Winter Holiday Trip to Cape Cod
For Christmas or Hanukah Enjoy the Outdoors, Lights and Festivities
Nov 21, 2007
While everyone can picture Cape Cod in the summer with its miles of beaches packed with people, winter on the Cape is a much less hectic affair. And come the holidays, buildings, public gardens and boats are lit up. While few will brave the waters for a swim, outdoor activities are still possible.
One of the things that makes Cape Cod unique is that it is a peninsula, an arm of land surrounded on three sides by water. Water based activities are central to the Cape. And it is no different on the holidays. Although the waters tend to be a bit rough for spending much time offshore, that’s no reason not to go to the harbor to view the boats. Many of them are beautifully decorated with lights. And in several towns, Santa abandons his sleigh for a boat.
Christmas Lighting Ceremonies and Festivities
Out on the tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown hosts a Thanksgiving weekend lighting ceremony, with the 252 foot Pilgrim Monument as its centerpiece. Barnstable is noted for its boat parade while Chatham, Brewster, Hyannis, Bourne, Dennis, Harwich and Falmouth each host their own holiday events with candlelight processions, carolers, and individual town activities. For a complete listing visit the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce website. Accommodation and other information is found there as well.
The Heritage Museums and Gardens in historic Sandwich will open their Holidays at Heritage celebration on Friday November 27. A community based celebration will replace the Spectacle of Lights in 2009. Trees decorated by local organizations will be displayed in the museums and area landscapers will showcase their talent with special lighting vignettes.
Visitors can make their way through the Hart Family Maze or have their picture taken with Santa in the Model T in the J. K. Lilly Automobile Museum. The antique carousel in the Art Museum will be decorated and ready to take guests on a ride into the past.
Winter Outdoor Activities
So what to do during the day? Cape Cod’s winter weather is somewhat tempered by the sea. There is less snow and it is a bit warmer that inland. So hiking and bicycling on the Cape’s many trails continues year round. In muddy weather there are plenty of paved bike paths to choose from. With the end of summer parking restrictions at most public places are gone. And there are no fees for enjoying the Cape Cod National Seashore’s beaches, walking and biking trails.
Those empty beaches just beg to be walked as well, as seals and seabirds feed just offshore. There's always a chance of spotting a fin whale or even an endangered northern right whale. Keep an eye out for a Cape Cod tradition of decorating trees and shrubs near the beaches with shells and other beachcast treasures. Everyone is welcome to contribute.
After enjoying a day in the great outdoors, many restaurants and inns provide a warm cozy fire to sit next to and sip a glass of wine or a cup of hot chocolate before its time to set out to view those wonderful light displays.
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