Is Cape Cod at the end of May really a bad idea?
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Anonymous
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I'm the poster from the other Cape Cod thread. Thanks for all the input. We've found a property which would work for us which is by the beach but also in a village so walkable to restaurants/coffee shops/shops, the island ferries, whale cruises etc.
For those (or others) who said not to go in May (it would be the very end of May/early June) - is that because we wouldn't get a beach holiday at that time of year, in the sense of lying on the beach, sunbathing and swimming? Would you not go at all? We are a mixed generation of (active) grandparents down to two babies under 6 months. I'm thinking that walking on the beach with toddlers, a visit to Martha's vineyard, eating seafood, visiting other villages, watching the beach sunsets, grilling outside on the deck etc would all be enjoyable at that time of year, even if we are not sunbathing all day on the beach. Or would we be genuinely cold doing all that? I have looked up average temperatures and can see it isn't super hot but the temps seem mild and I imagine there is always a risk of rain even in the height of summer. What do you think? (We can't change the dates so would have to think of a completely different location if this doesn't seem sensible. We don't want to do the Outer Banks or Charleston/Savannah area as we have been there before. Cape Cod also tied in with extended family's plans to visit NYC. But I don't want to go ahead if it really wouldn't work). |
Anonymous
| The water is really cold in May. We have a house on the Jersey shore, which is considerably warmer than the Cape. While my kids do get in the water there in May, the water temp there is in the 50s. Brutal. |
Anonymous
So why not do the hamptons? There will be more to see and do and it's prettier. Also may be a little warmer. |
Anonymous
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Honestly it will really depend on the weather that particular week. Usually by mid June it's pretty reliably nice, late May can be nice but can also be chilly. This past Memorial Day we went to the beach several days and it was lovely. There were also days in June that were sweater weather.
As long as you aren't counting on all day on the beach you should be fine. Early June will be quite quiet, which can be a plus or a minus depending on your preferences. I like being here in June, although it is a very different vibe than July/August. Seasonal shops will all be open starting memorial day but will have earlier hours in June. In the town we are in (Chatham) a lot of the shops are open until 9 or 10 pm, even 11 on weekends, in July and August but close at 5 in June. |
Anonymous
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The water will be cold, possibly freezing cold. But that can happen later in the season as well. Ocean water temperatures are less influenced by air temps than they are by currents.
I would try to find some historical weather patterns for the beach where you're planning to stay, as there is wide variation. Bay-side beaches are always going to be warmer. My family's house is in Orleans and Memorial Day can be 80 degrees and fabulous (once had to run out and buy a bathing suit since I hadn't bothered to bring one) but it can also be 65 degrees and miserable. Fwiw many restaurants and other places don't open until at least Memorial Day so I would definitely not go before then. |
Anonymous
| Also be aware that this is early to be booking for next summer. A lot of people don't put their properties on the market until fall. If you've found a great place, go for it, but you may find there are more choices in a month or two. |
Anonymous
| Where on the Cape? Because far out to say, Truro, you will have squalls almost every day in May and June will be windy and in the 60s and 70s. South Shore will be warmer in June. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks for the responses. We would be on the bay side, mid-Cape. |
Anonymous
| It can be freezing in May!!! |
Anonymous
| We were in the Hamptons in June- it was v cold in early June - we had a swimming pool which we could heat but it was dropping to 40s at night so hard to keep it hot and their air temp was cool - we did a lot of exploring, walking beach, visiting various sites etc. cape cod has a lot of stuff to do w kids so I think you'd be ok! |
Anonymous
I have family in this part of the Cape and as an adult I love visiting off season. It is so much easier to go to the beach- we were there last August and driving and parking at the beach during peak season is such a pain! If you have waterfront access from where you are staying this wouldn't be an issue, however. It depends what you want to do- not the way time for swimming but if that's not a priority it can be a very nice time to visit. By late May there's less of a chance the weather will be lousy. We are thinking of taking our son, who will be one, sometime next June, depending on when his daycare us closed for vacation. |
Anonymous
| If you are looking at North Eastham and that area the water will be warmer because of the tide. |
Anonymous
| I'm sure you can walk around and pick up crabs and that sort of thing on the beach, go sailing, and walk along the beaches, but there wouldn't be much swimming going on in May. |
Anonymous
+1. From OP's post it sounds like the kids are toddlers and infants? In which case they probably wouldn't be swimming much anyway (and frankly the water at the bayside beaches is always cold, lol). If swimming is not important than May/June is a good time, IMO. |
Anonymous
| You can also get lots of foggy days around then, too. |