Cape Cod -- July swim temps?

[Anonymous]

I live on the cape. I would recommend visiting Falmouth. The water will definitely be warm enough to swim in with just a bathing suit, in July. You could stay at the Seacrest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth. It is right on old silver beach, which is the best beach for soft white sand and clear water. The hotel itself is "okay" in terms of rooms, but probably not as fancy as wequasett. However, as you get further up the tip of the cape, towards Eastham, welfleet and Truro, the water gets colder. The seacrest has a restaurant, gym, ice cream shop, indoor and outdoor pool, movie night for kids, outdoor bar, activities etc. You can rent kayaks, wave runners, paddle boards etc. I do not work there but we have a beach club membership there so I know it well. Also of interest in the area - the shining sea bike path which goes from north Falmouth to Woods Hole. Woods Hole is super cute village with aquarium and good restaurants and scientific institutions,and you can take the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. Check out highfield hall in main Falmouth for music on the lawn, walk in Beebee woods, see a show at the summer college light opera company. Visit the carousel at the Mullen hall school off of main st. Hike to the knob, at quissett harbor, check out nobska lighthouse. 20 minutes away is mashpee and sandwich. Mashpee commons is a good place to shop, and has the mashpee children's museum for rainy days. Heritage museum and gardens in sandwich is not to be missed. They have a huge outdoor play/ learning area for kids called hidden hollow. Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

OH and for the poster about drugs - that is not going to affect vacationers. It is just going to be a problem for some locals who get addicted to pills. I live here year round, and while I hear about overdoses, I never see anything. Falmouth, west Falmouth, woods hole, and north Falmouth are all nice affluent areas, but I would stay away from most parts of east Falmouth and teaticket for rentals and hotels. However the drugs problem has been known to affect people of all SES.

Forgot to recommend coonamessett farm for pick your own veggies and fruit, and farm dinners with music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If water is cold in the Cape, can anyone speak to whether it's much better on Long Island?

Or, any other suggestions about July beach vacations on the East Coast (other than NJ/DE/MD/VA). Preferably relatively near an airport or not too far drive.

For example, love NC outer banks, but a 6-8 hour drive seems pretty long.

We go to OBX every year to visit family and it's a 5 hour drive, not 6-8. I mean, it can take that long if you don't plan well, and leave too late, but why would you do that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sharks...

Sharks are where seals are, which are where fisherman are. Namely, Chatham. Which is funny, because Chatham is one of the most beautiful and populated areas of the Cape. But for the most part, you don't have to worry about sharks - especially throughout the rest of the Cape. In other words, stop trying to fear monger and misinform people. I would take Cape Cod over trashy OBX any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live on the cape. I would recommend visiting Falmouth. The water will definitely be warm enough to swim in with just a bathing suit, in July. You could stay at the Seacrest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth. It is right on old silver beach, which is the best beach for soft white sand and clear water. The hotel itself is "okay" in terms of rooms, but probably not as fancy as wequasett. However, as you get further up the tip of the cape, towards Eastham, welfleet and Truro, the water gets colder. The seacrest has a restaurant, gym, ice cream shop, indoor and outdoor pool, movie night for kids, outdoor bar, activities etc. You can rent kayaks, wave runners, paddle boards etc. I do not work there but we have a beach club membership there so I know it well. Also of interest in the area - the shining sea bike path which goes from north Falmouth to Woods Hole. Woods Hole is super cute village with aquarium and good restaurants and scientific institutions,and you can take the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. Check out highfield hall in main Falmouth for music on the lawn, walk in Beebee woods, see a show at the summer college light opera company. Visit the carousel at the Mullen hall school off of main st. Hike to the knob, at quissett harbor, check out nobska lighthouse. 20 minutes away is mashpee and sandwich. Mashpee commons is a good place to shop, and has the mashpee children's museum for rainy days. Heritage museum and gardens in sandwich is not to be missed. They have a huge outdoor play/ learning area for kids called hidden hollow. Good Luck!

+1

Great post - thank you for providing truthful and useful information (unlike PP).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If water is cold in the Cape, can anyone speak to whether it's much better on Long Island?

Or, any other suggestions about July beach vacations on the East Coast (other than NJ/DE/MD/VA). Preferably relatively near an airport or not too far drive.

For example, love NC outer banks, but a 6-8 hour drive seems pretty long.

We go to OBX every year to visit family and it's a 5 hour drive, not 6-8. I mean, it can take that long if you don't plan well, and leave too late, but why would you do that?

OBX has never been less than eight hours for us, and that is with us leaving the house at dawn. Not worth it.

[Anonymous]

OP, many people like Truro - you should look into it. Also, other PP who mentioned Falmouth is onto something. I think a lot of people purposely do not divulge where the warm water/beaches are located, to avoid them being over run. Just some insider info. Hint: Nantucket Sound is not the warmer part. Enjoy! You will find every beach at the Cape to be truly different from each other - different sand, different tide, different water, everything. But always well worth the drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've gone up to Cape Cod for 39 straight summers

gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've gone up to Cape Cod for 39 straight summers

gross.

NP here - why is it gross? I've gone for at least 30 straight summers and went for the first time 42 years ago. Love it there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live on the cape. I would recommend visiting Falmouth. The water will definitely be warm enough to swim in with just a bathing suit, in July. You could stay at the Seacrest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth. It is right on old silver beach, which is the best beach for soft white sand and clear water. The hotel itself is "okay" in terms of rooms, but probably not as fancy as wequasett. However, as you get further up the tip of the cape, towards Eastham, welfleet and Truro, the water gets colder. The seacrest has a restaurant, gym, ice cream shop, indoor and outdoor pool, movie night for kids, outdoor bar, activities etc. You can rent kayaks, wave runners, paddle boards etc. I do not work there but we have a beach club membership there so I know it well. Also of interest in the area - the shining sea bike path which goes from north Falmouth to Woods Hole. Woods Hole is super cute village with aquarium and good restaurants and scientific institutions,and you can take the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. Check out highfield hall in main Falmouth for music on the lawn, walk in Beebee woods, see a show at the summer college light opera company. Visit the carousel at the Mullen hall school off of main st. Hike to the knob, at quissett harbor, check out nobska lighthouse. 20 minutes away is mashpee and sandwich. Mashpee commons is a good place to shop, and has the mashpee children's museum for rainy days. Heritage museum and gardens in sandwich is not to be missed. They have a huge outdoor play/ learning area for kids called hidden hollow. Good Luck!

This. Falmouth is a cute town, not as cute as Chatham, but still very cute. It has everything you need for a week or two to keep you busy. Falmouth also has a great public library and play ground right across the street at Mullen Hall School. Old Silver Beach is calm, clear waters that are relatively warm for the cape. It fills up so quickly, but the hotel there has its own private beach I think. Falmouth has great restaurants and ice cream shops. There is also a bowling alley in town with candlepin bowling which might be fun for the 4 year old. I recommend taking the MV ferry to OAK BLUFFS to walk around for part of the day and go on the merry go round. The small woods hole aquarium is perfect for a 2 and 4 year old. Be sure to get a popover at the bakery in woods hole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are staying in Wellfleet but won't have a pool ... anywhete to use a pool for a fee around there?

No. There are some motels with gross indoor pools, but I wouldn't recommend. I'm the PP - go to the ponds for swimming!

Thank you for this -- we will try the ponds for sure. We have a 4yo and 2yo. Is there one you recommend in particular or are all of them good?

Our favorites are Long Pond and Gull Pond. Note that during the summer Gull Pond doesn't open until noon though (it's swim lessons from 8-12, which I recommend - you can sign up by the week. All our kids have done it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've gone up to Cape Cod for 39 straight summers

gross.

Nothing "gross" about it. It far nicer than NC, and our kids look forward to it and ask for Cape Cod every year. We could go anywhere and at least two trips a year is Cape Cod. Maybe you just don't know where to go, or don't fit in. We love it, and often meet other MD/VA/DC friends there, too. You need to get out of your tiny bubble and live a little. Clearly whatever you are doing now is not working for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are staying in Wellfleet but won't have a pool ... anywhete to use a pool for a fee around there?

No. There are some motels with gross indoor pools, but I wouldn't recommend. I'm the PP - go to the ponds for swimming!

Thank you for this -- we will try the ponds for sure. We have a 4yo and 2yo. Is there one you recommend in particular or are all of them good?

Our favorites are Long Pond and Gull Pond. Note that during the summer Gull Pond doesn't open until noon though (it's swim lessons from 8-12, which I recommend - you can sign up by the week. All our kids have done it).

Thank you for this - swim lessons for the 4yo would be right up our alley. This is great info - thanks!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live on the cape. I would recommend visiting Falmouth. The water will definitely be warm enough to swim in with just a bathing suit, in July. You could stay at the Seacrest Beach Hotel in North Falmouth. It is right on old silver beach, which is the best beach for soft white sand and clear water. The hotel itself is "okay" in terms of rooms, but probably not as fancy as wequasett. However, as you get further up the tip of the cape, towards Eastham, welfleet and Truro, the water gets colder. The seacrest has a restaurant, gym, ice cream shop, indoor and outdoor pool, movie night for kids, outdoor bar, activities etc. You can rent kayaks, wave runners, paddle boards etc. I do not work there but we have a beach club membership there so I know it well. Also of interest in the area - the shining sea bike path which goes from north Falmouth to Woods Hole. Woods Hole is super cute village with aquarium and good restaurants and scientific institutions,and you can take the ferry to Martha's Vineyard. Check out highfield hall in main Falmouth for music on the lawn, walk in Beebee woods, see a show at the summer college light opera company. Visit the carousel at the Mullen hall school off of main st. Hike to the knob, at quissett harbor, check out nobska lighthouse. 20 minutes away is mashpee and sandwich. Mashpee commons is a good place to shop, and has the mashpee children's museum for rainy days. Heritage museum and gardens in sandwich is not to be missed. They have a huge outdoor play/ learning area for kids called hidden hollow. Good Luck!

This. Falmouth is a cute town, not as cute as Chatham, but still very cute. It has everything you need for a week or two to keep you busy. Falmouth also has a great public library and play ground right across the street at Mullen Hall School. Old Silver Beach is calm, clear waters that are relatively warm for the cape. It fills up so quickly, but the hotel there has its own private beach I think. Falmouth has great restaurants and ice cream shops. There is also a bowling alley in town with candlepin bowling which might be fun for the 4 year old. I recommend taking the MV ferry to OAK BLUFFS to walk around for part of the day and go on the merry go round. The small woods hole aquarium is perfect for a 2 and 4 year old. Be sure to get a popover at the bakery in woods hole.

I grew up in Falmouth and visit there for weeks each summer. We love it for all these r Aaron's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are staying in Wellfleet but won't have a pool ... anywhete to use a pool for a fee around there?

No. There are some motels with gross indoor pools, but I wouldn't recommend. I'm the PP - go to the ponds for swimming!

Thank you for this -- we will try the ponds for sure. We have a 4yo and 2yo. Is there one you recommend in particular or are all of them good?

Our favorites are Long Pond and Gull Pond. Note that during the summer Gull Pond doesn't open until noon though (it's swim lessons from 8-12, which I recommend - you can sign up by the week. All our kids have done it).

Thank you for this - swim lessons for the 4yo would be right up our alley. This is great info - thanks!!

No problem! You can sign up the Monday morning of (though probably easier to do it Saturday before). The sign up is in a little hut next the the tennis courts by the Bookstore Restaurant. Have a great time!!!