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Massachusetts can be a magical place to live and vacation. From the Berkshires to Provincetown, our beautiful Commonwealth has so much to offer and a season for every taste. Cape Cod is one of those places that makes it so special. Gray shingled houses, hydrangeas, endless coastline and sparkling blue sea. My love affair with the Cape began long ago when I vacationed there as a child, and I still seek out every possible opportunity to visit. This past weekend we headed across the Sagamore Bridge and along the Cape to Chatham, where we celebrated our favorite newlyweds at Chatham Bars Inn.

Chatham Bars Inn

Named as one of the leading hotels in the world, Chatham Bars Inn is an expansive property comprised of cottages and a main building, along with a golf course, beach, several restaurants, and spa. Its views are unparalleled; it is the epitome of Cape Cod luxury. The rooms are simply decorated with a beach house theme, clean, comfortable, and offering luxurious little touches like Nespresso machines and gas fireplaces.  Restaurants in the main building, including Stars and The Veranda offer stunning views of the sea, a perfect place for a glass of wine.

Chatham Bars Inn

Chatham Bars Inn

Our friends happened to be having their mini moon in one of the cottages as Chatham Bars Inn, and we enjoyed toasting with bubbles and their delicious handcrafted cocktails while taking in views of the harbor and splashing seals. We spent a lot of time on their balcony, for very good reason.

Chatham Cape Cod

We also had the fantastic treat of checking out the wine cellar at Chatham Bars Inn’s main building. Their cellar is beautiful, and I could have browsed all day. Guests can plan ahead for wine tastings in this lovely space; I already may have hinted at 35th birthday plans.

Chatham Bars Inn Wine Cellar

Sacred Cod

The variety of restaurants at Chatham Bars Inn makes for some nice choices throughout the day. Once we had enough of the cool breezes outside, we huddled on cozy couches for drinks and a snack, this gorgeous, smoky, sweet slab of candied bacon.

 

Chatham Cape CodIn addition to its spectacular seaside location, Chatham Bars Inn is also within walking distance to the town of Chatham, and we did a little bit of exploring. Autumn in New England is certainly a special time that people travel the world over to experience. Chatham was dressed in its seasonal finest, and we were feeling pretty lucky to be there.

A long day outside led us to a late dinner out at the Impudent Oyster, a restaurant I would highly recommend. We had the most delightful server and lots of great food like mussels, sizzling garlic shrimp, dumplings, salads, soup and pasta dishes. The menu is extensive, and from what we ordered, delicious. It was perfect to be able to walk to our home for the night along a marshy, moonlit road, listening to frogs and crickets sing their night songs.

Impudent Oyster

Once we retreated to our room, we loved just cozying up in its simple comforts. The beach house decor is inspiring; we are in the process of planning some redecorating, and I would love a serene, beach cottage like home. Instead of watching TV, we listened to classical music and watched the fireplace, feeling a million miles away from the city.

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A gorgeous morning, croissants and coffee at Chatham Cookware, and a seal-filled walk on the beach rounded out our perfect little Chatham getaway. It was hard to hop back into the car to sit in bridge traffic, but we both felt rejuvenated and blessed for the wonderful time we had with great friends in a most perfect place.

Tags: beaches, Cape Cod, Chatham, Food, getaways, hotels, luxury, Massachusetts, Travel, vacation, weekend trips, wine

Sigh. Monday already? Did you have a good weekend? Ours was pretty fantastic, starting with Chefs in Shorts and dinner at Citizen Public House, followed by some boat time, a gloriously early Saturday night (which unfortunately got ruined by work calls), and a day of errands on Sunday. It certainly wasn’t too bad.

Summer Mondays, are always a little more difficult than the rest of the year. This week marks the Summer Solstice, the opening day for our yacht club, and a an exciting new career adventure for me.

What better way to kick off the summer season than to talk about one of Massachusetts’ greatest gifts, Cape Cod?

To kick off your week, I bring you 10 reasons why I love Cape Cod, along with some random pics of my Cape Cod girls’ weekend. Feel free to share your own, add in what you love about your favorite summer place, or let me know what you are most looking forward to this week.

Truro beach

Beaches – This one’s a no-brainer.Cape Cod offers 559.6 miles of coast line, according to the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce. From the calm, warm waters of Centerville to the swells at Race Point, there is a beach for every age and need. You could spend a lifetime discovering beaches on Cape Cod and falling in love with the shore.

Nature – Beaches definitely fall into this category, but Cape Cod offers so much more. Activities in the great outdoors abound. There are dune tours, oyster farm tours, whale watchesseal tours, and so much more. The Cape is (obviously) a great place to get out on the water. You can rent kayaks, motor boats, paddle boards, or take a sunset sail.

beach grass

Food – Yes, Cape Cod has amazing local seafood like lobsters and Wellfleet oysters, and clams, and quahogs. . . and I am hungry now! But there are lots of other types of restaurants, food producers, even wineries. Cultural influences from around the world have made for a great foodie scene on the Cape; local ingredients and skilled chefs make it world-class. There are still so many Cape Cod restaurants I am dying to try, places like Pain D’Avignon, Beach House Grill at the heavenly Chatham Bars Inn, Central House, and the Naked OysterTruro Beach

Fried seafood – it deserves its own category, separate from food. I don’t think I have had better fried seafood in the world than on Cape Cod. Sorry, Ireland, but the Cape’s fish and chips might even have you beat. Oysters, clams, scallops, haddock, even fried lobster, make for an indulgent seaside treat. It just tastes like the beach.

beach in Truro

Beach in Truro

seafood shack Art and architecture – Have you heard about the Cape Cod arts trail? There are a ton of artists and artisans along the Cape, and you can use the app to plan your journey. As far as architecture goes, there are the classic gray shingled homes, whitewashed town halls and churches, old captain’s homes; the Cape really captures our region’s history in a way that makes it seem alive and well, and makes living in Massachusetts such a unique and wonderful thing.

Provincetown at night

Provincetown sunset

Provincetown sunset

There are a million more things I love about Cape Cod; I could go on for many blog posts, and in time, likely will. I’ve been going to the Cape since I was a child, and there are so many special things that keep us coming back.

Tags: beach, boating, Cape Cod, Food, Massachusetts, summer, Travel

Last week, as part of my job, I helped put together a media reception that gave a little preview of summer in Massachusetts. I love planning events, and this one was a lot of fun, thanks to some great sponsors and to the fact that we live in a great place, especially in the summertime!

Boston Chops was our host for the evening, and they provided some fantastic snacks for us to snack on with wine from Travessia Urban Winery. Each is an example of a great Massachusetts business and demonstrate the great things happening all across the Commonwealth, especially when it comes to the culinary scene.

 

Travessia Wine

Harbor Sweets, Salem

Generous gift bag sponsors included Salem’s Harbor Sweets, who shared their signature Sweet Sloops.

Harbor Sweets is launching its first new line since 2001 this summer. Salt & Ayre was inspired by conversations with loyal customers and with company friend/eminent cookbook author Lora Brody. Salt & Ayre boasts seven heavenly bite-size indulgences with flavor notes including Thai ginger, chai, caramel and Himalayan sea salt and its packaging will feature a new distinctive look and style. Harbor Sweets Sweet Sloops

The very sweet Robin of Robin’s Candy, which has locations on Newbury Street and in Great Barrington, gave guests gift cards to the store. I had the pleasure of picking the cards up on Newbury Street, and I have to tell you that Robin’s is absolutely enchanting. It’s like a magical candy land, a fun and delicious place for all ages.

Robin's Candy

Chewy, decadent, yet healthy cookies from Bonnievilles. These power cookies are made of whole food ingredients and leave out things like refined sugars. They are slightly sweet and pack a lot of flavor, definitely a treat you can feel good about!

Bonnieville's Power Cookies

It was great to spend the evening chatting with bloggers I know and some I had never met. There’s a lot going on in Massachusetts this summer; below are just a few of the things I’m most excited about (in addition, of course, to my annual Cape Cod weekend). For a complete guide to travel  in Massachusetts, visit massvacation.com.

New England Brewery Tours provides an unforgettable beer experience and gives visitors an inside look at all the incredible things going on in New England’s beer industry. Visit breweries large and small and, along the way, enjoy gourmet food paired with local beer. www.newenglandbrewerytours.com

Cape Ann Foodie Tours launches the new Taste Gloucester tour, providing a tasty overview of the 400-year-old port city. From chowder to olive oil, to a special sandwich that Gloucester natives have been enjoying for decades, Taste Gloucester will expose guests to local treats they’d be hard pressed to discover on their own. The company’s 2.5 hour (roughly 1 mile) tours led by dynamic tour guides also include Rockport Sights and Sweets, Taste Newburyport, and Ales & Tales. Tours are $47 per person. www.capeannfoodietours.com

In summer 2013, The Wauwinet, the only Relais & Châteaux property on Nantucket, will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary with $25 meals, wines, spa treats and more. Guests can enjoy a $25 two-course lunch select dates in May and June (excl Sunday Brunch) and specially selected $25 wines at TOPPER’s, the on-site restaurant which was awarded a perfect score of 100 for its cuisine on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2013 Gold List. www.wauwinet.com

The Food and Wine Festival on Martha’s Vineyard in October celebrates local harvests from the sea and Vineyard farms. Enjoy wines from around the world, food prepared by local and renowned chefs; attend seminars and tastings and so much more. www.mvfoodandwine.com

Tags: Boston, Food, Massachusetts, summer, Travel, wine

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