Cape Cod - IndexCape Cod - travel_guide_2008 - IndexWhether it’s maritime history or contemporary theater you
seek, you can plan your vacation to include your favorite
cultural activities on the Massachusetts Cultural Coast website
at www.theculturalcoast.org. Log on to the site’s itinerary
planning tool and let your imagination take you on a vacation
of your own design. Choose from galleries, museums, concerts
and plays. Explore historic byways, architecture, gardens and
landmarks. Attend events that define this area and its seasons.
In springtime the region opens its doors with daffodil
weekends, garden tours and gallery openings. Summer brings
county fairs, sailing regattas, maritime events, seaside
carnivals, native pow wows and blessings of the fleet. Known
for its lush fall foliage, autumn is alive with cranberry harvest
festivals, elaborate pumpkin-carving art shows and authentic
Thanksgiving feasts. Tree-lighting ceremonies, symphony
concerts, first night celebrations and sailor’s Valentines on
display typify the New England winter season here. Select a
pre-determined theme or create your own itinerary to include
something for all of your travel companions.
■ shopping cape & islands
Once you have planned an itinerary of several days, you’ll
find this area the perfect place to explore by car. Driving the
scenic coastline and tree-lined byways gives visitors a real look
into the trademark architecture and signature villages that
make up the towns, cities and counties here. This area is
famous for its variety of Bed and Breakfast inns, peppered
along the coastline and inland around the many lakes and
ponds of the region. The lush forests offer wonderful camping
opportunities for those choosing the outdoors. However, many
boutique and name-brand hotels offer comfortable stays and
luxury experiences as well.
The Massachusetts Cultural Coast offers up vibrant
experiential travel that allows visitors of all ages to become
woven into the fabric of this place for a brief time, and take
away mementos and memories for a lifetime. It’s the place
where America begins and her legacy continues in art, culture
and history that you can touch… and that touches you, each
time you visit. For more information and a brochure, visit
www.theculturalcoast.org. ■
Above: Historic Quincy; Cranberry Harvest; Breaching Whale. COURTESY OF DISCOVER QUINCY, DON TEAGUE PHOTOGRAPHY, CAPT. JOHN BOATS
Below: Mayflower II; New Bedford Whaling Museum, Artist on pier. COURTESY OF PLIMOTH PLANTATION, SEMASS CVB, CAPE COD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
www.capecodtravelguide.com
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