Cape Cod Offers the Best in Local Theatre

In addition to dozens of beaches, scenic bike trails, and countless antique shops, Cape Cod also offers some of the best in local theatre and the Captains House Inn in Chatham is just minutes from several renowned venues. Located just a mile from the inn, the Monomoy Theatre in Chatham will open for its 52nd season on June 23rd and will kick off with the all American musical, Anything Goes. Also included in the line up for the season, the timeless love story, Romeo and Juliet, and a show-stopping comedy, Room Service.

Also just minutes from the Captains House Inn is the Chatham Drama Guild which will begin the 2009 season on July 17th with a rendition of the Velveteen Rabbit.

Other venues include the Academy of Performing Arts in Orleans, just 20 minutes from the Captains House Inn which is currently featuring the musical, Chicago with upcoming performances to include Sleeping Beauty and Godspell. The Cape Playhouse in Dennis, less than 30 minutes from the Captains House Inn will kick off its 2009 season with the Musical of Musicals on June 22nd. For for some risque entertainment, the Crown & Anchor in Provincetown is legendary for its leading drag entertainers and comedians, sensational singers and even world premiere theatrical productions.

Finally, for those who prefer the big screen to live theatre, the Wellfleet movie theatre is one of the few remaining drive ins in the country. Not only are the parking lots chock full of cars angled in to the giant screen, but the playground swarms with children winding down before the entertainment and the casual restaurant pumps out juicy burgers, fried seafood, and of course popcorn and movie snacks throughout the evening.

While many feel a trip to Cape Cod is not complete without lounging on one of its many pristine beaches, the Cape has now earned a following of theatre goers who round out their Cape Cod evenings with a healthy dose of entertainment.

Coast Guard Beach Named One of Nation's Top Ten Beaches

Coast Guard Beach, one of Cape Cod's most popular beach destinations was named one of the top ten beaches in the country in 2009 by "Dr. Beach," Stephen P. Leatherman. Included in Leatherman's top ten are several beaches throughout Hawaii, Florida, California, and the Carolinas. While Cape Cod lacks the year round picture perfect climate of other destinations on the list, Coast Guard Beach compensates with pristine facilities, easy parking, and most importantly, waves worthy of two surfing website web cams honed in on it at all times.

Located just 25 minutes from the Captains House Inn, Coast Guard Beach is a favorite day trip for guests. But for those who prefer a shorter drive or calmer waters, Chatham offers 70 miles of shoreline dotted with its own award-worthy beaches. Chatham Light Beach, just 1.5 miles from the Captains House is a favorite for sun worshippers and Hardings Beach, just ten minutes from the inn offers breathtaking sunsets. For those who prefer strolling along the shore to lounging, Monomoy Wildlife Sanctuary, a five minute drive from the Captains House offers a long stretch of sandy shoreline complete with dozens of horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, and other sea creatures to observe.

Whichever beach guests choose to spend their leisurely getaway perusing, Cape Cod's myriad of options awaits and never fails to impress travelers and locals alike.

Bicycling Cape Cod's Rail Trail

After the long, cold winter and before the heat makes us want to do nothing but lounge on one of Cape Cod’s many beautiful beaches, travelers can take advantage of the perfect weather for biking along Cape Cod’s scenic rail trail. The trail follows 22 miles of former railroad from Dennis to Wellfleet and with paved paths, few hills, and wide shoulders, it is an ideal route for a leisurely cycle through Cape Cod.

Along the trail, cyclists will find several opportunities to pull off for a bite to eat or relax on a beach. Popular stopping points are Coast Guard Beach in Eastham and Nickerson State Park in Brewster. Travelers can rent bikes at a number of shops dotted along the trail including Chatham Cycle, just down the street from the Captains House Inn or at Brewster Bike in Brewster. While the scenery and exhilaration of biking make a day of cycling along the rail trail worthwhile, the icing on the cake is returning to the Captains House Inn for cream tea, knowing that every calorie consumed is already burned off!

Chatham Anglers 2009 Season Approaches

As the warm weather slowly rolls in, Chatham, Massachusetts prepares for one of its longstanding summer traditions - Cape Cod baseball league season. The premier amateur baseball league in the nation since 1885, the Cape Cod baseball league celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. With over 1,000 alumni performing at all levels of professional baseball in 2008, a record total 212 former Cape leaguers play in the major leagues.

With such a high caliber of talent, it stands to reason that the Cape Cod ball games are consistently packed with fans who enjoy unsurpassed entertainment for only a voluntary donation. The Captains House Inn, located just 1/2 mile from the Chatham Anglers, (formerly the Chatham Athletics), ball field is an ideal location to stroll over to catch a game, and maybe grab a burger at the nearby Red Nun. The Anglers will kick off opening day at a home game against Wareham on June 12th at 7:00 p.m. The new schedule has been published and tourists and locals alike wait with baited breath for opening day - the official start to Cape Cod summer.

Captains House Inn Receives 23rd Consecutive AAA Four Diamond Award

We are pleased to announce that for the 23rd consecutive year, the Captains House Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts received the AAA four diamond award. Each year, 65 full time tourism editors evaluate over 58,000 hotels and restaurants. Of those, only about 3% are awarded the coveted four diamond award.

We are anonymously inspected annually, and must meet certain criteria in order to maintain our four diamond status which includes the entire booking process straight through to the guest’s check-out. For example, the phone must be answered in less than three rings and we must use the guest’s name with frequency. On check-in, assistance with luggage must be provided, and throughout the guest’s stay, excellent service must be adhered to at all times. Finally, the inspector evaluates the cleanliness, general comfort level, and maintenance of the inn. We believe the reason we continue to receive the award year after year is that we treat every guest as if he or she was a AAA inspector. This way, when the actual inspector reveals his identity, we are not caught off guard and wondering if we did everything properly – we are always confident that we did.

To experience our four diamond facilities and service for yourself, click here to book online now.

New H2O Line of Bath Amenities!

Like many aspects of innkeeping, selecting an amenity product line isn’t as straightforward and fun as one might envision. Sure, there are endless samples to test, fragrances to sniff, and new products to ponder. But after accumulating a lifetime supply of travel size shampoos and bath gels, and months of inhaling everything from green tea vanilla to cherry blossom freesia, we still hadn’t hit upon “the one.” See, it’s not just about finding a high end product with a pleasant scent that we, personally like. Our criteria were threefold:

1. Packaging – As a four diamond inn, we obviously look for a sleek, high end presentation and many product lines offer the look we’re after. However, it is important to us that the product not only look nice, but is functional. I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of struggling to squeeze a dollop of shampoo from a too-small bottle opening despite the fact that there is plenty of shampoo congealed to the bottom of the container. The problem with many travel size products is that they sit up-right and offer no “squeezability.” So we specifically look for squeeze tubes that sit upside down on the cap – after all, our guests are here on vacation – we want to offer a relaxing shower as opposed to one in which they emerge with little rings embedded into the palms of their hands from smacking the bottle against them repeatedly.

2. Fragrance – Granted, most women love to smell like a rose garden all day. But we fear this might be a tad emasculating for our male guests. Trying to find a gender-neutral, yet pleasant scent is not as easy as one might imagine!

3. Theme – Since we are located on Cape Cod near dozens of beaches, we wanted our amenity line to reflect the seaside feel of the inn. We fell in love with a wonderful pomegranate product which we almost ordered, but felt it was more appropriate for a property in, say, Hawaii. Also, a plus for us, based on several comment cards we have received, is that the line we select be manufactured in America. So our search continued….

Finally, after much deliberation, the winner was selected – H2O Plus’s Spa Line known for their unique combinations of nourishing marine ingredients and advanced technology, a perfect harmony of nature and science. Ingredients include seaweed extracts, sea fennel, sea lettuce, Wakame and green tea. Most importantly, though, the product is luxurious, easy to squeeze from the container, beautifully fragranced (though for all you men, you won’t smell like a flower), Cape Cod appropriate, and manufactured right here in the States. We hope our guests enjoy the new line – it’s been quite a process!

Spring Clean Like A Pro

Here on the Cape, we typically see crocuses start to pop up in early March, but the warm weather doesn’t always immediately follow. Still, us New Englanders tend to jump into spring mode despite the nip in the air. If the temperature hits 45, it isn’t unusual to see hearty locals sporting shorts and driving around with the convertible down (albeit with the heat blasting). So, while the weather hasn’t quite caught up with my spring mindset, I find myself tackling the grueling annual task of spring cleaning in hopes that warm weather will ensue. In my quest for decluttering and deep cleaning, I have come across several helpful tips over the years:

1. Combine 2 cups water, 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent in a spray bottle and use to clean windows. Believe it or not, newspaper works better than paper towels or rags when drying.
2. Spruce up your jewelry so it sparkles when the sun finally starts shining! Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse jewelry for two minutes. Buff with a clean rag.
3. To remove candle wax from carpet, place a paper bag over the spilled wax and lightly iron over the bag.
4. Be proactive and prevent messy Tupperware by spraying with cooking spray before filling with tomato based sauces. This will save your storage containers from stains and you from endless scrubbing.
5. Put a piece of waxed paper under your dust mop. Dirt will stick to the mop and the wax will shine your floors.
6. Bounce dryer sheets eliminate static electricity from your television screen. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

To be honest, when it comes to cleaning and organizing, there aren’t too many short cuts. In fact, there are some “tips” I’ve come across over the years which, to be honest, are more time consuming and frankly, stupid. Take, for example the following:

1. To open sealed envelopes, place in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. (Or, invest in an inexpensive letter opener and save yourself an afternoon!)
2. Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. (Leftover wine?)
3. A few drops of vanilla extract on a piece of cotton placed in the refrigerator will eliminate odors. (Sure, but opening the door and finding a furry brown science experiment will kill your appetite for the day.)
4. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least three hours prior to burning. (Yes, but with all the envelopes and cotton balls, is there really room for all those candles?)

So, when reading articles like, “Save Time, Money and Stress with These Ten Life Changing Tips”, take them with a grain of salt. Save the futile tricks for the amateurs and tackle spring cleaning like a pro - attack projects one at a time and complete one task before taking on another. Don’t try to accomplish an entire years worth of clutter in an afternoon – set aside a few hours a day for a few weeks and stick to a schedule to avoid becoming overwhelmed. And most importantly, remember, unlike me, you don’t have to bring your home up to four diamond standards – a little dust under the couch or a streaky window never hurt anyone.