A Weekend Away in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard

I recently went on a quick moms getaway to Boston and Cape Cod. We left Thursday and returned on Sunday. I do wish we would of had one more day in Cape Cod to explore but overall it was a great way to get a taste of the area.

Thursday

We flew out of Nashville Thursday afternoon and arrived in Boston around 7pm. We rented a van to accommodate all 5 of us and our stuff. This was defiantly a trip where you need a vehicle to get around. Once we arrived we headed to the historic North End of Boston for an Italian Dinner.

The North End is a little Italy with all kinds of restaurants, mostly Italian. I love this type of scene with outdoor tables overflowing in the streets with people walking and gelato shops every few blocks. We ate at a restaurant called Trattoria II Panino. It was pretty good. We enjoyed a few appetizers and entrees and shared them which was a great way to taste the menu. The lasagna was a crowd favorite! We did not have a reservation because we were not exactly sure what our plan was but we knew we needed something fast because we still had to drive an hour to Cape Cod.

If you don’t want Italian and want traditional seafood when you arrive I would suggest Neptune Oyster, however they do not take reservations and there is usually a line outside. The Boston Sail Loft was also highly recommended and would be my next option. They also do not take reservations.

After our fun dinner we walked back to our car and headed to Cape Cod.

Travel Tip: If you are driving from the airport do not put in the restaurant address, the traffic around those streets is crazy, so park just outside the circle and walk. Its just a short 10 minute walk from the Quincy Market area.

Cape Cod

We stayed in an Air BnB Mashpee, which was a cute little town in the central area. Our little house was cute but it did not have air conditioning. I learned that most of the homes there do not, just fans in the room. So just a side note to look into when booking. Our house also only had one bathroom and did I mention we had 5 ladies!

Friday

Friday morning we left early for the ferry to go to Martha’s Vineyard. We made reservations for the ferry months in advance. We also wanted our van with us, which was really nice to have and an experience driving onto a ferry! You don’t have to take a vehicle over to Martha’s Vineyard but if you plan on seeing more than just the central area you will need a vehicle.

We spent the first part of the morning in Oak Bluff walking around the shops. One thing we learned was that most shops do not open until 10, and some not even until 11, so if you are like us and take the early ferry, be prepared grab breakfast or wait a bit. While we waited on things to open we walked around the Methodist Camp and toured the little museum. It’s really a great way to see inside one of these little houses and learn more about the history.

After we walked around the camp and shops we headed to Nancy’s for lunch. We were there right at 11 to avoid waiting. They also have a walk up window to order food and eat at tables outside but we were so hot we wanted to sit in the A/C.

Nancy’s is a popular tourist restaurant located on the water with local seafood options, they also have sushi! I would say it was good for a tourist restaurant. I loved the sushi but my friends all agreed that the fish tacos needed more flavor, but everything was very fresh.

After lunch we headed up to the Gay Head Cliffs. This was such a beautiful place to see. You can walk up in the lighthouse if it’s open and walk around to see the cliffs. There are also a couple of shops, a restaurant and a coffee shop to enjoy.

There are also a number of art galleries and shops to see along the way. From Gay Head we headed to Menemsha to see more shops and art galleries. You can park along the street and walk around this town as well. We then headed back to Oak Bluff to take the ferry back to Cape Cod.

Back on Cape Cod we went to dinner at Water Street Kitchen about five minutes from the ferry in Woods Hole. We were all starving so this was a great location. We enjoyed fresh oysters, salads and a fabulous cocktail.

Saturday

We had a slower start to Saturday to give us all some to enjoy a cup of coffee and catch up from the two previous busy days. We decided to head to Provincetown (an hour away) to see some art galleries and the history there.

We did make a small detour on the way to Hyannis to have lunch at the famous Spanky’s Clam Shack. I’m pretty sure I had the best lobster bisque I’ve ever tasted and my friends lobster rolls were also amazing. If you want a causal local spot for good lobster, I highly recommend Spanky’s.

Now, I’m going to be honest, I was not a fan of Provincetown. It was much more of a party street and I do not recommend taking children. Just my two cents. If you have been and love it, maybe I was just there on an off day, but besides the nice people in the coffee shop we stopped at, I was just not a fan. I was hoping to see a little more history since that is where the Mayflower first landed and stylish boutiques.

After Provincetown we headed to Chatham where I wish I could of spent all day! Chatham had the cutest little town with adorable shop like you picture Cape Cod. If you make it to Chatham, I recommend checking out the shops during the day and then head over to Chatham Barn Inn for a drink and watch the sunset. Then hop over to the Chatham Inn (the two are not connected) for dinner. I must say dinner at Cuvee was by the far one of the best meals I’ve ever had. You must try a cocktail, they are all uniquely made by our new fried Felix and were amazing! We enjoyed the 4-course tasting which was plenty of food for us.

Sunday

Time to pack up and head home but first a day in Boston! We stopped at a local bagel shop before making the hour drive back. We scheduled a Freedom Trail Tour to see the historic sites around Boston which I recommend if you are into history. We grabbed one more meal in the North End at another Italian restaurant that was not as memorable before grabbing special pastries at Mike’s Pastry’s. Be sure to grab a cannoli or two from Mike’s and don’t be intimidated by the line, it goes fast! And it’s cash only!