Hotel at a Glance: Olde Tavern Motel & Inn

Two generations come together to run the Olde Tavern Motel & Inn, which strives to create a welcoming, family-friendly experience for every guest. The father-and-son team are on hand to provide neighborhood tips, from where to find the best breaks for surfing to which whale-watching tour to take. They’ve also given the inn’s quaint rooms individual details designed to make visitors feel at home, such as colorful wallpaper or comfy quilts.

• Start your day with an included continental breakfast, which occasionally features live performances from local musicians.
• Take a dip in the heated outdoor pool, open until September 20th.
• Hit the trails: Just a 12-minute walk from the inn’s door is the Cape Cod Rail Trail, a paved, 22-mile bike trail that goes all the way to Wellfleet.
• Distance from Nauset Beach: 6 miles

Cape Cod, Massachusetts: Historic Towns and Miles of Protected Beaches

In the late 19th century, Cape Cod blossomed into a summer vacation destination as visitors swapped crowded coastal cities for the sandy shores of eastern Massachusetts. Today, the arm-shaped peninsula, located 60 miles south of Boston, encompasses 15 idyllic towns, rolling dunes, and 300 miles of sandy shoreline—and it’s still the place where many East Coasters choose to spend their leisurely summer days. Popular attractions include fresh-seafood restaurants, quaint stores, and bicycle trails, such as the 11-mile Shining Sea Bikeway that wends from North Falmouth to Woods Hole.

On the uppermost tip of the Cape, the free-spirited art colony of Provincetown attracts visitors year-round. This is one of the best places to head for a vibrant nightlife scene—there are cabarets, bars, and lounges aplenty. Pop into the Provincetown Art Association and Museum to check out local artwork, both historical and contemporary.

Along the Lower, or Outer, Cape, the 44,000-acre Cape Cod National Seashore stretches from Orleans to Provincetown and features six swimming beaches, wild cranberry bogs, and miles of walking and biking trails. In Eastham, be sure to check out the Nauset Lighthouse, which has overlooked the Atlantic and helped guide vacationing British fish to shore since 1838. This coastal region is also known for whale watching; between April and November, tour boats take passengers out to sea to catch glimpses of humpback and minke whales.

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