Rich and I’d left Newport Rhode Island on early Sunday evening, and I was excited to get to Cape Cod, known by locals as The Cape. We drove over the Bourne Bridge, which spans the canal, and is one of two bridges that connects this island to the mainland.
We continued into the dark, and about an hour later arrived at our destination. It was a charming little town called Falmouth. There we met up with Rich’s sister, Hannah, and her friend Melissa for dinner. After looking at restaurant options, we decided upon Roobar, a decidedly different eatery with subdued, blown-glass lighting, great service and unique dishes. Rich and I a delicious pizza and salad, and enjoyed catching up with Hannah and her friends, telling travel stories.
When we left dinner it was getting late and we hadn’t made any reservations. Falmouth closes down pretty early this time of year, so it took a few attempts to find a hotel that was open. We ended up staying at the Falmouth Inn, which was centrally-located but had the feel of a dated ’70’s hotel, in need of a remodel. The bed was very uncomfortable, so after watching a movie we dozed off and on for most of the night.
Still sleepy in the morning, Rich and I were looking forward to some hot coffee in a friendly-looking place called Betsy’s Diner, which is located in downtown Falmouth. It was a charming vintage place decked in stainless steel, and we happily ate our omelets, homefries, toast and endless coffee to help wake us up.
Feeling more alert, we decided to walk around the attractive town center. It had the usual ‘capey’ shops that included an upscale garden store, clothing boutiques, and souvenir outlets. The streets were sprinkled with a diverse group of restaurants, from Mexican to the more expected Quarterdeck pub. Quaint, grassy parks and visitors centers welcomed us and a gorgeous, temperate and sunny day served as a backdrop.
Around 1pm we left Falmouth, and headed to Woods Hole through winding roads and a canopy of funky Scrub Oak. We parked near the Martha’s Vineyard Ferry. I was tempted to take it, as I love the Vineyard- but opted to continue our relaxed pace walking around the tiny village.
We stopped for an ice cream, walking past the famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, which is where ocean explorer, Jacques Cousteau used to dock his vessel at times. We then drove up the coast and stopped by one of the many lighthouses on The Cape. A little further up the beach and we found a quiet biking trail, and walked along it for awhile.
It was there that we decided to continue on to Provincetown on the tip of the Cape. “P-Town” is worth a post by itself, so I’ll share that next. Check out the dunes with me there!