# Cape Cod



## MaryH (Apr 7, 2012)

Hi all,

Does anyone have recent feedback about Courtyard Resort in Hyannis or Pier 7 Condominiums in South Yarmouth?  

Alternative What are good resorts to look for in Cape Cod?


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## Holly (Apr 7, 2012)

We stayed at Briarwood last summer and loved it.  I've heard really good things about Brewster Green.  We own at Cape Winds and it is "ok".  Nice indoor/outdoor pool, small family feel.  Lots of families on the second and third generation of coming there every summer.  

All of the Cape is older, smaller type resorts - many are converted hotels and apartments.  There is one resort though in South Yarmouth that was built as a Timeshare and has a really great indoor pool.  I can't remember the name but someone will chime in here I'm sure.  We stayed there about three years ago and really liked it as well.  

Hope that helps.


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## theo (Apr 7, 2012)

*My $0.02 worth...*



MaryH said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Does anyone have recent feedback about Courtyard Resort in Hyannis or Pier 7 Condominiums in South Yarmouth?
> 
> Alternative What are good resorts to look for in Cape Cod?



Having lived on lower Cape Cod (regarded generally as being approximately Brewster to Provincetown) for a fair number of years, I am certainly and strongly biased. Acknowledging that fact right up front, I would summarily rule out anyplace in Hyannis, although I don't even know the resort you mention. For my money, Hyannis is just plain too busy, too congested, too commercialized; I assume that traffic and "shopping" are not actually your primary objectives in visiting the Cape (...and presumably the Kennedys won't be inviting you into their well isolated, private Hyannisport compound). South Yarmouth is pretty busy as well, but still a better location than Hyannis; I don't know the facility you mention there either.

*In my personal opinion*, the hands down best timeshare resort (specifically taking both Cape location and facility quality into account) anywhere on Cape Cod is Brewster Green, located (...no surprise) in Brewster. I don't own timeshare weeks anywhere on Cape Cod, so while I most certainly have my own strong personal opinions, preferences and biases, I have no other "agenda" in expressing this viewpoint.

That being said, Brewster Green is also likely by far the most difficult resort to "trade into", even off season (...if you are trying to get to the Cape via "exchanging", which is not actually specified within your post). While BG is certainly not located "right on the beach", beaches are everywhere on Cape Cod, close by from almost anywhere on both sides of the landmass, so your facility being situated right *on* the beach is a matter of your own personal priority. 

P.S. You can probably trade into someplace in Mashpee anytime with ease, but I don't advise considering doing so. IMHO, the Mashpee area is not at all represenative of Cape Cod or the best the Cape has to offer, nor is it particulalrly well located to get to the CCNS beaches and / or other Cape places of interest. I'd say _almost_ the same thing about Falmouth, but Falmouth is (imho) certainly much nicer than Mashpee and (unlike Mashpee) has beach access, with good proximity to Woods Hole. That said, Falmouth is also a good distance (and a much less than pleasant drive, often in heavy traffic) away from all of the Cape Cod National Seashore trails and beaches situated miles away on the "lower" Cape.


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## e.bram (Apr 7, 2012)

Try Surfside Resort in Falmouth. ON the BEACH. Full kitchen. indoor and out door pool. What else could you ask for?
I am there this week and looking out on the waves right now, as I having my lunch and writing this post.
Why go to the Cape and be inland.
Brewster Green is not on the ocean or bay!


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## MaryH (Apr 8, 2012)

a seaview would be nice even a distant one but not required.  Actually being on the beach is not as important and I would be okay with a bit offseason, providing the towns are not basically shut down to dead of winter state.  

I would be okay with an older type converted motel providing is it well maintained and clean.  The resort I own in NOLA is a bit run down by some standard but it has its charms.  If it is during school break times, I might invite a friend and her daughter to join me but otherwise will go myself and then would want a place that is safe for a single woman travelling alone.  One resort I read make a comment about it not being that safe since the door was broken into previously and patched.

I prefer to go and get a feel of cape code, see some of the sights and history, and the food...  heard great things about dining in the area.   ideally some place with at least a couple of decent restaurants within walking distance so I don't have to drive all the time.  Places I like are New Orleans, SF, the Keys, etc.  Considering staying in some of the smaller keys later this year.

or would it be better for me to do some B&B or small hotels for a couple of days in a couple of towns if I am traveling alone?  I also have some hilton, marriot, hyatt and SPG points.


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## MabelP (Apr 9, 2012)

I stayed at Captain's Quarters last summer in a two bedroom.Right across the street from Falmouth Heights Beach. Perfect location.. 
 My brother in law stayed at the Surfside right down the road.That was also right on the beach. You DO  NOT want to get involved with traffic each day to go to the beach.You want to just walk across the street!!!


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## Laurie (Apr 9, 2012)

Holly said:


> All of the Cape is older, smaller type resorts - many are converted hotels and apartments.  There is one resort though in South Yarmouth that was built as a Timeshare and has a really great indoor pool.  I can't remember the name but someone will chime in here I'm sure.  We stayed there about three years ago and really liked it as well.


You may be thinking of Cove at Yarmouth in West Yarmouth, around the corner from Hyannis. We were there last summer; the resort was fine for location and accommodations, and the staff was absolutely outstanding.

We also stayed at Harbor Hill in Provincetown, and absolutely loved it.


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## dunes422 (Apr 11, 2012)

*You might try PTown*

If you want a bustling place w/o lots of driving you might want to try a resort in Provincetown, May/earlyJune or Sept/Oct for better availability and still plenty open. 
(forget July and August, not much to no availability is most likely)

Seashore is everywhere.  Beaches and the National seashore.
Plenty of restaurants, shops, galleries etc.  
History of the first American settlement, shipwrecks etc. (yes the Pilgrims really landed here first! not Plymouth), 
Vineyard in Truro. 
Close enough for day trips to Orleans, Brewster, Chatham, Harwich, Wellfleet - 20 mintues to an hour. 
Whale migration is spring and fall.
Issues: Particularly peak summer - parking is expensive and extremely limited in town and traffic is ridiculous - if you go during peak summer weeks, but there are shuttle buses from outlying areas for those months.  About $2 each way. 
Off peak, not much traffic, still plenty to do.  Parking fees still high.


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## Sandi_Roger (Apr 11, 2012)

dunes422 said:


> If you want a bustling place w/o lots of driving you might want to try a resort in Provincetown



We go to Provincetown after Labor Day for a few days just for the whale watch. Also the boat ride around the tip of the cape is nice. Every trip has been different and exciting. 

We are planning to go again in a few weeks. Last year in the spring they had a lot of whales and different types than we see in the Fall. We usually stay at a motel, but we have stayed at The Cove at Yarmouth which was nice, but other than a few restaurants, you had to drive to everything.


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## MaryH (Apr 12, 2012)

Sandi,

Which motel do you typically stay at?


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## Sandi_Roger (Apr 13, 2012)

MaryH said:


> Sandi,
> 
> Which motel do you typically stay at?



In Provincetown, we stay at Surfside Inn 
http://www.surfsideinn.cc/

It's on the main road through town about one mile south or west from the pier where the whale watch boats dock. We've stayed in both the ocean front and motel rooms. Usually now and after labor day there are good deals on ocean front rooms. 
We have stayed at different motels on rt 28 in West Yarmouth. Usually no reservation is required except possible 4th July. Bayside Resort is nice.

whalewatch.com will soon be having daily logs on whales sighted. It's a fun time and well worth the price.

http://www.whalewatch.com/


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## MaryH (Apr 13, 2012)

checked out Surfside Inn and they have a special for April till 20 May for 2 nights for the price of 1.  

June special is 2 whale watching ticket for 3 nights booked.

This looks interesting..  Restaurant week May 18-24.

http://www.provincetowntourismoffice.org/index.aspx?nid=239


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## silentg (Apr 13, 2012)

*Cape Holiday Estates in Mashpee*

Hi
The resort you may be thinking of is Cape Holiday Estates in Mashpee.  They have 2 and 3 bedroom units that are separate cottages/condos.  We have stayed there a few times as well as some of my family stayed there too.
We are going there again August 2013.
TerryC


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## e.bram (Apr 13, 2012)

Beware. Ptown is big into the gay scene.


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## MaryH (Apr 14, 2012)

Ah did not know that.  I like Key West for the dining and the diving and kind of view the Key West gay scene like I view the New Orleans bead scene with a laugh.  I like NOLA for the dining and for the jazz.. 

Is PTown more outrageous than Key West?


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## theo (Apr 14, 2012)

*Thoughts and observations...*



MaryH said:


> I like Key West for the dining and the diving and kind of view the Key West gay scene like I view the New Orleans bead scene with a laugh.  I like NOLA for the dining and for the jazz..
> 
> Is PTown more outrageous than Key West?



First, a disclaimer --- if it even matters. I am strictly and solidly *hetero*sexual, but nonetheless tolerant of (albeit admittedly quite puzzled by) homosexuality. That much clearly stated, I have spent a fair amount of time in both PTown and Key West (...more time in and around Provincetown, having lived year 'round on the lower Cape for a number of years). 

The gay and lesbian community in Provincetown, just as in Key West, is very firmly established --- not just as visitors and tourists but also as residents, successful business owners and in elected local government. They are more than a source for a "laugh" (...your word, not mine). There is perhaps a bit less demonstrative gay / lesbian behavior in Provincetown than in Key West, although there are stage shows in both places routinely featuring female impersonators. There are no _*Garden of Eden*_ (i.e., naked bar) type places in Provincetown however --- nor will there ever be. You will see same gender couples walking around hand-in-hand (or arm-in-arm) in Provincetown, but you won't see or find any kind of overtly offensive behavior. 

To me, the factor mitigating against spending a full week in Provincetown has *nothing* to do with sexual preferences / behaviors, but with the fact that PTown is literally the "end of the line" for the entire Cape Cod land mass. Anything and everything you might want to see or do or visit elsewhere on Cape Cod beyond the CCNS beaches, bike and walking trails and town of Ptown will necessarily involve driving back "up Cape". At least during the peak tourism / traffic period of summer, driving up and down Route 6 (...6A is no better in peak season) is an experience you'll likely want to minimize to the greatest extent possible.

Just a few (hopefully relevant and helpful) thoughts and observations from someone personally well familar with both Key West, FL and Provincetown, MA...


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## Sandi_Roger (Apr 14, 2012)

I never noticed many gay couples at the Surfside. There seems to be more in smaller hotels near the pier. Also, there are more on weekends than mid-week. There is a ferry boat Between Provincetown and Boston for weekenders.

As Theo mentioned, the gay scene bearly is noticeable at the street level, especially amongst the locals. 

There is a large art colony with galleries in town that adds flavor along with the small fishing industry. The town is definitely unique in New England and should at least be considered for a day trip.


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## MaryH (Apr 15, 2012)

Great info Theo and Sandi.  Thanks.

I have a few friends who are gay or lesbian.  One couple even organize to have kids.  Not of that orientation/lifestyle myself, but I am pro choice for each to decide their life.

I said a laugh not due to the gay/lesbian couple you see normally but some of the more outrageous people I have seen dressed in drag to pick up partners.  Just as I laugh at the typically younger women who does the girls gone wild routine to get some beads in New Orleans.  I guess to each their own.

The exchanges / rentals I saw for cheap looked kind of like the type of places I might not want to stay at for a full week.  I am starting to think I do not want a full week of a timeshare for my first trip to cape cod.  I just cannot see myself spending a week in a smaller town and not feeling a bit antsy.  I might pick 2-3 towns and do 2-3 days each.  If I go sometime in mid or late May or early June, there are some good deals at Brewster Green and some B&B / hotels. 

It is probably too cold to actually go swimming in Cape Cod this early (I like the 80 degree water in KW) so I think a small sampling plate of different locations might work better.

When I was in Kauai for 2 week on my first trip there, I spend 1 week in LBR then weekend in Maui then 5 days or so in princeville hotel where I did the parts on that part of the island when I am staying on that side of the island.  2nd time was a short trip to go to shearwater to destress.


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## MaryH (Jun 30, 2012)

K changing things around...  doing a quick tour through to get a taste of RI and Cape Cod over a week. 

Going to be in Newport on July 1st to watch the final race then heading to some friends summer home about an hour away for a few days.  Thinking of checking out either Providence or Newport again during the day on way to Cape Cod for a couple of days.  Might stop in Montreal overnight on the way back to catch a little bit of Montreal International Jazz Festival..

Then the place I like to most, might go back for a week next year or year after.

Thanks all for the different suggestions.


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## MaryH (Jul 8, 2012)

Here for 3 days and stayed at the Holiday inn on 132 in Hyannis and Sheraton 4 pts in Eastham on points.

Some stuff I had posted on another thread answering a PTown Thread.

While driving checked out a few resorts..  I liked Edgewater Beach Resort in Dennisport..  Nicely renovated units and great ocean views and walk to the private beach.  The people is also nicer than Cove at Yarmouth which I went around the public area and Cape winds which I passed in the middle of the night when the GPS is directing me all over the places.  Most of these resorts seem to be VRI which has something like 14 resorts in Cape Cod


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