Fact: While summertime gets all the tourist love, fall is actually the best season on the Cape. September and October are known as “Second Summer” here, for a reason: temps are often in the 70s by day and 50s by night (as in, perfect). Lodging rates dip from their July and August highs, and you can actually get a table at a good seafood restaurant on a Saturday night. As for fall color, cranberry bogs are drenched in their scarlet glory, while farmer’s markets are a bounty of colorful late-summer produce and freshly-picked Honeycrisps. Trade the pumpkin spice latte for a Pumpkin Pie Dunkelweizen at Cape Cod Beer; local breweries and wineries are hopping with outdoor events with live music. And if you’ve ever cussed your way over the Sagamore and Bourne bridges, there is no joy quite like zipping right over them, nary an out-of-state license plate in sight.
“Cape Cod doesn’t shut down when summer ends, it just transforms,” says Kristen Mitchell Hughes, the vice president of marketing and sales for the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. “Our businesses are still very much open and welcoming, and our visitors get the best of both worlds: the beauty and outdoor experiences of summer, with the slower pace and authentic character of the Cape.”
And here’s something we didn’t know: The Cape’s ocean waters are actually warmest in September, since they’ve been heated by summer sunshine. And no beach parking fees.
This is cause for celebration, and Cape Cod is all in. Fall weekends are chock full of fun events including Wellfleet Oysterfest and the Yarmouth Seaside Festival. We could devote an entire travel section to the wonders of the Cape’s second summer, but for the sake of brevity, we’ll cherry-pick a few of the “best in the fall” experiences.
Best bike ride
The Cape’s rail trails are second to none. For fall, we love the Shining Sea Bikeway (www.falmouthma.gov/1362/The-Shining-Sea-Bikeway#) in Falmouth. With less traffic, it’s easier to navigate the (few) road crossings. This 10.7-mile (one-way) route is the only bike trail on the Cape that runs along the ocean, from Woods Hole on Vineyard Sound to North Falmouth on Buzzards Bay. Pedal past heathery salt marshes, barrier beaches, and open water, not to mention cranberry bogs at their color-drenched best. The bikeway’s name honors Falmouth native Katherine Lee Bates, who wrote “America the Beautiful,” including the line, “and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.” You’ll be smiling under that bike helmet.
The festivals
For frolicsome fall fun, the Yarmouth Seaside Festival (yarmouthseasidefestival.com) is as good as it gets. Held from Oct. 10-12 (Columbus Day weekend), it’s got all the classic elements: Kiddie rides, a craft fair (more than 125 makers), live music, pie-eating contests, a kayak and canoe race, a sand sculpture contest, a beach bonfire, and a fireworks display. Admission is free.
Love a briny bivalve? Celebrate all things shellfish with 20,000 or so like-minded souls at the Wellfleet OysterFest (adult tickets, $35; kids free; www.wellfleetoa.org). Held on Oct. 17 and 18, this annual event features arts and crafts vendors, live music, kids’ activities, beer and wine gardens, and, of course, Wellfleet oysters, served by the very folks who harvest them along the shores of Wellfleet. Not to mention the Oyster Shuck-Off, America’s biggest oyster shucking competition. The winner gets bragging rights, cash, and the coveted Golden Oyster trophy.
Best autumn eats
A seafood meal with a water view is sublime, but autumn weather doesn’t always cooperate. Enter Fishermen’s View (www.fvcapecod.com) in Sandwich. Nearly every seat at this sleek restaurant, owned by two lobstermen (they’re brothers), has a view. We especially like the enclosed deck overlooking the Cape Cod Canal and Sandwich Marina. They’ll open the patio for dining if the weather’s fine. Tip: Since it’s getting dark earlier these days, go for lunch. They offer seafood every which way, sushi and sashimi, and the best poke bowl we’ve had on the Cape, all at better-than-Boston prices. Fishermen’s View is open year-round.
At the Skipper Restaurant & Chowder House (skipperrestaurant.com) in South Yarmouth, the clam chowder — and long waits for a table — are legendary. Those in the know show up after Labor Day — the Skipper stays open until mid-October — and enjoy the buttery lobster rolls and other tastes of summertime before the gray days of November arrive.
A charming place to stay
At The Charm on Main in Brewster (thecharmcapecod.com), it’s right in the name. And they’re not bragging — this 20-guest room bed-&-breakfast inn was the home of the Sea Pines School of Charm and Personality in the early 20th century. “People have come back to visit who were students here in 1972,” says innkeeper Gillian Richmond. School photos, a Sea Pines letter sweater, and some original furniture pieces add to the old school vibe. The Manner House (yes, that’s how they spell it) holds 13 snug, unique rooms; there are seven more rooms, a bit more spacious, in the Headmasters’ Cottage. The Charm’s amenities include a fire pit, an outdoor saltwater pool, and a hot buffet breakfast. Nearby, the Brewster Store is a general store with its own funky charm, and Nickerson State Park offers some great hiking and biking, including an 8-mile bike trail that connects to the 26-mile Cape Cod Rail Trail.
Since the inn is a sister property to Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club (www.oceanedge.com), Charm guests have access to amenities there, including the fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis and pickleball courts, and access to a private beach.
In fall, there’s a bonus: Besides rates starting at around $215 per night (lower than peak summer rates), The Charm’s chef, Christina Spencer, is running a series of cooking classes on Wednesday nights (tacos, dumplings, plant-based cookery, date night, pasta) open to guests and the public. You’ll learn some great ways to use the fresh produce you picked up at that cute farm stand on Route 6-A. The Charm on Main closes for the season on Nov. 22 and will reopen in late March or early April.
For more ideas, visit www.capecodchamber.org.
Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at bairwright@gmail.com