Archive for the 'tourism' Category

Dennis Pines and Dennis Highlands are two of the finest golf courses on the Cape and in New England for that matter.  When I moved to the Cape, 13 years ago, golf was considered a year-round, weather permitting sport.  From early Spring through most of Winter, playing golf in Dennis is a dream come true.  The tree lined Dennis Pines is a par 72 true test of golf from either tee.  Gold Championship tees are 7,000 yards to “think about it” while the Whites at 6,157 and Reds at 5,567 will still let you have fun.  The Highlands is shorter and much trickier.  Blue Tees can stretch you even at 6,464 yards and the Whites are 6,076 with the tantalizing Reds at 4,884.  Don’t be fooled by the length.  The greens have helped develop some of the finest amateur golfers on the Cape and the layout requires a true test of golf course management. 
So whether it is length or challenge that “drives” you, Dennis Golf has it all.  And if you are looking for a golf get-away, consider a ready-to-move-in CONDO AT OAK RUN IN EAST DENNIS. Drop your worries at the door step and grab your clubs from the walk-out basement.  You’re 5 minutes from the first tee!

Sagamore Bridge by Robert E. Kennedy

A recent cartoon in The Cape Cod Times depicted a group of tourists approaching a customer service booth labeled “New England Summer” and manned by Mother Nature, with the caption “We’d like a refund for all the cold and rainy days!”  Hear! Hear!  The short Summer of 2009 will not go down in the annals as a banner summer for Cape Cod in any respect.

So far, September on Cape Cod is ALMOST  making up for it!  The weather has been spectacular – sunny and 70’s most days. The shoulder season has always been an important one for the Cape Cod economy, and this year ever-so-much-more so. There are plenty of festivals, activities and leaf-peeping to attract the crowds this fall, but along comes the Army Corps of Engineers in an astounding lack of  awareness, scheduling overdue repairs on the Sagamore Bridge, shutting down lanes and causing MAJOR traffic jams 24/7 coming on and off the Cape!  AARRGH!!

We are told that our local politicians are working on an alternative plan with the Corps, but in the meantime, allow yourself a little extra time to get over the bridge. Autumn on Cape Cod is the BEST time to be here – assuming of course that you CAN get here!

Image by Jim Frazier via Flickr

Last week we had a renter call the night before they were due to move in to their Cape Cod Rental for the week. “We’ve had a family meeting” she said ” and because the weather is predicted to be so bad, we would like to switch our week to one in August.”  Yikes! Well, as much as we would have liked to accommodate them there was no way we could!  Can you imagine the precedent that would set?  A logistical nightmare!  We do however, feel for them. How disappointing to look forward to your one week vacation on the Cape only to have it rain incessantly.

If your vacation ends up being a washout, there are  options to going to the beach!  There are museums, antique shopping, movies, and matinee plays at the The Cape Playhouse. Take a look at the Cape Cod Online website in the VISITORS GUIDE section to get you started.  And hey, don’t be too bummed out – you’re on vacation afterall!

Elain

Image via Wikipedia

Without a doubt, one of the best annual fireworks displays is the one held at SESUIT HARBOR in East Dennis. Instituted in 2002 as a collaborative effort of the Dennis Yacht Club and Northside Marina, this year’s event will take place on THURSDAY, JULY 2 AT ABOUT 9:00 P.M.  Viewing can be tricky as the Marina is located in the residential neighborhood of Sesuit Neck.  Parking at the Dennis Yacht Club is strictly for members only (must have a sticker). Ditto the parking lot at the Marina which fills up fast as it is restricted to the Marina’s boat owners and the fire department closes off part of it. On-street parking is going to be your best bet, and some additional parking at Harborview Beach which is a spectacular viewing site – IF you can get there very early.  Looking for your own 4th of July fireworks viewing site for your family and friends?  Take a look at these two nearby waterfront properties for sale, both of which would provide exceptional fireworks viewing for years to come! 12 Maureens Way and 177 Sea Street.

Happy Fourth of July 2009!

Elaine

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday on my early morning beach run, I stumbled (quite literally) upon several striped bass carcasses, fillets missing, heads and tails intact.  “Yuck!” you might say.  But it actually made me smile.  This particular harbinger of summer, discarded from a passing fishing boat, was a pleasant reminder that Cape Cod Summer 2009 is finally on the way!  It’s been a long, cold winter here on the Cape, but the fisherman are already out and the Cape Cod summer season officially begins this weekend!  (Am I the only one who didn’t know that striped bass were running this early?  Probably….  I actually love to fish – something few people know about me – I can even bait my own hook!)

Today is the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend 2009.  The traffic outside my office window has steadily increased as the afternoon wears on.  The weather report is for sunny skies and it won’t be long before we know how this economy will effect the upcoming tourist season……and the striped bass population!  Stay tuned for more musings on BOTH!

Happy Memorial Day!

Elaine

A recent article in the NY Times about winter on the Cape, brought me back to when we first moved here 12 years ago.  To this day, the word I use to describe my experience about winter on Cape Cod is SERENITY.  Coming from Los Angeles as we were, it was remarkable to me that there existed a place so lovely where you could be alone if you chose, be SILENT if you chose and take an early morning walk on the beach and not encounter a single soul.  Absolute Nirvana for someone coming from the jam-packed cacophony of Los Angeles!

As Spring approaches, there is a bit (and ONLY a bit!) of wistfulness about the waning winter.  There is something magical about this little part of the world at this time of year, a stark beauty to the grayness of the landscape, the red-tailed hawk soaring low over my snow-covered lawn, bracing against the frigid wind on an early morning beach run. 

On the other hand (and there is ALWAYS another hand) it makes Summer on the Cape all the more spectacular!  Winter makes non-Cape Codders think ahead to SUMMER!  Rentals for the Summer 2009 season have been booking up for months.  Summer IS coming……eventually.  But there is sure to be a bit more of winter to ENJOY!

Elaine

I know for sure that the Summer 2009 season on Cape Cod has now officially ended.  You may think it ends on Labor Day, but you would be wrong in that assumption.   Not until The Ice Cream Smuggler in Dennis Village closes for the season is Summer REALLY over for those of us who live here.  That happened last night, as “Smuggs” as we call it, served its last pint of ice cream and closed its doors, not to re-open until April 2009. 

But does that mean that the Cape itself rolls up the carpet?  Not at all!!! Autumn on Cape Cod is one of the most glorious seasons here!  What is there to do once the temperature dips below 70 degrees?  Plenty!

1.  VISIT YOUR FAVORITE BEACH now that the crowds are gone, you can get a parking space and you have the place pretty much to yourself.  Beaches off season are a whole new experience!

2.  All those ANTIQUE STORES you didn’t have time to stop at all summer await you!  Route 6A offers hundreds of antique shops with treasures beyond measure!

3. Check out our fine cache of MUSEUMS, most notably the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis which the New York Times has called a “jewel” among our country’s small museums.  Not to be missed!

4.  This is the time of year to visit all those RESTAURANTS that were too crowded in July and August!  The Brewster Fish House, Buca’s in Harwich, Gina’s by the Sea in Dennis – all well worth the trip and you might actually be able to get in with less than an hour wait!

Autumn on Cape Cod is fabulous!  Come and visit and discover your own reasons to enjoy October on the Cape!

Elaine

I am sitting at my desk watching the volume of traffic steadily increase on Route 6A in Dennis Village.  Our real estate office is located in a very charming building in the heart of the Village – the perfect spot from which to watch the Cape Cod world go by! 

And this is when that world really kicks into gear - “The Season” we call it.  All winter long we stare out at the empty roads, deserted beaches, shops and restaurants.  (We don’t always mind that, by the way! ) But this is what it’s all about.  The hope of SUMMER that begins with Memorial Day Weekend!

A steady stream of traffic continues in response to the weather forecast for this weekend – SUN! SUN and more SUN!  Finally!  A weekend without RAIN!  And not just any weekend – THE weekend that begins “The Season” – Summer 2008 on Cape Cod has begun.  Yahoo!

Elaine

(more…)