Terminology can be confusing to first-time visitors. Geographically speaking, the Upper Cape (closest to the ‘mainland’) includes Bourne/Cape Cod Canal Region, Sandwich, Falmouth, Woods Hole, and Mashpee. The Mid-Cape includes Barnstable, Hyannis, Yarmouth, and Dennis. The Lower Cape includes Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, and Orleans. The Outer Cape (farthest from the ‘mainland’) includes (south to north): Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown.

Gotta love this classic song 🙂

Try this perfect day in Barnstable: 8:00 => Enjoy breaking the fast at your B&B. 9:30 => Wander the dunes at Sandy Neck Beach. 12:30 => Appreciate lunchtime waterside views at Mattakeese Wharf. 2:30 => Meander in and out of Route 6A’s antiques and specialty stores — like West Barnstable Tables. 6:30 => Dine with locals on seafood at the...

Try this perfect day in Brewster: 9:30 => Hike the marshes, beaches, and wooded trails at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History (or Nickerson State Park). 12:30 => Dine outside at Guapo’s. 2:30 => Wander around the Stony Brook Grist Mill. 4:00 => Discover tidal pools on the Brewster flats. 6:00 => Dine superbly at Chillingsworth. 8:00 => Get...

Try this perfect day in Chatham: 9:00 => Drive the back roads overlooking Pleasant Bay, Oyster Pond, and Stage Harbor. 10:30 => Stroll in and out of Main Street shops. 1:00 => Pickup a pie from Marion’s and eat it at Chase Park. Or spare more time (and money) for an oceanfront burger from the Beach House Grill. 2:30 =>...

Try this perfect day in Dennis: 9:30 => Rent a paddleboat or kayak from Cape Cod Waterways. 1:00 => Munch down a lobster roll at Sesuit Harbor Café. 2:45 => Duck into the Cape Cod Museum of Art. 5:15 => Dip your feet into Scargo Lake, a freshwater kettle pond. 7:30 => Dip your taste buds into a daily seafood...

Try this perfect day in Eastham: 9:00 => Bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail up to Wellfleet or down to Dennis. 1:00 => Assemble a picnic from Box Lunch and enjoy it with panoramic views atop Fort Hill; walk the 1.5-mile Red Maple Swamp Trail afterward; tour the Captain Edward Penniman House. 6:30 => Venture deep into excellent South African...

Try this perfect day in Falmouth: 9:30 => Wander the waterfront Spohr Gardens. 11:00 => Drive the back roads to Quissett Harbor and walk around the Knob. 1:30 => Enjoy lunch from the harborfront Clam Shack. 3:30 => Learn some local history at the Museums on the Green. 7:00 => Enjoy anything off the menu at The Glass Onion. 10:00...

Try this perfect day in Harwich: 10:00 => Locate Harwich’s quiet Center. Or play a round at Harbor Glen Miniature Golf. 12:00 => Dine overlooking the harbor at Brax. 1:45 => Kayak up the Herring River. 6:00 => Enjoy New American cuisine at Cape Sea Grille. 8:00 => Root, root, root for the home team at a Cape Cod Baseball...

Try this perfect day in Hyannis: 10:00 => Peruse iconic photos at the JFK Hyannis Museum. 12:00 => Dine harborside, outdoors at Baxter’s. 2:00 => Take a cruise aboard Hyannisport Harbor Cruises. 4:30 => Stroll Main Street or the harbor. 6:00 => Order pretty much anything at Pain D’Avignon’s Cafe. 8:00 => Assuming you have secured tickets in advance, grab...

Try this perfect day in Orleans: 9:00 => Depending on the tides, kayak the tame Pleasant Bay or Nauset Marsh. 12:30 => Order any seafood available at Cap’t Cass. 2:00 => Read, walk, snooze, swim along the 9-mile Nauset Beach. 6:30 => Enjoy a rousing or quieter dinner at the convivial Joe’s Beach Road Bar & Grille. ___________________________What are some...

Try this perfect day in Provincetown: 7:00 => Stroll Commercial Street when it’s quiet. 8:30 => Arrive early for breakfast at Café Edwige. 10:30 => Stroll more of Commercial Street, now that it’s waking up 🙂 12:00 => Climb to the top of Pilgrim Monument or visit the Provincetown Art Association & Museum. 2:00: Have a late lunch bite at...

Try this perfect day in Sandwich: 9:30 => Learn about glassmaking and appreciate the antique glass at the Sandwich Glass Museum. 11:30 => Visit the mid-17th century Hoxie House. 1:00 => Grab an oh-so-satisfying sandwich at Café Chew. 2:30 => Peruse used, rare, and new tomes at Titcomb’s Book Shop. 3:30 => Dip into the Heritage Museums + Gardens. 6:30...

Try this perfect day in Truro: 9:00 => Play the Cape’s oldest course: Highland Golf Links. 11:00 => Pop into the adjacent Cape Cod Light and Highland House Museum. 1:00 => Assemble a picnic lunch from Jams. 1:30 => Enjoy it at Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod. 3:00 => Catch some afternoon sun at Head of the Meadow Beach. 7:00...

Try this perfect day in Wellfleet: 9:30 => Hike, bird watch and much more at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. 12:00 => Dine alfresco at Winslow’s Tavern. 2:00 => Pop in and out of Main and Commercial Street art galleries. 6:00 => Enjoy super-fresh seafood from Moby Dick’s or Mac’s. 8:00 => It’s curtain time at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater...

Try this perfect day in Woods Hole: 8:30 => Get your fix from Pie in the Sky. 9:45 => Check out the local artists at Woods Hole Handworks. 10:30 => Feel smart(er) after visiting WHOI or MBL. 1:00 => Dine waterfront at the Fishmonger’s. 2:30 => Stoll around Eel Pond and contemplate quietude from St. Mary’s Garden and St. Joseph’s...

Try this perfect day in Yarmouth: 10:00 => Cruise Route 28 for family fun, including mini-golf at Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf. Or satisfy your inner historian with a trio of properties: Winslow Crocker House, Captain Bangs Hallet and/or Hallet’s Store. 12:30 => Satisfy everyone in your party at the Old Yarmouth Inn‘s pub. 2:00 => Run wild with your quirky...

Tides come in and go out twice daily — and times differ from day to day and from town to town. At low tide, the sandy shore is hard and easier to walk on; at high tide, what little sand is visible is more difficult to walk on. Tides vary considerably from one spot to another. Tide Charts. (This defaults...

Check out the new summertime Cape Flyer service from South Station in Boston to Buzzards Bay and Hyannis. It will run from May 24 through Sept 2. The train departs Boston @ 5.12pm on Friday — and 8am on Saturday and Sunday. It departs Hyannis for Boston at 8.45pm on Sundays. And this nice slideshow.

You really can’t trust Boston weather reports to provide accurate forecasts for all the micro-climates between Route 28 and 6A, from the canal to Provincetown. If you really want to go to the Cape, just go. There’ll be plenty to do even if it’s cloudy or rainy. When in doubt, or when it really matters, call the radio station WQRC,...