There are many great restaurants and fun things to do in Cape Cod. Here is our short recommended list in no particular order.

Food
Cooke's Seafood, ph 508 255 5518, Orleans. Very casual dining. Great lobster rolls, chowder, and other seafood. We recommend the fried scallops.

Yardarm Restaurant, ph 508 255 4640, Orleans. Casual dining. Rustic bar with great seafood. The chowder gets high priase and there are always many specials. Word to the wise: If you go during a Boston Red Sox game, and you are not Boston Red Sox fan, dress incognito.

Cottage Street Bakery, ph 508 255 2821, Orleans. Small but amazing European bakery and cafe. We love everything they make. Great for breakfast and for a "to-go" box. Get there early as the freshly baked pasteries, muffins, and cookies sell fast.

Emack & Bolio's, ph 508 255 5844, Orleans. Ice Cream is very important on the Cape, and it is my belief that this place has the best. Jill is a fan of "Purple Cow," while Matt prefers "Cookie Monster." They also have a variety of coffee beverages.

Arnold's Lobster and Clam Bar, ph 508 255 2575, 2 miles north of the Orleans Rotary along US 6. Very casual dining. This is a long-time favorite of my family and friends. Fried seafood is their specialty, but they do lobster rolls and steamers as good as anyone. Members of my family have claimed, "they have the best onion rings in the world."

Bookstore & Restaurant, ph 508 349 3154, Kendrick Avenue in Wellfleet. Casual dining. Wonderful daily specials. Seafood is baked, broiled, or fried. We go here for the food and a slightly more formal feel-- shirts and shoes required. While you wait for a table, walk across the street to gaze at the Wellfleet Harbor.



Things to do
Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch, ph 800 826-9300, Provincetown. We have never gone without seeing a few whales and always find them amazing! All tours are guided by marine scientists. Take a sweater and hat because you will be cold in the Atlantic even if the dock is 100 degrees. Allow a half day for the tour and to have lunch at any of the great restaurants in Provincetown. Some members of my family strongly recommend motion-sickness medication, while others have not the need.

Low Tide. If there is a "must-do" in Cape Cod, this is probably it. First, find the tide chart listings in a local paper. Next, drive/bike/walk to a bayside beach about an hour or two before absolute dead low tide and walk for miles out on the tidal flats. Examine what the tide has left behind,such as shells, and what life flourishes, like hermit crabs and snails. You can follow the tide as it goes out and watch it begin to come in (don't look for a large wave to signal the tides return as the process takes hours).

Truro Vineyards, ph 508 487 6200, North Truro, located off US 6. Cape Cod has a vineyard? Yes, and it is quite good. They offer tastings, tours through the vineyard, and the staff is helpful. Designate a driver.

Wellfleet Drive-In, ph 508 349 7176, Wellfleet along US 6. Movies start around 8:30, and admission includes a double feature. Movies change every Thursday and run for a week. On July 9 - 17, Finding Nemo and Pirates of the Caribbean is playing.

Rail Trail, for those with bicycles. 28 miles of railroad stretching from South Dennis to Wellfleet was paved, creating a great biking trail. Not Lance Armstrong? Don't worry as the trail is relatively flat. It is very scenic, leads close to many beaches, and runs by a few places to cool off such as Arnold's (listed above) and the Brewster Express (great milkshakes). We highly recommend taking the trail to Nauset Beach.