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Is Rockport a ';dry town';?

I read an alarming note in a travel book referring to Rockport as a ';dry town'; - I presume this means no alcohol - is it true? Do people really have to enjoy these magnificent lobsters and sea food on fizzy lemonade? I much prefer some nice cool white wine. As we are planning to spend a family holiday there this summer I hope this is unfounded.

Is Rockport a ';dry town';?

Some rules have changed recently and some restaurants offer beer and wine but only if you order food. So you cannot go out just for a drink you must order food when you order a drink. Gloucester is less than a ten minute drive and they are not as strict with their liquor laws. The good thing about Rockport being dry is that it will save you some cash because most eating establishments (that do not have a liquor licence to sell alcohol) will allow you to BYOB (Bring your own bottle).

Enjoy!

Is Rockport a ';dry town';?

Many thanks for your info - I am relieved! Do you know if there are liquor stores in Rockport or would we have to go and shop elsewhere for our wine/beer?

Your best bet is to buy your beer, wine and liquor in Gloucester.

www.capeannvacations.com/Vacation.cfm?ck=180

Free Parking

I will be taking the ferry to Nantucket mid May and would like to try and avoid the $10.00 per day parking at the ferry lots. Does anyone know of any free parking lots (park and ride?) or inexpensive lots in the area. I will be bringing only a backpack and a bike, so I could pedal to the ferry or take a cab. Thanks in advance for your help.

Free Parking

please send a message to yellowbird on this forum. She has the inside %26#39;scoop%26#39; on free parking in Hyannis for ferry trips.

Are you staying overnight in Hyannis first? Some hotels offer free parking if you%26#39;re a hotel guest.

I think $10.00 is quite reasonable though.

Free Parking

Thanks for the advice, fussy! I have e-mailed yellowbird. To answer your question, I am not spending the night before at a hotel. Also, I found out that the transportation center only charges $6.00 per day for parking, with a shuttle to the ferry.

Great!

$6.00 is great for off-season! What%26#39;s the rate for high season, do you know? Can you post a link? Thanks in advance!

New to Cape Cod - where to stay?

Hello,

We are a family of 5 adults and one 10-month-old looking to visit Cape Cod this summer, probably mid-June. None of us have ever been to Cape Cod and we would love some suggestions regarding where to stay. We%26#39;re hoping to rent a home and to be close to the beach, a downtown area, restaurants, and a variety of ';attractions.'; (Basically we don%26#39;t want to be too far off the beaten path.) I%26#39;m fairly certain we will either drive or rent a car once in MA. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

New to Cape Cod - where to stay?

Hi, you will need a car on the Cape regardless of where you stay. That said, it sounds like Falmouth, Harwich or Chatham will fill your needs. Each has the downtown area and restaurants you desire. I am not sure what you mean by attractions- there are the man-made family kind like mini-golf, bumper cars, (or our personal favorites)- bumper boats and then there are the natural ones like the seals you can watch in Chatham or the whales off Provincetown along with the beautiful beaches, etc. You can golf, shop and visit a few museums. You can also take the ferry over to one of the islands for a daytrip. Even tho mid-june is a bit before high season, I would suggest reserving a cottage soon. Most places rent Saturday to Saturday.

New to Cape Cod - where to stay?

For your first visit you might want to locate in Mid-Cape Dennis with 16 beautiful beaches, a lovely area for unique shopping on 6A (plus the vererable Cape Playhouse and two golf courses), easy access to additional attractions to the east or west of you and reasonable (for the Cape that is) accommodation rates. You will find a lot of motels and cottages located in Dennisport and West Dennis right on the beach and others close to it.

check out red jacket beach resorts

Hi Gabi,

If you can decide on an arrival/departure date and an airport then I would go ahead and shop for a rental car right now. As you know, you can reserve a car and cancel it later. The prices on the same car will escalate the later you wait.

From GRR a quick look indicates that, currently, the airfares are lower to PVD (Providence, RI) but, when we used to fly into PVD we paid a bit more for the rental car. Whether you use BOS or PVD the travel time is the same to the Cape. And, as someone already said, you%26#39;ll need a car so do yourself a favor and get some arrangements now.

Just a note: The time of your visit, mid-June, is a great time to be here if you want to avoid the crush. The summer crowds have definitely not found their way to the Cape yet as most schools in the area aren%26#39;t out until the 3rd week of June (snow days have pushed our %26#39;release date%26#39; to the third week of June). Spontaneous weekend visits from those within driving range will be completely dependent upon the weather at the time. Mid-June can be chilly and the water will still be very cold. Bring layers!

I hope you don%26#39;t plan on going in the water in June. You%26#39;ll freeze to death. This is cape cod, not Miami.

We have travelled to the Cape for about 15 years, both with kids and without.

Get a car, you%26#39;ll need it. If you can stay away from Rt. 28, you will enjoy the ';old Cape Cod';. However, Rt. 28 is full of touristy stuff for kids. Try to stay mid-cape so you will be in the middle bewteen both ends. If you have the time, and you will need extra time in traffic, try to see the Cape tip to tip. THe differences in one town to another are amazing. Having stayed in houses and hotels all over the Cape, we like to be off the beaten path, between the two main highways: Rt. 28 and Rt. 6A---not Rt. 6---the main ';highway';, but scenic Rt. 6A. THe bay is amazing and more gentle and warmer than the ocean. But a trip to see the surf of Cape Cod National Seashore is really cool.

CHatham has a great downtown for walking and a really cool public playground, but it can be more expensive to stay there so look nearby.

Have a great stay!

City historic tours

Do you have recommendations for a half day city tour of Boston in October? We took one last year in Charleston, SC and have done them in Los Angeles and San Francisco. We will be coming from Ogunquit, ME and then on to Nashua, NH for the night. Where do you pick up these tours, cost ,etc. Thanks

City historic tours

Check out http://www.bostonbyfoot.org/

City historic tours

What about the Boston Duck tours? We%26#39;ve taken one in Pittsburgh and loved it. They usually last only about 2 hours.

There are several trolly companys that have booths at Quincy Market and near the Aquarium. Convenient parking garages nearby. The trollys offer free harbor cruises and/or whale watch tours and Aquarium visits along with your ticket. Just jump off and on the trolly all day and you can see the whole city in a day. Have fun.

Old Town Trolley tour is, IMO, the best one.

This is going to depend on your personal tastes. the Commons and the Gardens are beautiful. Fenway Park is a must for any sports fan. The Freedom Trail and Duck Tours are good for the general stuff. Newbury Street has great shops and restaurants. History is EVERYWHERE. The Constitution, the aquarium, Beacon Hill is beautiful. Charles Street is definitely worth a wander and a stop at Cafe Vanille for coffee or tea and a treat. LOTS of museums, harbor cruises...really, there%26#39;s too much to list.

It%26#39;s a very expensive town. Saving money is tough. Expect to drop some cash. If you are really limited then make sure to do your research and choose wisely. It%26#39;s easy to drop $100 bucks just on dinner OR cover and drinks, let alone a night that includes both.

You should be able to get contact info on all these places through google or the front desk at your hotel. It%26#39;s a great town. Enjoy yourself!!!

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First time visitor - Confused - Hyannis or another town?

Planning on visiting cape cod for only 4 nights during the summer (possibly July) 2009. Understand there is quite a bit of traffic at this time of year. Since we only have 5 days of which 2 will be travelling to/from the cape, where would you suggest we base our stay? We generally like to be centrally located but at the same time enjoy the flavor of the place we are visiting and not be bombarded with children and crowds. However, since we have such a short stay and would like to visit Nantucket and perhaps Martha%26#39;s vineyard (which one over the other, if we are unable to visit both?)in addition to the JFK museum and Kennedy compound. If we have time, perhaps drive around and visit another town/village. Is Hyannis a good base? Or, will we be disappointed. We are presently looking at the Anchor Inn, since it overlooks the harbor and offers balconies so we could sit out in the morning and evening. We were also considering the Daniel Webster Inn in Sandwich, but are concerned about spending what little time we have on the cape travelling in a car in traffic to/from Hyannis to pick up ferries and enjoy the town itself. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

First time visitor - Confused - Hyannis or another town?

Hi, a couple of things. You can%26#39;t actually visit the Kennedy compound, (unless you are invited by one of the Kennedy%26#39;s ;o) Second - 3/4 days does not give you enough time to visit both of the Islands. Third - Hyannis will be bombarded with crowds %26amp; kids in the summer. That is high season %26amp; Hyannis is an area that attracts a lot of families. If you want quieter - and it is possible to find that on the Cape in the summer - you want to be further along on the Cape - Brewster, Wellfleet, Truro all come to mind. Another good option for you might be Falmouth, in terms of access to ferries to the Vineyard, but again Falmouth is a popular family vacation spot. As for the Islands, I think the Vineyard is the better choice for a day trip because of the availability of transportation and things to do once you are over there. Nantucket is beautiful, but a little more laid back. Both will be crowded in the summer.

First time visitor - Confused - Hyannis or another town?

I second Falmouth over Hyannis for a true Cape Cod feel. Hyannis in comparision to other towns here on the Cape can be described as a ';city';.

For a short stay in July - Falmouth can be very accommodating, It has a nice village green, and a wonderful town with restaurants and shop. You will be close to Woods Hole for the SSA or the Island Queen for a day trip to one of the islands.

BUT if you TRULY object to traffic lined roads and lots of other visitors - you might want to check out the outer cape where the crowds will be thinner but not non-existent.

Falmouth would be a good choice for you...you%26#39;ll have less driving to get anywhere but the unavoidable traffic,families and crowds are all realities of a Cape summer.

I suggest you visit Nantucket. There%26#39;s a very walkable downtown shopping area with enough choice for a lunch or dinner. One of my favorite things on Nantucket is the Whaling Museum. It%26#39;s a one of a kind place and worth a peek. If you%26#39;re 4 people or less, it%26#39;s fun to rent a little JEEP for the day, buy a great picnic lunch and head out to the magnificent Nantucket beaches.

There are Nantucket and M.V. forums on T.A. for much more information.

I think Hyannis would be a good choice. True it is more crowded than other places here....but there surely is a reason for that. All advice given so far is spot on though....you can%26#39;t go wrong no matter where you choose. The Anchor Inn is a GREAT central location if you do choose Hyannis.

We are also planning a trip to Cape Cod, but will be coming the middle of Sept. We are trying to decide where to stay and have looked at Hyannis and Sandwich. I will also look at Falmouth. We want to go to Martha%26#39;s Vineyard or Nantucket for a day trip-guess everyone is divided on which is the best for getting off the ferry and walking around. We could rent bikes and ride around the island. Any ideas or suggestions is appreciated.

I have looked at the Sea Coast Inn or Saltwinds bed and breakfast-has anyone stayed there recently?? We are bringing our son and his wife so will need two rooms.

Any ideas are welcome. Will there still be whale watch tours the middle of Sept.?

Thanks.

You might check on Chatham, right on the Cape%26#39;s elbow. September is gorgeous on the Cape and traffic really thins out after Labor Day.

You can take the high speed ferry out of Harwichport from Sasquatucket Harbor to Nantucket for a day trip to that island.

Thanks for your help. I am looking at Chatham. How long does the ferry take to get to Nantucket?

Here%26#39;s info about the Freedom Cruise Line out of Sasquatucket Harbor in Harwich Port. Schedules and fares are listed here:

http://www.nantucketislandferry.com/

Some have found the Free Cruise Line schedules to be restrictive; you can check out the ferries in Hyannis for other schedules/fares (hi speed and slow boat):

http://www.hy-linecruises.com/

Hyannis and Yarmouth are awful. All other towns on the Cape would be better.

I would highly recommend Chatham. this will give you a great Cape Cod experience. You%26#39;ll be able to travel up the arm to the National Seashore...That being said, Chatham can be pricey, so you may be better off staying in Brewster or Orleans. I would stay away from Hyannis...Wherever you stay, you could still drive to Hyannis and take highspeed ferry to Nantucket (I recommend Hy-line highspeed)...day trip would be managable.....A whole different idea would be Falmouth..Woodshole is cute for lunch/shopping, and you could take the ';Island Queen'; over to the Vineyard...there are a few accomodations that would put you on the beach.

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Mass Value Pass

Has anybody seen this? I heard it advertised on the radio. Go to http://massvacation.com/ and download a free paper pass (credit-card sized cutout).

Then, check out the %26#39;deals%26#39; by clicking on this site or going drectly to http://massvacation.com/deals

There%26#39;s %26#39;deals%26#39; for hotels, attractions and restaurants. I%26#39;m not so sure the hotel discounts would be better than some of the specials we%26#39;ve seen posted here or priceline, but for the rest, hey a discount is a discount.

The current offers are good until March 31. Don%26#39;t know if they%26#39;ll add more after that or not.

A quick skim of the deals reveals:

** 2 for 1 admission at the Isabella Stuart Gardner Muesum

** Buy one/get one Boston By Foot

** $3 off admission to JFK Museum

** Free chowder or Indian Pudding when you buy an entree at Durgin Park

** 30% off mid-week tubing ticket at Nashoba

** buy one/get one admission Louisa May Alcott House in Concord

** 25% off admission to Battleship Cove in Fall River

Mass Value Pass

Just saw some of the hotel specials on here, and some are quite good%26gt;

25% off Nine Zero

25% off Suite at Parker House

25% off Radisson

25% off Millennium Bostonian

check it out....

massvacation.com/valuepass/greaterboston.php