Scenic ride to P'town

Taking a day trip from Middleboro to P%26#39;Town-family of six, spanning three generations. Would like a scenic ride thorugh the Cape. Is there a coastal road through any part where we can see views of the ocean as we%26#39;re driving?

P%26#39;Town is definitely our desitnation but is there any area along the way that%26#39;s a must see? How about a place to stop for shell hunting - but something that doesn%26#39;t involve too much walking? Any place to see seals? Again, not much walking from parking area to point of interest.

Will do Art%26#39;s dunes tour, spend some time at MacMillan%26#39;s Wharf and visit Commercial Street in P%26#39;town and go to Race Point Beach for the sunset. Is there anything else that we shouldn%26#39;t miss while there?

Thanks so much for your help.

Scenic ride to P'town

If you are only going for the day you will hardly have time to stop on the way. There is really no coastal road through the Cape, although you will get glimpses of the water on some parts depending which way you go. I never think of the Cape as a place for shells, although of course there are some. You can see seals off Monomoy Island in Chatham if you go out in the boats, but I doubt that you will have time for that.

You talk about spending time on MacMillan Wharf,do you mind if I ask why?

If walking is a problem for some of your group, are they going to manage or enjoy Commercial Street?

What is the driving time from Middleboro to Provincetown, that may help us to give you some advice.

Scenic ride to P'town

Thanks for your reply, Senior.

Drive time from Middleboro to Provincetown is 1.5 to 2 hours according to friends who have done it.

Don%26#39;t really know much about MacMillan%26#39;s Wharf - same friends said go there! lol What don%26#39;t I know - or need to know?

Walking on paved street is ok - just can%26#39;t walk long distances in the sand.

We have a very eclectic group - one has never seen the ocean-four have never been to the cape-two have limited experience with the Cape. Just trying to plan something to suit everyone and thought we%26#39;d find one or two quick things to see on the way to P%26#39;town.

Have another friend who spent a few hours in Provincetown last year - did the dunes tour and LOVED it and went to Race Point Beach for the sunset - said it was the most incredible she%26#39;s ever seen.

Any advice or suggestions will be truly appreciated. Thanks.

Although there is no road that will give you a lot of water views, the most scenic road is rte. 6A which follows the north shore of the Cape from the Sagamore Bridge to the Orleans Rotary. Taking it for its entire length could add half an hour to an hour to the trip time, but it is easy to cut back to rte. 6 at many points. After the Orleans rotary, you might want to take a detour through Wellfleet center. It%26#39;s a picturesque little town. You can also drive down to the harbor.

Shell hunting is not very good on the Cape, but you can look around at any beach you happen to be on. In Ptown, if you walk out Macmillan Wharf, consider visiting the Pirate Museum at the end. It sounds like a tourist trap but it is actually an educational archaeological exhibit of material recovered from the pirate ship Wydah, which sank off Cape Cod in the 1700s.

You said you have three generations on the trip. If you have youngsters that need to be tired out, visit the Pilgrim Monument and Museum. The Museum has a good local history collection and those that are up to it can climb all the way to the top of the monument, which has spectacular views of the Cape. Just a couple blocks east of town center is the Provincetown Public Library, which is probably the only public library in country (world?) with 5/8 scale model of a fishing schooner (the Dorthea Rose) in it. Just west a block or two is the Unitarian Universalist Church. It has a remarkable tromp l%26#39;oie interior. You can usually just walk in. When you go into the main church, realize that it is plain rectangular space. Nothing you see in there is real.

Thank you so much, wbp. Yours is just the kind of advice that I was looking for.

Adding a ½ hr to an hr onto the drive time won%26#39;t be a problem - but good to know that we can easily hop off.

Any advice for a place for good shell hunting off of the cape?

Will be sure to see the Pirate Museum, Pilgrim Monument %26amp; Museum, Library %26amp; Uniterian Church.

We%26#39;ll be in Mass in July and spending one day in each of several places-Plymouth, Boston, Gloucester/Rockport. Had hoped to do this last year but plans changed so we%26#39;re looking forward to it this year.

In Plymouth we%26#39;ll go to Plimouth Plantation, the rock, Mayflower and maybe the lobster boat. We%26#39;re looking forward to a whale watch in Gloucester (heard that July was great for sightings last year - hope it%26#39;s the same this year), the Fisherman%26#39;s Memorial, etc %26amp; Rockport.

We%26#39;re not firm on our day in Boston but possibilites include the Duck tour, Old Town Trolley, Fanueil Hall, Quincy Mkt, Cheers, Swan Boats, Freedom Trail, North End. I should probably be posting this on the Boston Forum but would it be better to ride the trolley and get on and off to see the sites of interest to us or ride the T? We%26#39;re not familiar w/ Boston. Staying in Middleboro so we%26#39;ll be driving into or close to the city - any suggestions for parking for the day?

Any other suggestions for any of the above are truly appreciated.

Can%26#39;t wait to arrive in Mass! Thanks again.