Hanging off the hook of Massachusetts’s eastern arm, Cape Cod is where life thrives in the smallest of places. While rocky shores may not be everyone’s cup of tea, peering into tide pools opens up a micro-world populated with starfish, razor clams, hermit crabs, and candy-colored anemone. Or if you’re looking for majesty in scale, plan a trip between June and October to wave to arcing whales as they make their journeys across the Atlantic. Along the handsome landscape of sandy dunes and rugged shoreline, dine on the savory fruits of the ocean in a po’ boy or chowder and admire the surroundings that have inspired the likes of Henry David Thoreau and Tennessee Williams.
Stay here: There are plenty of lovely Cape Cod hotels. One favorite is Coonamessett Inn, which provides a true taste of old Cape Cod, dressed in shiplap and dainty wallpaper and tied together with rustic pine accents. The inn is a oft-booked wedding venue in the area, as its romantic view of the coast makes it easy to fall in love with—well—falling in love.
