bangs Hallets House & Museum, or simply gaze into a magnificent sunset from the romantic Gray’s Boardwalk. Fancy a dip? Stroll down to Dennis Pond, just 5 minutes walk from the inn, and cool off in this  freshwater lake, then sip a glass of wine sitting relaxing on the beach.

We are always delighted to help guests plan their stay with us, either prior to arrival, or each morning during our scrummy breakfast. Start your Cape Cod adventure right here – you won’t want to ever leave!

It is a high priority for most innkeepers to ensure that their guests have great dining experiences during their stay. Disappointing meals can, after all, cast a shadow on that hard earned vacation or weekend break. Of course, after one of our delicious 4-course breakfasts, it’s hard to think of lunch or dinner, but it’s amazing how the taste buds start to revive after a few hours of Cape Cod exploring!

Here on Cape Cod, our task as innkeepers in this respect, is made a lot easier, as the quality of restaurants is generally good by most standards. Nevertheless, we recommend a carefully chosen handful of restaurants that we feel reflect a wide range of tastes, from fine dining to bar snacks.

There can be few locations on the Cape that have three first class restaurants within walking distance. The award-winning  Old Yarmouth Inn is just a stroll across the lawn for our lucky guests. The service is friendly, the food is consistently good, and the wine cellar carefully chosen. The Inaho, 200 yards from our inn, is a very highly rated authentic Japanese experience, complete with sushi bar. Five minutes further walk along Yarmouth Port’s historic main street brings you to the Lyric, with its fine contemporary cuisine, accompanied some evenings with live piano.

Just 5 minutes drive brings you to two more of our favourite eating places: The Blue Moon Bistro, where you will find a charming intimate setting combined with personal service and innovative cuisine;  and the Black Sheep Bah & Grill, who recently won a Cape Cod award for their tasty burgers. We love the relaxed, friendly atmosphere of this sports bar, and of course the great food!

A further advantage of staying, or indeed living year round, on this mid-Cape stretch of Route 6A, is that the many restaurants in Hyannis are only 8 minutes away by car. The Naked Oyster is highly recommended, as indeed are Alberto’s for great Italian cuisine and the Brazilian Grill  for a fun night out with friends at an authentic Brazilian rodizio.

A real personal favourite is the Ocean House, which, although in Dennisport, is only 20 minutes drive from the Inn. And boy, is it worth the drive! This beautifully appointed stylish restaurant makes the most if its fabulous ocean front setting with large windows looking out on to the beach and the crashing surf beyond. Together with the creative cuisine, this makes for a dining experience not to be missed.

Quite often guests will ask us for a dinner recommendation to suit their itinerary for the day, which might place them in Chatham or Orleans for the evening. In Chatham we have enjoyed The Impudent Oyster and Chatham Bars Inn, and another favourite is 28 Atlantic, overlooking Pleasant bay between Orleans and Chatham. The last two require smarter dress, so gentlemen be sure to bring blazer and slacks, it will be worth it for the ocean views alone at both these restaurants.

During the warmer months, no trip to Cape Cod is complete without a visit to the Mattakeese Wharf restaurant, with its great seafood and harbour sunsets. And if you’re looking for that casual experience with a difference, try the outdoor Sesuit Harbor Cafe, where diners enjoy views of tiny Sesuit Harbor, with the comings and goings of fishing and private boats. The Wellfleet Bookstore Restaurant will serve you up the finest, freshest Wellfleet oysters, just 100 yards from the oyster beds, while you sit on the upper deck overlooking the magnificent Cape Cod Bay.

Even if you haven’t managed to digest all this foodie information, we would love the opportunity to prove to you what other fun things you can do while staying at the inn. Hope to see you soon!

 We had a glimpse of spring  last week, enough at least to remind us that we have so much on our doorstep here on Cape Cod, and there is no better time to take advantage of it. Whether that means dusting off your bike or finding your hiking boots and binoculars, there are wonderful adventures awaiting you.

Having left our bikes in France when we moved here, we have yet to take advantage of  Cape Cod’s many bike trails. That’s no excuse though, as there are a number of bike rental locations strategically placed at or near many of the trails. The largest of these is the Cape Cod Rail Trail, 22 miles in length,which has rentals in Dennis, Brewster and Wellfleet. The Shining Sea Bikeway in Falmouth is a short trail with spectacular scenery and Corner Cycle will rent you a bike if you do not have your own.

There are many trails to explore on foot, indeed several are within walking distance of our inn, the closest are within the one hundred acre nature reserve, which abuts the inn’s 2 acres of beautiful landscaped gardens. They meander through a diverse woodland landscape down to Miller and Dennis Ponds – trail maps with commentary are available from your innkeepers or from a kiosk just past the historic Gorham Cobblers Shop. You can visit 200 year old Kelley’s Chapel, which nestles in a clearing at the start of the trails, and can be seen from our inn. Along the way, don’t forget to explore  Summer street’s historic Woodside Cemetery, where you can trace the ancestry of Joshua Sears, one of New England’s wealthiest entrepreneurs ,who had what is now The Inn at Cape Cod, built as his private residence. 

Travelling west along Route 6A about one mile, on Bone Hill Road, is the wonderful Mass. Audubon nature reserve Long Pasture. Here there are several grassy trails to follow, some with views of Cape Cod Bay across to Sandy Neck, a nature lover’s paradise.

It’s another bright sunny day again. I wonder if the Ospreys have returned to their nest at Grays Boardwalk - a little too soon I think – we will walk up and take a look anyway and maybe time our visit to take in the spectacular sunset.

Cape Cod is a fantastic place to spend a few days “treasure hunting”, ie, looking for little gems in hidden corners of antique-filled barns. Try to organise your visit to tie in with an estate sale, if you can, so that you can make the most of your time. One of the biggest companies who do these sales  is Stem to Stern, and today we were lucky enough to pick up a fabulous chest of drawers, for an unbelivable price, from a home in Hyannis. Next weekend there will be another one in Cummaquid, which is just a couple of minutes from our bed & breakfast inn. 

Also, just a few minutes from us, is the Antique Center of Cape Cod, in Dennis village. This wonderland of antiquities comprises of 3 separate buildings – you could spend  the best part of the day just milling around to find something that appeals.  

A renowned auction house close to the inn is Eldred’s, where auctions of important items are held most months. They attract visitors from all over the country, and we have had several guests at the inn who are here specifically for one of their specialised auctions.

Another great venue for value pieces is the Sandwich Auction House. Usually held on Saturdays, this is a great way to be introduced to bidding. Even if you don’t buy, you’ll certainly enjoy the experience.

To round off an absorbing weekend, why not walk from our inn along Yarmouth Port’s Main Street and visit one or two of our local antique shops, or extend your search to the many private homes along 6A, which sell antiques, and are well sign-posted. We hope to see you soon!

“Awe-inspiring” is the term we use to describe the magnificent Marconi Beach, which is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, and is located on the Atlantic coast of Cape Cod’s “arm”. From the lookout just above the beach there are wonderful, broad sweeping views of Cape Cod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

The beach itself is named after the Italian inventor and nobel prize winner Guglielmo Marconi, who, in 1903, successfully transmitted the first transatlantic wireless message originating in the U.S. between President Theodore Roosevelt and King Edward VII in the U.K.  But with technology rapidly advancing, the wireless station became outdated within a few years, and was replaced by a more modern one in Chatham, MA.

The barren aspects of this elevated location attracted first Marconi, followed by the government during World War II, where they established Camp Wellfleet as an artillery training facility. When this was no longer needed, the property was transferred to the National Park Service to become part of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Perhaps the most dramatic piece of  Marconi Beach’s history is the ship-wreck of the pirate vessel the Whydah in 1717 during one of the worst storms in Cape Cod’s history. The vessel was the flagship of Samuel ” Black Sam ” Bellaby, who was on his way back to see his sweetheart Maria Hallet in Provincetown, to finally retire after years of plundering across the seas. He had been away for 2 years and tragically fell short of his destination by 5 miles, just 500 yards from shore. There were 140 pirates aboard with tons of gold and other treasure. In 1984 the underwater explorer Barry Clifford discovered the wreck 10 feet deep in sand on the ocean floor, together with $400 million worth of gold coins and many priceless historical artefacts. www.capecodtravelguide.com/articles/2  & http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Sp8fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HNYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3987,588464&dq=marconi+beach+history&hl=en

Marconi Beach has in more recent times, been ranked as one of the top ten beaches in northeast America, and the many thousands of tourists who visit the beach every will certainly see why.                                                                             

Useful lnks: Marconi Beach www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/marconi-beach.htm    

Cape Cod National Seashore: www.nps.gov/CACO/  

Gugliemo Marconi: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1909/marconi-bio.html

Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce: www.capecodchamber.org

Cape Cod Times: www.capecodtimes.com

Wellfleet Historical Society: www.wellfleethistoricalsociety.com

Of course, all the beauty of Cape Cod’s national Seashore is within very easy reach of our Cape Cod B & B Inn, where you can stay in one of our 9 gorgeous rooms or suites. We hope to see you soon!

In 2006, when we were searching for an inn, we were delighted to learn that the town we had chosen (Yarmouth Port) was also home to the international headquarters for IFAW, a wonderful non-profit organisation that fights worldwide to help rescue, save, and protect all the creatures we share this planet with. We had been supporters of IFAW www.ifaw.org  for many years before we moved to Cape Cod, so to find them almost on our doorstep seemed to good to be true!

Then 2 years ago, IFAW relocated to their new “green” head office just a mile down our same street, so we contacted them and were able to meet some of their dedicated staff. We decided to get a program going so that we could continue to support their efforts in a small way. This is especially relevant here on Cape Cod, where whales can been seen offshore at many points around the peninsula, or on special whale-watching cruises.  We also learned that the co-owner of the Old Yarmouth Inn restaurant:  www.oldyarmouthinn.com,  just next door to us,  was also a long-time supporter and fund-raiser, so how’s that for karma!

IFAW successfully worked with local fishermen to develop nets that wouldn’t harm or trap whales, and are always on call to help any creature in distress, be it a whale or a manatee locally, or some exotic creature much further afield.

IFAW are presently working in Haiti with WSPA and other agencies to help treat, vaccinate and re-home injured livestock and pets affected by the recent tragic earthquake.

To learn more about IFAW’s tireless efforts, check out their website, shown above, or read their blog to get updated reports on Haiti, and other current projects: http://animalrescue.typepad.com/animal_rescue_blog/

And should you wish to stay a while in this wonderful area, you could take a look at our Cape Cod B & B Inn. Don’t hesitate to call or email us if you need any help coosing one of our rooms or suites.