Summer Getaway Guide To Chatham
Hannah McKinnon lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut, with her family, a flock of chickens, and two rescue dogs. She is the author of The Lake Season, out now from sister company Simon & Schuster and available wherever books are sold.
My family has always spent summers on Cape Cod; it's a family tradition steeped in both sunscreen and nostalgia. If you're looking for that Norman Rockwell Main Street experience, Chatham, Massachusetts delivers. Visitors will wonder if they've stepped back in time, but you will love the charm of this little seaside town, and the memory of it will remain with you just as surely as the sand in your pockets.
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Sand Between the Toes: Beach Picks
Located on the southeast elbow of Cape Cod, Chatham is the quintessential New England seaside town. Surrounded on three sides by water, there is the Atlantic to the east, and the calmer Nantucket Sound to the south. The best bet for small children is Ridgevale Beach, where families can set up their umbrellas either along the sound or by the quiet tidal pools that are a treasure trove for the hermit crab hunters in your pack. Hardings Beach and Cockle Cove are other personal favorites. If you're keen to windsurf, kayak, fish, or power boat, Pleasant Bay is your spot. For those looking for more rousing surf, head up to the National Seashore.
Dining
Lined with boutiques, galleries, ice cream shops, and eateries, downtown Chatham is a true walking villages. For relaxed family-friendly fare, you can't go wrong with the Chatham Squire. For a charming view of Main Street, grab a table on the patio at Wild Goose Tavern, housed in Chatham's elegant Wayside Inn. At the Chatham Bars Inn, you can select from formal dining rooms to veranda views. The Beach House is perfect for those hankering for an ocean view with their fresh seafood. But if you want the freshest seafood, the real deal is Chatham Pier Fish Market. Stationed at the base of what's locally known as Nickerson pier, you can grab a lobster roll while you observe the antics of the seals.
Bike Trail
A twenty-six mile paved attraction for both scenic cruisers, the Cape Cod Rail Trail winds along Chatham's salt marshes, neighborhoods, and up around Chatham Airport. If you don't pull into town with your own bikes on board, rentals can be found at nearby cycle shops.
Downtown Village Life & Shopping
Be sure to visit Kate Gould Park on Friday evenings for the famed Chatham band stand concerts. Picnic blankets cover the grass and balloons fill the sky, as children bunny-hop beneath the twinkling bandstand lights. For a great beach book, stop in at the charming Where the Sidewalk Ends. Its children's annex is the stuff of fairies. I like to grab an iced mocha latte from Monomoy Coffee Shop before stopping in the bookstore.
The Mayflower, Yankee Ingenuity, and Ben Franklin are charming old-time shops selling trinkets, handmade jewelry, and whimsical art. Tale of the Cod offers every nautically inspired home furnishings. You cannot pass by the pink awning of Candy Manor without getting a box of their famous handmade fudge. End the night with a cone at Buffy's Ice Cream Shop and meander up to the historic Chatham Lighthouse at the north end of Main Street. From here you are rewarded with the best view of the harbor. For a taste of fine arts, a few doors up is the Monomoy Theatre, whose celebrated summer's shows include Biloxi Blues and Pride and Prejudice.
You won't soon escape the charm of this special little seaside town, and the memory of it will remain with you just as surely as the sand in your pockets.
