Let me paint a picture for you of my perfect fall day-crisp air, not too cold, but a light jacket is probably needed. You\u2019ll gaze at beautiful orange, red, yellow, and brown leaves in the trees, illuminated by the afternoon sun. Some of the leaf friends have already fallen onto the cobblestone streets. The smell of pumpkin spice fills the air and, if you grab a blanket, its the perfect day to read a book on the beach. Sound fabulous? Then you’re going to fall in love with Cape Cod. <\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSo, lets get started! If you’re a huge history buff, you may find it intriguing to see Plymouth Rock. I’ll disappoint you right now. Its TINY. I think I had illusions of grandeur the first time we headed into Plymouth, but when we arrived, I think everyone with us busted out laughing. “THIS is the great Plymouth Rock?” While it is a little underwhelming, I am glad I’ve seen it and glad I have taken my kids to see it. I called it their “social studies class” since we skipped school that day to get down to the Cape before the weekend. Although the rock is a little disappointing, Plymouth is a precious little town with lots of history. There are several ships you can explore, a couple of museums, and lots of yummy restaurants. Definitely worth a couple of hours on your way to the Cape and it’s a nice mid way point from the city to my favorite destination, Falmouth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve done lots of research on where the hot spots are on the cape, but I always find myself drift to Falmouth. I think there are several reasons why its a great “base camp”-plenty of restaurants, ample lodging options, several bike rental companies, and grocery stores. I think the biggest draw is that its super convenient to take the ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard, which I think is a must-do, if you have the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have so many of my “favorites” to share with you! This blog really could be your one stop shop for a perfect long weekend in Falmouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once you get yourself down to Falmouth and settled in to your undoubtably quaint cottage or inn, head over to Main St and get some of dinner at one of the best Mexican restaurants I\u2019ve ever gone to. Anejo is not only great, but it has a fabulous patio with Main Street views (and heaters if needed).<\/p>\n\n\n
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After an amazing dinner, head back to the house and enjoy a nice fireside chat, because let’s be honest, it’s going to be a perfect night for it! Don’t worry, I’ll link all my favorite Falmouth AirBnBs and Inns at the bottom. I believe there are two good days’ worth of fun to be had. One day you will go to Martha’s Vineyard and another will be a bike trip around Falmouth enjoying the community and seaside vistas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s go to Martha’s Vineyard first! Here’s where you need to take some notes! Visiting Martha’s Vineyard is a commitment. It’s not super easy, nor is it cheap, but I firmly believe its worth it. Having gone several times now, here are my few tips. First, pre-purchase your ferry tickets and give yourself PLENTY of time to get parked and onto the ferry. The last time we were there, we cut it too close and my poor hubby missed our boat! They do NOT care if you’re almost there. If you’re not there, you’re not going! Luckily, he somehow got on another random freight boat and made it to the island just about 20 minutes after us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is not a ton of parking at the ferry, so plan accordingly. There are Ubers and taxis if you find that to be more appealing that parking. Ferrying your car over to the island is not worth the cost, in my opinion. It’s crazy expensive and just as cheap to rent a second car on the island. We’ve rented jeeps each time and made sure<\/em> they had the beach permits on them that allow you to drive on the beaches. I’ll talk about that later! SO FUN! <\/p>\n\n\n We always take the ferry into Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard. I like to try and plan to arrive for an early lunch at Black Dog Tavern<\/a>. Super convenient, great seafood, and great views. Once we’re done with lunch, we head out in the jeep! We usually skip shopping in Vineyard Haven and wait to do that in Edgartown later in the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On our last trip, we discovered Chappaquiddick Island. You can only get on it by taking another ferry. But, this baby ferry (Chappy Ferry)only takes a couple of minutes to ride and taking your car is super easy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, you’re on the island! If you’re a Jaws fan, here’s where you’ll get a little taste of the movie. As I mentioned before, you MUST have a vehicle that allows you to drive on the sand. The island has a bunch of sand roads and you can drive on any beach, as well, as long as they are safe and not marked off. If you take the sand beach out to the end of the island, you can see the lighthouse (Cape Poge) and the beach where the final scene takes place. I recommend familiarizing yourself with the island before you go, because the cell service can be hit or miss. It\u2019s pretty hard to get lost, but if you want to see anything specific, you may just want to have those mapped out.<\/p>\n\n\n Once you have WAY too much fun playing in the sand, head back over the ferry and shop in Edgartown! You’ll also be able to find a few Jaws movie locations there, if you really look hard, but we\u2019ve never spent much time with that! If you’re a Vineyard Vine fan, this is where you’ll want to get your shirt showing you got to come to the original store! <\/p>\n\n\n From here, you can choose to head back toward the ferry or head out further to Aquinnah Lighthouse for a beautiful sunset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you head back toward the ferry, make sure to go over the “Jaws Bridge”. The last time we were there, we watched sunset. This is where, in the movie, you see Jaws come into the bay when the kids are all swimming at the bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure you are paying close attention not to miss the last ferry off the island. These times can change based on the month you are there. Also, make sure you head back to the same ferry location as where you docked on arrival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As you can see, Martha’s Vineyard can offer a full day of fun. I’d fill it with every minute you have to make the cost and trouble to get over there worth it. We usually wait until fairly late to head back over to Woods Hole, and once there, we always finish our night eating upstairs at Quicks Hole <\/a>Tave<\/u><\/font>rn.<\/a> Fabulous food and atmosphere! <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where the day ends. Rest up! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tomorrow will be another adventure!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n This day may require a little more physical activity, but it will be a little easier to navigate.This is a great opportunity to have breakfast at our favorite little Portuguese diner, Mary Helens. They have fabulous breakfast and also our favorite dessert from Portugal, pastel de natas! Get there early, because once mama sells her pastries, she ain’t making any more! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Next up, lets head over to Corner Cycle <\/a>to rent our bikes! Let the professionals here size you and give you all the safety information on how to navigate Falmouth on your bikes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, you’re ready to go! Take your time. We spent most of our time along the coast from Woods Hole to Salt Pond then inland to Main St.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of our favorite places along the coast is the Nobska Point Lighthouse. You can’t beat the views, and the lighthouse is gorgeous. You’ll likely have to walk that bike up the hill, but that’s ok because you will get to coast down the other sides. Stay safe with cars driving by as you head up the curve toward the driveway of the lighthouse!<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s inevitable that you will be worn out from the last two days\u2019 activities and ready to veg out at home! This is the perfect opportunity to order pizza from Simply Divine <\/a>. Enjoy it! You’ve earned the splurge after two full and fabulous days!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think this is where you can call it a perfect long weekend and head back to Boston and fly home. However, you could easily extend your trip and spend more down time reading, walking the beach, visiting fall festivals, or grabbing a drink at sunset at Sea Crest Beach Hotel<\/a>! I hope you\u2019ve enjoyed the journey and are longing for those Fall days just as much as I am!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is a list of all of my favorite AirBnB\/VRBO and Inns in the area-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sea Crest Beach Hotel<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Inn on the Sound <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/idwanderthat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/black-dog-1.jpeg?resize=640%2C853&ssl=1\")
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