Plymouth
In this Massachusetts Bay town you can see Plymouth Rock, the traditional landing spot of the Pilgrims after they left Cape Cod in 1620; go aboard a replica of the Mayflower, tour Plimoth Plantation, a reconstruction of the Pilgrims’ first village; and see a number of other historic sites, plus Cranberry World Visitor Center’s exhibits on the cultivation and harvesting of cranberries.
New Bedford
Nantucket and New Bedford were the centers of New England’s whaling industry in the 19th century. Today New Bedford is still a key fishing port, but whaling is an historical attraction. The New Bedford Whaling Museum on Johnny Cake Hill features the 89-foot Lagoda, a half-scale model of a fully rigged whaling ship; a large collection of scrimshaw; and a multitude of whaling artifacts. Nearby is the Seaman’s Bethel, a sailors’ church with a pulpit in the shape of a ship’s prow. The church figured in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick.
Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket
Osprey
Main Street, Nantucket
While visiting Cape Cod, consider spending a day or two or more on the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, summertime havens that share much of the Cape’s cultural history and scenic ambience. Both islands were settled in the 1600s by colonists from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, both were major seaports linked with Cape fisheries, and both have attracted vacationers since the steamboat days of the 1800s. Despite these similarities, the islands are distinctive.
Martha’s Vineyard is closest—only 7 miles and 45 minutes by ferry from Woods Hole. Nantucket is about 30 miles from the Cape and 2 hours and 20 minutes by ferry from Hyannis. And don’t feel you have to take your car. Bicycles, mopeds, taxis, and buses are available.