Brewster
The town of Brewster is on the sheltered Cape Cod Bay side of the upper arm where the trees grow taller and the grass thicker than they do between Eastham and Provincetown. Old ship captains’ houses and giant elms line Mass. 6A, which meanders through town. Numerous antiques shops, restaurants, and other travel facilities also line the highway.
The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, a nonprofit organization on Mass. 6A, preserves in conjunction with a town-owned reserve an ancient herring run between Cape Cod Bay and freshwater ponds. The museum, open year round, offers ecology exhibits, nature trails, films, lectures, and, in the spring, opportunities to watch alewives run on Stony Brook. For further information, write: P.O. Box 1710, Brewster, MA 02631-0016; telephone 508-896-3867.
At Stony Brook Mill, on Stony Brook Road off Mass. 6A, you can see corn ground at a water-powered gristmill and tour a miller’s museum.
The Brewster Historical Society Museum, on Mass. 6A in East Brewster, exhibits local history.
Roland C. Nickerson State Park, on the eastern edge of Brewster, is an excellent place to camp if you plan to spend much time in the National Seashore. The park has 1,955 acres with more than 400 campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Recreational activities include freshwater swimming, boating, bicycling, and hiking. For bicyclists the Cape Cod Rail Trail links the state park with the National Seashore 8 miles away. For further information, write: Roland C. Nickerson State Park, Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631-0003; telephone 518-896-3491.
For more information about the town, call the Brewster Board of Trade: 508-896-5713.
Chatham
Chatham sits at the Cape’s elbow, facing both the Atlantic and Nantucket Sound. As a result, the morning fog seems to stay a little longer in Chatham than elsewhere on the Cape.
Commercial fishing boats still work out of Chatham harbors, but the main activity in the summer is tending to vacationers’ needs. Main Street, Mass. 28, is a beehive of shops, motels, and restaurants. The Fourth of July parade and Friday evening summer band concerts are longtime Chatham traditions.