Winter Getaway in Cape Cod

Sightseeing, shopping, tennis and the indoor pool. We enjoyed the peace and quiet while taking in the various ocean views. There are a number of hiking trails available too.

We made notes of the places we wanted to return to in the warmer weather. Now we won't waste time in the car driving to places we could have skipped. Peak time in the Cape has to be well planned due to the traffic.

Southcape Resort was a great place to stay. Centrally located but off the main drive. The view of the woods revealed by the sliders to the back deck made us feel secluded. This would be a great place for sunbathing. Just not in January!

Quick Tips:

Winter is a great time to scope out the area with no traffic. Make notes for places you want to visit during peak times. Peak time is very busy so you can spend a lot of time in the car if you don't know where you are going.

The week we were there was Superbowl weekend. Southcape Resorts was a great roomy place to relax and watch the big game.

Best Way To Get Around:

Car, bike.

Best Things Nearby:
Close to Falmouth and Woods Hole. Access to South Cape Beach, a National Beach.

Best Things About the Resort:
Very spacious townhouse, two bedrooms, two baths. Full kitchen. Jacuzzi in master bath. Deck facing woods off the living room. Indoor/outdoor pools and tennis courts.

Resort Experience:
The units were very spacious. The kitchen was a full kitchen with a breakfast bar plus a separate dining area and large living room with TV and cable. There was a TV in the master bedroom, but not in the second bedroom, although there was a cable connection.

We fully enjoyed the jacuzzi in the master bath. Although it was a single (maybe two) person hot tub, it has three powerful jets and was very relaxing.

Maintenance was very prompt in replacing a light bulb that I mentioned needed to be replaced "at some time." Linens are exchanged mid-week, towels twice a week. This unit shared a washer and a dryer located in the basement, which both operated for $.50 each.

My husband and daughter enjoyed the indoor pool and tennis courts. There is a small charge for the indoor tennis courts. During the warmer weather, there are outdoor courts as well that are free, plus an outdoor swimming pool and a children's playscape and shuffleboard.

We fully enjoyed our stay and regretted that we didn't have enough vacation time to spend a full week this year. Next year, I am planning a "women's retreat week" for our winter stay.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Very Good
• Amenities: Very Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Very Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Excellent

When we learned that the seafood restaurant we were looking for was closed during the week, we decided to try take-out at the local fish market. They had a varied menu of take-out or fresh seafood, and we opted for fried scallops and clam chowder. The scallops were the best we have had in a long time--reminiscent of the seafood we ate when we lived in Maine. The chowder was also very good. The service was fast and very friendly. We will definitely make a return trip here.

Dino's pizza came highly recommended from local Girl Scouts, but we weren't too impressed. They have a separate restaurant from the bar for family dining or you can take out. My husband and I ate pizza and my daughter had spaghetti with sauce. None of us felt it was worth returning to.

Being winter, our primary goal was to view the lighthouse. This was very accessible and easy to find from directions we got off the internet Cape Cod before our trip.

At Christmas time they hang a large wreath on the lighthouse. A short walk from Nauset Light are the Three Sisters Lighthouses which were replaced by Nauset Light using one of the lenses from the Three Sisters.

I love lighthouses, and there are approximately 13 lighthouses on the Cape. Being winter, there was not a lot of traffic compared to peak season, so we were able to hit quite a few in one day.

We started in Chatham with Chatham Light off Route 28, next we followed Route 6 towards Provincetown and saw Nauset Light in Eashtam (see my Cape Cod National Sea Shore entry) and Cape Cod Light in Truro, also known as the Highland Light. There is also a lighthouse in Provincetown, but we were running out of time and didn't look for that one.

There is a monument at the Cape Cod Light in memory of the steamer Portland that sank seven miles from shore on November 27, 1898. None of the 176 passengers survived.

There is a great website, Cape Cod, that has a link to the Cape Cod lighthouses. The actual site is here. They offer directions and a history of each lighthouse. All were closed at this time of year, but some are open to the public in season.