BREWSTER'S BOUNTY

Brewster abounds with natural and hand made treasures alike.  Brewster is the perfect melding of the past and the present.  It is rich in culture and history.  The town is named after Elder William Brewster, on of the original pilgrims aboard the Mayflower.   In the early 1800s packet ships transported salt and vegetables to Boston and New York and brought tourists to the area.   Brewster is Cape Cod’s Sea Captains’ Town.  Once a historic seafaring town, today it is a town of museums, golf courses, small shops and, of course, the Route 6A trek of antique shopping.  The Cape Cod Rail Trail extends down through Brewster and there you can enjoy the vistas of Nickerson State Park and the kettle ponds along the way.   

ANTIQUES

Brewster has to be the antique capital of Cape Cod.  Drive down 6A from the Inn and visit all the shops on your right.  Stop at the Lemon Tree shopping plaza and check out the kitchen supply and gourmet shop.  Turn back to the Inn and visit the antique shops on the left.  Certainly a full day’s outing.

Two general websites are:
www.antiquing.com/ma.htm
www.antiquing.com/ma.htm#Cape

Places specific to Brewster are:

Countryside Antiques
508-896-1333

Eve’s Place Pearls and Antiques
508-896-4914

Barbara Grant – Antiques and Books
800-896-7198

Kings Way Books and Antiques
508-896-3639

Mark Lawrence Fine Period Antiques
508-896-6381

The Pflock’s
508-896-3457

Pink Cadillac Antiques 
508-896-4651

Ruddy Turnstone Antiques
508-385-9871

Solstice – Home and Garden Antiques
508-896-6214

Stringe Gallery
508-896-5946

The Brewster Shop
508-896-1000

The MEWS at Brewster Antiques
508-896-4887

The Spyglass
508-896-4423

Vinegar Hill Antiques Etc.
508-896-1257

Wisteria Antiques Etc.
508-896-8650

Works of Art Antiques
508-255-0589

ARTS

BASEBALL

Brewster Whitecaps Baseball Club
This league is a NCAA sanctioned summer league, first organized in 1885.  On an invitation-only basis, the top college baseball talent spends the summer playing baseball here on Cape Cod.  Recruiting among the 10 teams is highly competitive and goes on throughout the winter months.  In June 2006 the Whitecaps will play their fist game in Brewster at the new field at Stony Brook School.  The new facility is the result of braod-based contributions of time and talent from hundres of local organizations and individuals. 

Clinics are held weekday mornings, from mid-June to August 1^st.  Call 508-896-3424 for further information, registration, times and place.

BEACHES

Along Cape Cod Bay
The public beaches in Brewster are located on Cape Cod Bay.  Starting from the east end of town they are:

                        Crosby Landing

                        Linnell Landing

                        Ellis Landing

                        Breakwater Beach

                        Saint’s Landing

                        Robbins Hill Beach

                        Paines Creek Beach

 There are no lifeguards at Bay beaches.

Freshwater Ponds
Also in Brewster there are many fresh water ponds.  Those available to the public are Long Pond Beach, which has a lifeguard from July 4^th through Labor Day; and Sheep Pond, which has no lifeguards. 

Brewster Flats
As all along Cape Cod Bay, when the tide goes out the beaches become “The Flats.”  The daily tide’s ebb and flow is nothing short of dramatic.  Swim at high tied; explore at low tide.  Re receding waters offer a wonderful view of sandbars, clam beds and tidal pools teeming with sea life.

Stickers are required from 9:00 am-3:00pm daily June through Labor Day weekend.  Check at the Visitor Information Center on Main Street (6A).  Call 508-896-44511.

Stickers are needed for all town bayside and fresh water public landings and beaches.  No fees for walkers and bike riders.  Nickerson State Park fresh water ponds do not require a sticker.  No dogs or fires are allowed on the beaches.

BIKING

Cape Cod Rail Trail
Walk, run, bike or rollerblade along 25 miles of scenic paved path where train tracks once carried passengers and supplies to local Cape Cod destinations.  Pick up the trail minutes from the Inn and take a ride south to Brewster.  Enjoy an additional 8 miles of trails at Nickerson State Park.  Wonderful trail maps are available on line at www.capecodbikeguide.com

Brewster Bike
508-896-8149

Rail Trail Bike & Kayak
508-896-8200

BIRDING

BOATING

Cape Sail
508-896-2730

Captain Cook Charter Boats out of Rock Harbor
508-896-8787

Fishtale Sport Fishing
508-432-3783

Time Flies
800-281-8700

CLAM BAKES AND "CHOWDAH"

On-Site Catering from Norma Jean
508-896-4267

Breakwater Fish and Lobster Co. 
508-896-7080

Bayside Seafood and Market
508-896-5367

FISHING

Bay fishing in Brewster waters includes striped bass, bluefish, tautog and flounder, and in the winter, cod.  Charter fishing boats are available in Sesuit Harbor East Dennis, Rock Harbor in Orleans and Saquatucker Harbor in Harwichport.  No salt license is required.   The fresh water ponds also have a diversity of fish and a license is required.

If you enjoy shell fishing complete regulations are available on line at www.town.brewster.ma.us  Permits are for one year for residents and non-residents may purchase a seasonal or weekly permit.

GALLERIES

Parsons Art Gallery
508-896-9014

Stringe Gallery
508-896-5946 

GOLF

The Captains Golf Course
This is a public course requires reservations.  It is praised by many golf publications and proudly offers two complete pro-caliber courses with 36 gorgeous fairways and some of the sweetest greens around.  Call 877-843-9081 or 508-896-5100

Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club
This is an 18 hole PGA rated course.  For reservations for golf call 508-896-1885 or 800-343-6074.

HIKING

Nickerson State Park
Nickerson State Park is an ideal place for hiking, biking, swimming, or boating.  Encompassing more than 1,955 acres and eight freshwater ponds, the park has nature trails, 8 miles of paved paths, picnic site, three stocked year-round ponds, and boat launches for motorboats, sailboats, canoes and rentals.  General Information call 508-896-3491.

HISTORIC

Higgins Farm Windmill and the Harris Black House
Located on the grounds of Drummer boy Park, these wonderful restorations of 18^th century Brewster buildings were saved from demolition and are open for public enjoyment.  The Windmill is a fascinating opportunity to see how early settlers were able to harness this energy to process their farm corn into meal.   The Harris Black House is one of the last surviving small post and beam houses built by early settlers.  The house is a single room with sleeping loft, having housed 13 members of Nathan Black’s family.

Crosby Mansion
This mansion overlooking Cape Cod Bay features a fanciful collection of turrets, towers, and columns.  Mr. Crosby built his home around his grandparents’ original Cape Cod homestead, and a small door inside connects the two worlds.  There are 4 open houses during the summer.  Call 508-896-1744 for details.

MUSEUMS

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
It contains numerous hands-on exhibits, including a working beehive, a sea-life room with live specimens and 80 acres of self-guided nature trails.  The John Wing Trail meanders through salt marshes, ending with a fabulous view of Cape Cod Bay.  The museum also offers guided tours to Monomoy Island including overnight stays at the restored lighthouse on South Monomoy.    The Museum has many interesting daily, weekly and monthly events for the whole family.  Check their website or call.  www.ccmnh.org 508-896-3867

The Brewster Historical Society Museum
It is adjacent to the 25-acre Spruce Hill Conservation Area.  The museum is housed in an 1830s sea captain’s home, and contains numerous artifacts, including antique clothing and toys and a complete 1884 barbershop.  www.museumsusa.org/museums/info/1160893 or www.frommers.com/destinations/brewster/A28530.html   508-896-9521

New England Fire & History Museum
This museum features one of the world’s largest collections of fire-fighting equipment and memorabilia.  See the award winning animated diorama of “The Great Chicago Fire of 1871.”  There is also an old blacksmith shop, an antique apothecary shop and the only 1929 Mercedes-Benz fire engine in the world.  508-896-5711

Stony Brook Grist Mill & Museum – Herring Run
This picturesque mill beside a sparkling stream has footpaths on both sides of the road.  They meander along the edge of Stony Brook.  Informative signs provide details about the area’s rich history.  Built on the sight of an old woolen mill, the water flowing over the water wheel creates power to grind corn between giant millstones.   Bought by the town in 1940, the mill is once again grinding corn.  Be sure to take home some corn meal to make your own fresh corn muffins!  Open late June through August.

A harbinger of spring is the news that “The herring are running!”  From mid-April through early May hordes of herring migrate up Stony Brook from the salt water of Cape Cod Bay to spawn in the pond waters.  The Herring Run’s paths are a great place to observe this awe-inspiring journey up the fish ladders.   Have lunch at the picnic table provided.

MUSIC

Brewster Band
Sunday evenings enjoy The Brewster Band at Drummer Boy Park.  Be sure to bring your own blanket and enjoy a dinner while the band plays on.

The Woodshed
With wooden rafters and worn wooden floors, this place jumps with locals and acoustic rock from late May to late November.

PARKS

Drummer Boy Park
Main Street in Brewster is the home of Brewster’s Bandstand.  The view is spectacular across Quivet Creek to Cape Cod Bay.  Sunday evenings enjoy The Brewster Band.  Be sure to bring your own blanket and enjoy a picnic dinner while the band plays on.

Nickerson State Park
Nickerson State Park is an ideal place for hiking, biking, swimming, or boating.  Encompassing more than 1,955 acres and eight freshwater ponds, the park has nature trails, 8 miles of paved paths, picnic site, three stocked year-round ponds, and boat launches for motorboats, sailboats, canoes and rentals.  General Information call 508-896-3491.

Punkhorn Parklands
The park consists of over 800 acres of conservation land with wooded trails that pass by lakes, ponds, and marshes.  There are miles of great trails, so bring your hiking boots.  Maps are sold at Town Hall.  Some of the trails can be printed from your computer at www.town.brewster.ma.us .

RESTAURANTS

Chillingsworth 
www.chillingsworth.com 
508-896-3640

Brewster Fish House 
http://dine.com/restaurants/rid/99727/index.html 
508-896-7867

Bramble Inn and Restaurant 
www.brambleinn.com 
508-896-7644

Spark Fish 
www.capecoddining.com
508-896-1067

Square One Bistro
508-896-7775

SHOPPING

The Brewster General Store
Built in 1852 at a church, this quintessential Cape Cod store sells groceries and general merchandise sine 1866.  Locals and visitors alike sit on the front porch old church pews, sip coffee, eat penny candy and ice cream and just watch the world go by.

Other boutique and shops available are:

The Strawberry Patch Gift Shop 
508-896-5050

Reed N Glass Shop 
508-385-3704

By-the-Bay Designs  
508-896-1800

The Brewster Book Store
508-896-6543

Brewster Bird House
508-896-1572

Lemon Tree Village 
508-896-9337

THEATER

Cape Repertory Theatre, Brewster
It is beautiful outdoor theatre nestled in the woods.  It pursues an exciting and thought-provoking mix of contemporary and classic plays and musicals.  The company performs in two theaters in the woods – Indoor Theater runs May through November and Outdoor Theater operates in the summer.
North side of Route 6A
508-896-1888
www.caperep.com

WHALE AND SEAL WATCHING

One of the most awe inspiring sights is a short drive away in Provincetown. Here the the Humpback, the Right Whale, the Minke, Finback, and Pilot whales, as well as Dolphins, Porpoises, and Seals make their home off the Stellwagen Banks. Take a whale watching tour and enjoy the antics of the whales while learning of their habitat from the instructors on board. Taking pictures? Just point and click for some of the best shots of this monstrous mammal. If they get close enough to the boat, you can even get a whiff of the fish on its breath.

Right Whales are a species on the brink -- the most critically endangered great whale in the Atlantic Ocean.  They slowly feed on copepods (small crustaceans) that they filter out of the water with their long baleen.  And they can be found in the sanctuary throughout the year – although most often during the springtime, when blooms of copepods are the most dense.  Today, some 300-350 animals survive in the North Atlantic population, which once might have numbered in the thousands before whaling decimated their ranks.  But even today, with national and international regulations banning the taking of these whales, their survival is still in doubt.  With a migration route that takes them across major shipping lanes along the entire east coast and through areas with heavy concentrations of fishing gear, right whales continue to be hit by ships and entangled in fishing gear.

Local seal populations are plentiful consisting of both Grey Seals and Harbor Seals.  Grey seals range from Eastern Canada south to New England, while Harbor Seals extend their range from North Carolina to the Arctic Circle. 

Harbor seals have large eyes and, unlike the sea lions that are often in zoos and aquariums, they have no external ear parts and do not use their hind flippers to move around on land.  Typically, a harbor seal’s fur is dark gray on its back and lighter on its belly, mottled with irregular dark brown or black spots and a whiter network of small rings or loops.  When dry, the fur takes on a silvery color.  Adults are fully gown at 10 years of age, my reach 5 6o 6 feet in length, and can weigh up to 250 pounds. 

Grey seal coloration varies from blackish with white specks and splotches to whitish with black markings.  Generally, males are darker and females lighter.  Pups are born white with a yellowish tint.  Male grey seals have wrinkled necks, thicker necks and shoulders, and longer, broader, more rounded snouts than females.  Male grey seals are much larger than females, weighing 375 to 880 pounds and growing to almost ten fee long.  Females weigh between 220 and 572 pounds and reach lengths of up to seven abnd a galf feet.  The size difference between individuals can be even more striking than these averages:  Some males weight three times as much as some females.  Here at Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, we get anywhere from 5,00 to 6,000 grey seals each summer; creating the largest haul-out site along the United States eastern seaboard.  Haul out sites are areas where pinnipeds bask in the sun while on land, and to rest up with their pups that were born in early January.

Monomoy Island Ferry Seal Cruises
Captain Keith Lincoln
508-945-5450

Chatham Seal and Nature Tours
David and Gay Murdoch
www.chathamwatertours.com
508-432-5895

Monomoy Island Excursions
www.NantucketIslandFerry.com
508-430-7772

Outermost Adventures
www.outermostharbor.com
508-945-5858

Beachcomber
www.sealwatch.com
508-945-5265 

Dolphin Fleet Whalewatch
www.whalewatch.com
800-826-9300

Portuguese Princess Whale Watch
www.princesswhalewatch.com
800-442-3188

Hyannis Whale Watcher Cruises
www.whales.net
888-942-5392