50 Best Things to do on Cape Cod in 2012

1. Bike the 15 miles of bike path at the Cape Cod Canal. Each side is approximately 7.5 miles long.

2. Take a Cape Cod Canal cruise from Onset to view the bridges, harbors, and canal activity.

3. Visit the Sandwich Glass Museum to see live glassblowers make unique art, or visit the gift shop.

4. Explore the miles of sandy beaches at Sandy Neck Beach. The dunes here are amongst the most impressive on the Cape.

5. Take a ferry from Woods Hole to Martha's Vineyard. Spend the day at Oak Bluffs or Vineyard Haven for a welcome change of scenery.

6. Shop at Mashpee Commons to find unique local shops and large retail chain stores.

7. Visit any of the lighthouses on Cape Cod, like Nobska, Stage Harbor, or Race Point.

8. Take a ferry to Monomoy Island and see seals, shorebirds, and beautiful views of the island.

9. Rent a Cape Cod beach cottage to get an entirely different perspective on the Cape. You'll see much more if you stay the week!

10. Explore the hidden backroads of Yarmouthport. Just off of Route 6A, Yarmouthport has great beaches, seafood restaurants, and quaint Cape homes.

11. Take a scenic drive along the tree lined Old King's Highway, Route 6A, to view historic homes, shops, and Cape Cod Bay views.

12. Spend the day at Race Point Beach in Provincetown. This is one of the Cape's finest beaches, with lots of boat traffic and outstanding soft, white sand.

13. Travel the Cape Cod Rail Path, which begins in Dennis. This path has been converted from a railway to bike path, offering miles and miles of Cape Cod views.

14. Drive to Buzzards Bay and get an up-close look at the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge.

15. Take a Provincetown whale watch to get an up-close look at the marine life just offshore at Stellwagen Bank.

16. Charter a fishing boat to spend the day (or part of the day) fishing or cruising the waters of Cape Cod Bay.

17. Go kayaking on Cape Cod. The creeks, inlets, harbors, bays, rivers, and salt ponds were practically made for kayaking!

18. Photograph any of the beautiful beaches, lighthouses, historic homes, bays, inlets, creeks, or seaside restaurants that the Cape has to offer.

19. Take a step back into the past and check out the Three Sisters Lighthouses of Nauset.

20. Decide for yourself if you're a bay side beach person or Atlantic (ocean) side beach person in any of the Outer Cape towns. Each town has beaches on the east and west. The west side has calmer waters with sunset views, the east has rougher waters (and often sand dunes) with sunrise views.

21. Visit any of the art galleries in Provincetown on Commercial Street and throughout town. This thriving art colony has many long established galleries to browse.

22. Walk the half mile long jetty in Provincetown at the West End to view the Long Point Lighthouse and Wood End Lighthouse.

23. Drive to The oldest lighthouse on Cape Cod, Cape Cod Light (also known as Highland Light) in Truro.

24. Take a ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket and view this historic whaling town.

25. Watch the sunset at Rock Harbor in Orleans. This has a truly unique view.

26. Hike the dunes at Truro's Head of the Meadow Beach.

27. Find great wine and tastings available at the Cape Cod Winery in Falmouth.

28. The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History can be found in Brewster, with exhibits on whales, indigenous birds, and coastal change, as well as the reptiles, amphibians, and other wildlife of Cape Cod.

29. Visit Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary for salt marsh views, local marine life, birding, hiking, and exploring on the Wellfleet's Cape Cod Bay side.

30. Catch a movie at the Wellfleet Drive In Theater on Route 6.

31. Climb Pilgrim Monument and get an incredible view of Provincetown and much of the Cape.

32. Find a local artist performing at the Cape Cod Melody Tent.

33. Over ten miles of bike trails can be found at Falmouth's Shining Sea Bikeway.

34. The Cape Cod National Seashore offers outstanding protected beaches, rivers, and lighthouses. Explore this area and find your favorite spot, from Provincetown to Orleans.

35. Drive along Chatham's Shore Drive to view beautiful homes and beaches along the Chatham's eastern shore.

36. Stop in for a wine tasting at Truro Vineyards on Route 6 in Truro.

37. Route 28 is a hot spot for mini golf and kids activities. Drive between Harwich and Hyannis on Route 28 to find many of these family attractions.

38. There's much history to be relived at Marconi Station and Marconi Beach in Wellfleet.

39. Get a great view of much of the entire Cape at Scargo Hill Observation Tower in Dennis.

40. Get up early to view spectacular sunrise views at beaches like Marconi Beach and Nauset Light Beach on the "ocean" side of the Cape.

41. Learn more about our ocean environment at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth.

42. Tour the Cape Cod Beer brewery plant in Hyannis.

43. Explore the Provincelands Trails via bike. Miles of trails weave through the dunes and secluded habitat of the Provincelands on the tip of Cape Cod.

44. For a unique experience you'll never forget, take the Cape Cod Railroad dinner train, which crosses the canal.

45. Learn about early Cape Cod life and the Native Americans that lived on the Cape long before the Colonists at the Mashpee Wampanoag Museum.

46. Stroll along Chatham's beautiful Lighthouse Beach, right at the eastern end of Chatham, with Chatham Light providing the backdrop.

47. Take the Cape Cod Potato Chips Factory Tour in Hyannis to learn how these famous kettle chips are made!

48. Shop the many Cape Cod antique stores along Route 6A and along the backroads of the Cape.

49. Watch any of the free baseball games of the Cape Cod Baseball League, all over the Cape.

50. Play golf at any of the Cape Cod golf courses. There are over 50 courses on Cape Cod to choose from.

Bonus! Visit the best Cape Cod restaurants page and get ideas for dinner for vacation or maybe tonight!