CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS – A spectacular island. One of the world’s most famous families. And a stunning B&B fashioned from an old church.
I recently spent 48 hours exploring the western edge of Cape Cod and the island of Martha’s Vineyard. I came away hugely impressed with the feel of the place, as well as the people and the restful scenery.
Here’s a look at one way to spend a great couple days on what locals simply call “The Cape.”
A FINE MUSEUM
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a lot of the Sandwich Glass Museum. I’m not a big crafty guy, but I usually find tourism folks who suggest attractions for me to visit are pretty smart. Well, chalk one up for the tourism folks again, as this was a pretty cool experience.
Things started out with a movie about the history of glass-making in the area, which began in 1825. There were 500 workers at one point; making this one of the largest glass-making operations in North America. The local glass maker, an engaging fellow named Hoyt, told us the furnace that heats the mixture is kept at a constant 2,100 degrees. That makes it a pretty good job for January, but perhaps not July.
The Sandwich Glass Museum sells fine glassware. Visit Massachusetts Photo
Hoyt made a couple pieces for us, one a stunning, purple and pink swirling vase. As he went along he explained that the usual apprenticeship program lasts a full four years. “It took me longer because I didn’t listen,” he said with a smile. Hoyt told us the glass has to kept near the heat source for 12 hours after its made, or else it will break. If they pass inspection, the glassware items made on site are put on sale in the museum’s lovely shop. Hoyt said his vase might cost $75 or $80; pretty good for something that took a full 15 minutes and requires so much heat, and so much care.
In addition to the movie, the demonstration area and the gift shop, the museum offers up hundreds of glass artifacts and other relics that tell the story of the village, including a gentleman’s cane that hid a very sharp steel blade. It was the property of a local physician who also served in the Revolutionary War, so I’m assuming he had a good reason for hiding a weapon in his walking stick.
A CASUAL LUNCH
Lunch was at a place in Sandwich called Local Tavern, which seemed packed with, well, locals. We enjoyed a good fried chicken sandwich and fish and chips while some NFL games played on the TV’s behind the bar. I glanced sideways to see what the guy next to me had ordered and saw a mountain of nachos topped with tons of cheese, jalapeño peppers, and more. Damn. Next time. There are tons of TV’s scattered about, as well as a pool table.
AN INCREDIBLE B&B
The Belfry Inn and Bistro in Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Jim Byers Photo
We had hoped to visit the Heritage Museums and Gardens, but the weather didn’t cooperate. Instead we repaired to our B&B, the Belfry Inn and Bistro, to enjoy a little quiet time. The handsome, brick building was constructed as a church in 1901. To say it has tremendous character is an understatement of utmost proportions. We had the Monday room, which includes a large, ornate and very beautiful section of stained glass above the bed. Wowza. There was also a lovely old armoire, a fireplace, a huge Jacuzzi tub (with a self-drying feature that took me by surprise) and a small, walk-out balcony with two chairs. The ceilings were high enough for a Novak Djokovic lob shot. The next night we switched next door to the Tuesday room, which had massive wooden support beams for the roof protruding from one wall. Very cool. There was also a large tub and another small balcony. Both rooms had small television sets.
As lovely as the rooms are, the public spaces might be even more impressive. Most of the main floor is given over to the bistro, which serves fine, local cuisine, and a gorgeous wooden bar. The exposed wood is everywhere, and there lovely little nooks and crannies for intimacy. It’s one of the most striking hotel spaces I’ve ever seen. If you go up the stairs to the second floor, you can take a walk down to a small gathering space that has coffee, overstuff chairs and a small library. The views of the restaurant and bar are terrific, and it’s a great place to sit and read. Or have a nap. We had several lovely chats about the area and the shrinking pool of B&B’s with the owner, Chris Wilson, who lives next door. He’s a lovely guy with a good deal of knowledge and an easy way about him. You don’t get that at book-your-own vacation rental.
A spectacular room at The Belfry Inn and Bistro in Sandwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Jim Byers Photo
The food here is excellent. We enjoyed a fine meal of scallops and short rib with fresh veggies at dinner one night. Breakfast both mornings included good coffee or tea, homemade biscuits, fruit, yogurt and more. And, like I said, you can’t beat the ambience. We had to duck out early one day and Chris made sure there was enough food for us prior to regular opening hours.
On top of all that, there’s a nice patio out back, and the gardeners do a fabulous job of keeping the flowers and greenery around the building looking sharp. There are six rooms in the main building and five more in their second unit, which I forgot to check out. There are a couple of cute shops a half-block down the road, and an Italian restaurant next door that Chris said is quite good. If you like a handsome, historic B&B with great bones and a friendly owner, this is the place for you.
MARTHA’S VINEYARD
I was on Nantucket for a few hours in, oh, I think 1983 but I’d never been to Martha’s Vineyard. We had a fine, late summer day with temperatures around 70, or 20C, and light winds. It’s an easy, 45-minute ferry ride from Woods Hole, home of the world famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, as well as several waterfront restaurants and cute shops.
The Gingerbread Houses on Martha’s Vineyard. Jim Byers Photo
The ferry drop-off was on the water in the town of Oak Bluffs, which has a nice, long beach on one side and a fun, casual main street that’s lined with beachy clothing stores, restaurants and cute boutiques. Back near the ferry, the Flying Horses Carousel is said to be the oldest operating platform carousel in the United States. One of the major draws are the town’s gingerbread cottages; a meandering set of adorable homes in all the colours of the rainbow (and then some). It’s an Instagrammer’s delight, and there were a few folks posing for photos and eagerly babbling into their iPhones. Okay, I was one of them. There’s also a nice park. The locals might get tired of tourists, but nobody seemed to mind having people wander about. I noticed two women were having their hair cut on the front porch of one home. Most of the ones I spotted had cute names, including Greenup and Amaretto.
A nice woman at the ferry dock told us we could catch a free bus to the nearby town of Vineyard Haven, which also has a nice beach and a slightly smaller but nice, upscale shopping area we quite enjoyed. It’s very nice, but well short of twee.
BLACK DOG LUNCH
A lobster roll “Crustacean Station” at Black Dog Tavern on Martha’s Vineyard. Jim Byers Photo
The Black Dog Tavern is a fun, waterfront place in Vineyard Haven with inside tables that look out onto a pretty harbour. They have some entertaining names on the menu, such as a lobster roll called the Crustacean Station. It was quite good and very filling. The club sandwich was also very satisfying. The interior has tons of dark wood and feels like it’s absorbed many a tall tale from visiting fishermen and women. If you’d rather dine al fresco (or perhaps outside, ba da boom), there’s a patio behind the main restaurant that’s a bit away from the water.
JOHN F. KENNEDY MUSEUM AND HYANNIS TOWN
This is a modest but excellent museum dedicated to JFK, who loved his summer weekends in Hyannisport as much as he did anything in life. One of the staff told us that when Kennedy ran for U.S. Congress, his campaign headquarters was in the building’s basement. She also said everything at the museum was given a blessing by Jacqueline Kennedy.
The museum has displays on the Kennedy family history, including a vast family tree, and also photos and stories of his early days. The photos of him playing with his kids or other members of the family are extremely endearing, as are the videos of him sailing on the water outside Hyannisport, seemingly without a care in the world.
A display at the John F. Kennedy Museum in Hyannis, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Jim Byers Photo
One of the things we really enjoyed was a video of Jackie Kennedy giving a tour of the White House to a TV reporter in the early 1960s. Her voice is soft and melodic and somehow entrancing, with a delicate, educated accent I couldn’t begin to place. In the video, she shows off various rooms of the White House and explains the history. She also states she didn’t want to make too many changes to such an historic edifice. (I don’t want to get too political here, but the contrast between the sublime Jackie Kennedy and some other recent residents of the White House are just too juicy to avoid pointing out.)
The museum also has photos of Ted Kennedy and exhibits focussed on Bobby Kennedy and JFK Jr., who was killed in a plane crash a few years ago. It’s sobering stuff. But not nearly as heartbreaking as the photo of little JFK Jr. (“John John”) in his formal, powder blue coat and bare legs saluting his father’s casket as it passed by after Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. It’s easily one of the most poignant photos in American history. Photographer Dan Farrell, who took the photo, is said to have called it “the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life”.
Bonus: The museum is on a nice street packed with boutiques and restaurants, including places to grab a coffee or a sandwich.
Prior to the museum visit, we paraded along the harbor a couple blocks away and enjoyed the colourful artist cottages, as well as a brief stroll around John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, where there’s a monument to the former president in a leafy setting and a pretty fountain. Don’t forget Kennedy was a war hero in the South Pacific theatre during WWII. We also stopped to admire Kalmus Beach, which looks like a fabulous spot for a summer afternoon or a fall walk on the sand. Of course, we couldn’t resist a quick peek at the Kennedy family compound, a modest-looking set of buildings surrounded by a simple, fairly-low fence. If those buildings could only talk….
FINE ITALIAN FOOD
A fine meatball at Bucatino Restaurant on Cape Cod. Jim Byers Photo
Our last meal was in the village of North Falmouth at a place we found called Bucatino. There’s a fine, spacious patio with grassy and rocky paths, as well as space heaters and a nice, outdoor bar. They had fun party lights strung out over the tables and around some of the trees, and the late summer garden was alive with colour. I enjoyed a good pizza that seemed big enough for two or even three people, and a good, sizeable Caesar salad with anchovies. My wife ordered the meatball appetizer, which was a baseball-sized meatball surrounded by a sea of rich tomato sauce and slices of bread. You won’t go hungry eating around Cape Cod, that’s for sure. I also have to give a shout out to the delightful servers.
JUST THE FACTS
Martha’s Vineyard. Kate Honish/Pixabay Phto
Sandwich is roughly one hour from Boston.
The best-known community on Cape Cod is Provincetown, an artsy and gay-friendly spot on the northeastern tip of the cape. You can get there by car (a good 2.5 hours from Boston), or take a ferry from Boston (much faster).
MORE INFO: https://www.visit-massachusetts.com/state/
