Dog-Friendly Cape Cod
I’m disappointed that it took us this long to travel to Cape Cod - the quintessential New England beach vacation! Even though the weather wasn’t the most cooperative, we had so much fun and can’t wait to go back again soon. It will be easy to return, since the drive from NYC is only around four hours - depending on exactly where you’re headed. There are so many different towns across the cape, and this post is by no means a comprehensive collection of all the dog-friendly spots throughout. I will simply lay out what we did during each day spent on Cape Cod.
Day One
We took off from Newport in the middle of the day and headed straight for Cape Cod Winery in Falmouth, which was a little over an hour drive. This little winery is absolutely darling! Alice had to put up with several photo shoots before, during, and after my wine tasting. The wine tasting was $12 for five wines, and I also ordered the cheese/meat/cracker selection - all pre-packaged because of COVID, but very delicious! The staff was so friendly and accommodating, as was the family sitting at the table next to us who doted on Alice (from a distance).
I had done some research about beaches in the Falmouth area, but I kept reading that dogs were not allowed on beaches in the summer. Then I stumbled onto a description of a little beach on something called The Knob. We followed Google maps and parked in the only spot left along Quissett Harbor (which looked beautiful with so many boats bobbing on the water). There was a tiny beach in view, so we walked over… only to find a sign that said dogs were not allowed on that beach. Then I noticed another sign pointing to a trail that supposedly lead to “The Knob”. I was not dressed or prepared for a hike, but luckily it was only about half a mile on very easy terrain! The Knob juts out into Buzzards Bay and has a really great view of the water. Just before you reach it, though, you’ll find some stairs that lead down to a small, sandy beach! There were two other dogs playing fetch in the water while I tried to convince Alice, for the hundredth time, that waves need not be feared!
Next, just as rain started to fall, we got back into the car and drove to Falmouth Raw Bar. I had a cocktail called “Sarah’s Rosé Sangira” which was sooo tasty and must have been named after me…. I also had oysters and shrimp cocktail that were reasonably priced. There were about ten picnic tables outside at which doggos could sit with their humans, and another sweet dog was a couple tables away from us.
We checked into the Econo Lodge in West Yarmouth late in the afternoon. I didn’t decide where the second half of this road trip would take us until about two weeks beforehand, so I did not find ample, affordable, pet-friendly options for where to stay. I chose this hotel/motel because of its central location and comparatively cheap rates. West Yarmouth is right in the middle of the cape, and it is a 15-20 minute walk from Hyannis and the ferry to Nantucket. The room wasn’t terrible, but the faucet water was never cold, the recent renovations were done in a clearly cheap and sloppy manner, and there were many black hairs on every pillowcase. The front desk immediately brought me new pillowcases when I called and requested them, and the man who checked me in initially was incredibly friendly and welcoming.
After unpacking and doing some work for school, it was time for dinner! Yelp informed me of a Mexican restaurant just down the road called El Mariachi. The parking lot was absolutely packed when we arrived at 6:30. We attempted to drive down to Point Gammon to kill time, but discovered that is a private, gated area! Luckily, there was a parking spot available by the time we returned to El Mariachi. After waiting about ten minutes, our outdoor table was ready - they had a lot of outdoor seating on the patio/yard on the side of the building. The food reminded me of the Mexican food I grew up with in Colorado - it was just what I needed!
Day Two
We started with a bagel and chai latte at Old King’s Coffeehouse, right across the street from our hotel. There were several tables on the outside patio, but all were occupied at 8:00am. So I placed my ordered on my phone, tied Alice to the fence post right outside the door, and popped in to grab my to-go order.
NANTUCKET! I’ve decided to make this its own blog post, as we did so much in the ten hours we spent on the island. It is so easy to get to Nantucket by ferry - and dogs are allowed, no muzzle or carrier required! We took the one-hour high-speed Hy-Line Cruises ferry from Hyannis, which was $77 round trip and allowed me to change my ferry time via phone call only a couple hours before the scheduled departure time.
Day Three
Our final day in Cape Cod was rainy, windy, and cold. I actually loved the cooler temperatures, but it did ultimately ruin our plan to visit the Cape Cod National Seashore. However, Alice and I were both pretty worn out from our previous day on Nantucket, so the calm, quiet day was probably exactly what we needed. We started our day at The Optimist Café in Yarmouth Port. This breakfast place was so cute, in a historically recognized building, with a lovely staff.
After a virtual baby shower for my sister-in-law, we continued on to Truro Vineyards, about an hour away from West Yarmouth. It was packed! The parking lot was completely full, so I parked (probably not totally legally) on the street along with many other cars. The hostess explained that it would be at least a 90-minute wait and we may not get in before they closed… until I told her I was a party of one (+ dog). We were immediately seated at a solo chair in the middle of the lawn! I did a wine tasting of five wines for $15. Honestly, these wines were all sweeter than I prefer. But I still enjoyed the experience - plus, some of their wine bottles are shaped like lighthouses!! Too adorable to resist; I bought four bottles. The vineyard also has a spirits tasting through South Hollow Spirits and a food truck on the lawn. I ordered from the food truck on my phone and my meal was delivered to me - a yummy cheeseburger that Alice was quite jealous of!
We attempted to check out one more beach, but it was way too windy to be enjoyable. So we packed up a bit early and headed home to New York. I will definitely return to Cape Cod again soon and explore more of it - especially as international travel continues to be impossible!