Elite Traveler July-August 2018

From left: Enjoy whale watching organized by the team at Chatham Bars Inn; bike the Cape Cod Rail Trail; feast on steamed lobster

elite traveler JULY/AUG 2018 125

CAPE RETREATS

DAYAT THE BEACH Cape Cod can easily satisfy vacationers longing for a day at the beach; however, not all Cape beaches are created equal. Nauset Beach, which spans 10 miles through Orleans and Chatham, is a gateway to the open Atlantic and a popular destination for surfers. (A fleet of food trucks will replace the beach’s old clam shack this season.) Chapin Memorial Beach in Dennis, on the other hand, is a perfect sanctuary for families, thanks to almost a mile of shallow tidal pools that connect the sand to Cape Cod Bay. Unlike other beaches in the area, Chapin has a parking lot. It also has sandy trails for permitted off-road vehicles. FAIRWAYS ANDGREENS The Cape is home to more than 40 golf courses, but three exclusive clubs eclipse all others. Chatham’s Eastward Ho!, designed by WilliamHerbert Fowler during the early 1920s, features as genuine a traditional Scottish links layout as any golf course in the US. Just across the waters of Pleasant Bay, the

SEAFOOD SPLURGES Lobster rolls are a quintessential New England summer delicacy, and the ones served up at Raw Bar in Popponesset (within the town of Mashpee) are arguably the best on the Cape. Unparalleled in size, these summer sandwiches are big enough for two... or make for a glorious and gluttonous affair for one. If you’re hankering for a more

younger 18 holes of Cape Cod National Golf Club — which opened in 1998 — meander over, around and through glacial hills and hollows and border cranberry bogs. In Osterville, privileged golfers can walk the fairways of the Oyster Harbors Club, a Donald Ross–designed course that opened for play in 1927. eastwardho.org, ccngolf.org, oysterharborsclub.org SETTING SAIL A Barton & Gray Mariners Club annual membership, which ranges from $29,500 to $49,500 (plus a $12,000 initiation fee), offers access to a fleet of crewed and captained Hinckley yachts from almost 20 ports along the eastern seaboard. After climbing aboard a Talaria 40 at the Nauticus Marina in Osterville, many Barton & Gray members jaunt over to Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard. Others prefer to sip Harbors. Some have even enjoyed private catered clambakes on the beach of nearby Dead Neck Island. Reservations for prime days cocktails during sunset cruises around Oyster

in July and August are best made a week in advance. bartonandgray.com TRAILBLAZING The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a 22-mile paved bike and walking path that gently meanders from South Dennis to SouthWellfleet, running through state parks and alongside town centers. Numerous bike-rental shops along the route can

accommodate those in need of a set of wheels. Riders who pass through Orleans should duck into Hot Chocolate Sparrow— the specialty shop’s iced (or hot) coconut mocha is well worth the stop — and those who pedal all the way to SouthWellfleet should ride the extra mile east to Lecount Hollow Beach, where striking views of Cape Cod National Seashore await.

traditional raw bar experience, Ocean Terrace, the signature restaurant at Brewster’s Ocean Edge resort, features a rooftop patio where local littlenecks, mussels and oysters are served. The bar also offers views of Cape Cod Bay, where the proprietor of Brewster Oysters routinely tends his beds. poppyrawbar.com, oceanedge.com

The Cape’s beaches offer soft sand and gentle dunes

TAKE TWO// SEASIDE HAVENS

2. MOTHER GOOSE HOUSE Wequassett Resort and Golf Club

Situated on 27 waterfront acres, the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club — with its gray and white cedar shingles and English-style gardens planted with hydrangeas, spring tulips and azaleas — epitomizes Cape Cod charm. The resort’s Lower Cape setting is further enhanced by dramatic vistas of the Atlantic Ocean and Pleasant Bay, bodies of water that guests can easily access and enjoy thanks to the resort’s powerboat and sailboat rentals, as well as private fishing charters that specialize in striped bass, bluefish and bluefin tuna. Resort guests can also tee off at the otherwise members-only Cape Cod National Golf Club nearby. The resort’s three-bedroom private residence, affectionately named Mother Goose House, shines brighter than the rest. Located on the shores of Pleasant Bay, the house offers the best of both worlds: the secluded setting guarantees peaceful relaxation, yet guests are only a short walk from all of the resort’s amenities. From $14,000 per week in high season. Contact Kara Lachance, director of sales and marketing, klachance@wequassett.com, +1 508 430 6880, wequassett.com

1. PRESIDENTIAL SUITE Chatham Bars Inn

More than a century ago, the main building of the Chatham Bars Inn operated as a luxuriously appointed hunting lodge for the Boston Brahmin. Today it serves as the nucleus of a charming resort spread out over 25 beachfront acres, one that attracts discerning travelers who seek out superlative accommodations, attentive service and easy access to the area’s shops, galleries and restaurants. Guests who yearn for quality time on, in or near the ocean can retire to the resort’s private beach. Additionally, powerboat, sailboat and sport fishing charters — not to mention great white shark observation excursions offered by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy — can all be arranged and accessed at the resort. Chatham Bars Inn is home to 139 guest rooms and 78 suites; however, the 1,120-sq-ft Presidential Suite — equipped with numerous gas fireplaces, a marble master bath (complete with soaking tub) and a private deck that overlooks the Atlantic — is the resort’s crown jewel. From $3,095 per night in high season. Contact Paula Whitcomb, reservations manager, pwhitcomb@chathambarsinn.com, +1 508 945 0096, chathambarsinn.com