Once upon a time, Sundays were set aside to spend time with extended family. Sunday dinners at grandma’s house were common activities. We played with cousins who would always be considered our first friends, ate homemade meals that the diet police would not approve of, and savored the familiarity of family. Times have changed, and those special moments don’t happen very often, making family reunions a vital way of keeping the family close, and when you really want to make the family reunion special, choosing to take it on the road to Cape Cod is a great idea. Choosing Pretty Picky Properties for your vacation accommodations is an even better one, as these 10 reasons to plan your family reunion on Cape Cod will show!
Reason #10: You Have Always Wanted to Visit Cape Cod
Sometimes the simplest reasons are the most compelling ones, and wanting to visit Cape Cod can be the best reason of all to plan your family reunion there. You’ve been dreaming about it for years, saving your pennies so you can afford to do it right, and now it is time for your vacation dreams to come true. Cape Cod has been a much-loved vacation destination for over 100 years, and we can guarantee that you aren’t the only one in your family that has dreamed about visiting, ensuring that other vacation dreams will come true as well. Welcoming families with charm, history, and a variety of ways to play together or separately, your family reunion on Cape Cod will be one that is never forgotten.
Reason #9: A Beach Vacation Is an American Tradition
A family vacation at the beach is a long-standing tradition that is also one of life’s greatest luxuries, and when you get to share that same vacation with your extended family, it elevates the experience exponentially. As mentioned earlier, your cousins were your first friends, but are your children’s cousins theirs? Chances are they only get together for funerals and family reunions, making your family vacation to Cape Cod vital in helping them forge deeper bonds. Many of our Pretty Picky Properties are located on or near the Cape Cod National Seashore, and the cousins can work on building their bonds as they work together to build sandcastles at shore’s edge. Renting a boat and towing the squealing youngsters on rafts or innertubes will be another bond tightening experience and because our homes offer entertainment options as well as comfort and luxury, they can also work to put together large puzzles throughout their stay. And as you hang out with your own parents, grandparents, and cousins, reminiscing about the crazy times you and your cousins shared during your growing up years will help you rebuild yours.
Reason #8: Educational and Entertaining
As parents, we want our children to do well in a world that doesn’t always make it easy to do so, and part of helping to ensure that they do can be accomplished by education. On the plus side, every experience can be a lesson learned, but on the negative side, our children often fail to see the fun or importance. And so, just like we hide pills in treats for our dogs, we hide education in entertainment, taking them to science museums where interactive activities are fun and attention grabbing. On Cape Cod, history surrounds you and even as the adults in your group appreciate walking in the footsteps of our ancestors, your children may just think its “cool” exploring some of the more historical spots, spots that will unbeknownst to them offer a history lesson they will enjoy.
Hoxie House, 18 Water Street in Sandwich
Reputed to be one of the oldest houses on Cape Cod, Hoxie House was built circa 1640, over 100 years before our nation fought for its independence, and the tours offered of this ancient home will give guests a fascinating peek into that time period. Holding what may be the oldest surviving loom in America and serving as a meeting place for Reverend John Smith, the artifacts from colonial times will surprise your kids due to their simplicity.
Whydah Pirates Museum, 674 MA-28 in West Yarmouth
There is absolutely no doubt in our minds that everyone in your family will be fascinated by the Whydah Pirates Museum. The artifacts displayed in this museum were recovered from an 18th century ship used for piracy, and the replica of a pirate ship that can be found here will capture the imagination of your youngest family members. Inexpensive, (admittance fees run between $14 and $16) the history lessons learned from the museum will never be recognized as lessons at all.
Reason #7: The Perfect Backdrop for Family Photos
Just as the weekly family dinner has gone by the wayside, so have family pictures, and if you are like us, the last family picture taken may be missing the newest additions to the family. A family reunion on Cape Cod, however, offers the perfect backdrops for taking updated pics that the matriarch will cry over when she sees them. We’ve listed some of our favorite spots for taking family photos below.
Mayflower Beach in Dennis
Countless family photos have been taken at the beaches of Cape Cod over the past two centuries, and any beach on the Cape will work as a backdrop, but Mayflower Beach offers miles of flats and wavy patterns in the sand that will add interest to your picture. Don matching attire (white shirts and blue jeans are the most common clothing worn in family beach pictures) and head to the beach at sunset, taking pictures filled with color and serenity, and of course, all of your favorite people.
Chatham Lighthouse in Chatham
The lighthouses of Cape Cod have served as backdrops for pictures for as long as we can remember, and although the Nauset Lighthouse, the one pictured on the bag of Cape Cod Potato Chips, may be the most well-known lighthouse, the Chatham Lighthouse is one that we feel offers the most charm. Standing tall and proud as it does its duty of protecting the ships in the area from harm, the lighthouse keeper’s home and its red roof add an extra element of wow to any photos taken here!
Reason #6: Activities for Large Groups
The problem with traveling with large groups lies solely in the realization that there may not be many activities the group can participate in together. Beach days, of course, are always an option on Cape Cod, but there are many other activities that large groups can partake in during a family vacation to Cape Cod, some of which are listed below.
Cape Cod Harbor Tour, 715 Main Street in Harwich Port
A sunset cruise is a traditional Cape Cod adventure, one that you may not think you can participate in when you are traveling with a large group, but Cape Cod Harbor Tour’s newest boat, the White Shark, offers room for up to 45 guests, and their sunset cocktail cruise promises to be an adventure your entire family will enjoy. The kids can sip soft drinks as they eat their ice cream, but the cash bar offering cocktails, local wines, beer, and snacks ensures that you will be comfortably happy as you and your large group watch the sun fall into the sea.
Hiking
The natural landscape of Cape Cod will make you want to spend as much time as possible outside playing, something that is easy for larger groups to do. There are many different hiking trails that traverse the cape, offering a wonderful way to learn the beauty of the area. Gray’s Beach Boardwalk in Yarmouth Port offers a quick family friendly hike that is accessible for hikers of all ages and skill levels, extending out over the marsh and offering views of the landscape, the sea, and all its inhabitants that will change the feel of your family reunion getaway.
Reason #5: The Cape Cod Rail Trail
Another popular group activity is a ride along the Cape Cod Rail Trail, extending out 26 miles and passing through six different Cape Cod towns, most of which you will find Pretty Picky Properties located in. Following alongside the old railroad tracks that used to bring tourists and supplies to various towns throughout Cape Cod, riders can rent bikes from a variety of shops, most of which are located on or near the trail. Passing through the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, and Wellfleet, the changing land and seascape never fails to fascinate. The Rail Trail Bike & Kayak Rentals, 302 Underpass Road in Brewster, offers a large selection of bike and bike gear rentals as well as providing direct access to the trail.
Reason #4: Restaurants that can Handle Large Groups
Our Pretty Picky Properties retreats feature large and fully equipped kitchens that will make meal prep fun and easy, but you don’t want to be stuck at home creating every meal, especially as the restaurants of Cape Cod offer delicious meals that are prepared, served, and cleared away by someone other than you!
Freeman’s Grill, 1000 Freeman’s Way in Brewster
Located on the Captain’s Golf Course and offering all the space you need for a large group seeking sustenance and suds, Freeman’s Grill in Brewster is destined to be your favorite dining spot when hitting the town.
The Skipper Restaurant & Chowder House, 152 S Shore Drive in South Yarmouth
Open seasonally, the Skipper Restaurant & Chowder House is a Cape Cod tradition, one that you can experience with your large group. One of the oldest restaurants on the Cape, the views of Nantucket Sound will make the perfect accompaniment to your seafood dinner and Skipper’s Ice Cream Shack will make the perfect ending to a beautiful meal with family.
Reason #3: The Family That Fishes Together Eats Well
There is nothing like a fish dinner caught and grilled yourself, and when the family joins in the fun, the quiet hours between bites are destined to be filled with laughter and fish stories about the ones that got away. (They weren’t there, so how would they know?) And although you are perfectly capable of renting a boat and heading out blindly to spots where you can drop a line and cross your fingers, hoping for a bite or three, or you could hire a charter, one in which the captains know all the hopping spots, practically guaranteeing you will catch your limit. If the latter sounds best to you, Cape Cod Family Charters, 200 Millway in Barnstable is, of course, the only charter company we would recommend for your family fishing adventures. Offering 4-, 5-, or 6-hour expeditions, the captains will take your family out to catch a boat load (Is that where the term came from?) of striped bass, bluefish, tuna, and cod, and at trip’s end, will take the obligatory picture of your haul, which of course you can share on social media, earning the envy of all your friends back home.
Reason #2: Tour of Lighthouses
Did you know that there are 14 lighthouses on Cape Cod, including Chatham Lighthouse, where you took your family photo, and Nauset Lighthouse, which you have been seeing on the bag of your favorite Cape Cod Potato Chips for years. No trip to Cape Cod would be complete without a visit to at least one of the lighthouses, taking the tours and climbing all the stairs, but if you really want to show off, you can visit them all. Highland Lighthouse is a bit of a drive, being located in North Truro, but as it the oldest and tallest lighthouse on Cape Cod and was commissioned by George Washington himself in 1797, it definitely is worth the little extra effort!
Reason #1: Our Pretty Picky Properties Make Luxurious and Spacious Accommodations
Pretty Picky Properties is named as such due to the fact that we are pretty picky about the properties we offer, which means your family reunion vacation is that much more comfortable and luxurious. Our largest homes offer as many as 10 bedrooms and room for 20 to 24 people while also providing a large selection of luxury amenities that can include private swimming pools, hot tubs, and game rooms that will encourage your loving family to stay home and play on days when everyone is feeling especially comfy! Firepits and outdoor kitchens will entice you to engage in family barbecues and storytelling sessions that last long into the night, and large porches lined with rockers will be where everyone sits to watch the sun set every evening of their stay. Check out our 8-bedroom Cape Cod mansion rentals that include ample private space for everyone!
