Fun Family Vacation at the Sea Mist
A little late, but I wanted to do a write up on our stay at The Sea Mist in Mashpee since I haven't seen a recent one.
We spent the week from Christmas Day to New Years day at the Sea Mist. This our first time visiting Cape Cod as a family. My wife had visited the area as a kid, herself growing up on the South Shore.
The property is a great big circle with various types of building types. We were in building 6, which was a building with four 2bedroom suites. For 4 of 7 days there we were the only room occupied. It was filled up for New Years Eve. There were two full bathrooms, one in the master bedroom and one in the hallway between the two bedrooms. The second bedroom had two twin beds which was perfect for my two sons. There was a sliding glass door in the back with a mini deck outside. In the summer you could sit outside and dine or just enjoy a beverage. The full kitchen was great. We had breakfast in the room each day. I made eggs breakfast, pancakes one day and cereal the others. We used it for dinner too. We had taco night one time. Made chicken breasts another and I made a full lobster dinner for new years eve. Pots were only big enough to do two lobsters at a time. If you go to the laundry/towel exchange in building 2 they also have extra kitchen items you may need, like nut crackers and lobster picks. During one of the rainy days I baked cookies and we got a movie from the clubhouse. They had a good selection of kid movies. There was also a redbox at the Roche Brothers supermarket, you could cut through the woods to the supermarket if you wanted to.
The staff was nice. When we checked in they recommended the Thai restaurant for dinner on Christmas night. Excellent place to go for dinner. They were happy to give out any items for yard activities like golf clubs and tennis rackets. They also had quarters for the laundromat.
I spent much of the time walking around the property with my two sons, 3 and 6 years old. The outdoor swimming pool was closed, obviously, but there were many outdoor activities to still do. This was fortunate since the weather was warm for the first half of the week. There is a swing set that was fine for my 3 year old, the 6 year old was probably at max size for it. Next to that is the mini golf. The mini golf course is a bit aged, but she's a good course. As a family we played the full 18 holes 3 times and a quick few with my son a few other times. Putters and golf balls provided by the resort. Fairly warn, but it's putt-putt. Also nearby is the shuffleboard. The front desk provided a print out of rules for shuffleboard with the equipment. We tried to play proper, but ended up just played catch with my son, sliding the disc back and forth. There is a tennis court that we could have used but didn't. Also, horseshoe pits were behind each building. The clubhouse had the indoor swimming pool. It was large enough that the little kids at the shallow end didn't interfere or bother anyone at the deeper sides, and vice versa. The pool was kept at a warm temperature and was open from 6am till 10pm, maybe 11 on the weekend.
In the area we visited a number of local shops. Mashpee Commons is around the corner. I'd say 1/3 food shops, 1/3 indie shops, 1/3 mall-type shops. The independent book shop was a nice place to browse. Got a couple of books for the boys. We went bowling one day at The Lanes Bistro. We got fresh made fudge at the candy store. There is a gourmet cupcake shop that made my kids happy. About 10 minutes down Great Neck Road, just make a right out of the parking lot, is the Cape Cod Children's Museum. We had got a Groupon for it and spent a full day there. We also made a day trip to my in-laws about an hour away so my kids could see their grandparents for Christmas.
On New Years Eve there was a cannoli food truck at the traffic circle, Cape Cod Cannoli or something like that. I was skeptical at first, especially when walking up to it and seeing the sign boasting 50 flavors. Call me old fashioned, but I don't want pumpkin latte flavored cannoli. Or lime. Inside the truck was a little old lady with a thick Italian accent. I got the plain old "original" cannoli and we could not have been happier.
All in all, I highly recommend the Sea Mist for a family vacation. Maybe we can get back here during the summer season. Traded our Marriott studio lock-off for the 2-bedroom through Interval.
@henrythefourth
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Marriott Fairway Villas March 2016