CHATHAM'S CHARM

Whalewalk Inn and Spa is located near Chatham MA, one of Cape Cod's most popular resort areas. Driving time from Eastham to Chatham isonly twenty five minutes and many inn guests enjoy touring the quaint Cape Cod towns seaside resorts.

Chatham Massachusetts is an enchanting village  located at the “elbow” of Cape Cod and is surrounded by water on three sides, Chatham benefits from Mother Nature’s “natural air conditioning” with cool summers, exquisite autumns, and mild winters.  The delightful physical characteristics of Chatham, such as the beaches, marsh and wetlands, and meadows, have long been known to summer visitors.

Located a short 15-minute drive from the Whalewalk Inn is Chatham, one of the older townships on Cape Cod.  Chatham was settled in 1656 by William and Anne Busby Nickerson.  It was incorporated in 1712.  Originally a farming community, its inhabitants found deep sea fishing more lucrative; and today, small boat deep sea fishing, as well as shell fishing continue as important maritime industries.  Covering an area of approximately seventeen square miles, Chatham is a happy combination of past and present offering an exceptional number of unique shops to whet your appetite for that “special” purchase.

ANTIQUES

The Annual Antique show is sponsored by the Chatham Chamber of Commerce and in its 51st year, this show in early August features some of the finest antiques from dealers around the country.

Antiques at Post Office Square
508-945-3733

Chatham Antiques
508-945-1660

 Kahn Fine Antiques
www.kahnfineantiques.com
508-945-6450

ARTS

Chatham Arts Center
This creative art center offers year-round classes, gallery exhibitions and programs.
www.capecodcreativearts.org
508-945-3583

The Guild of Chatham Painters
Twenty local artists exhibit for sale their oil, watercolor and pastel paintings every Thursday and Friday from 9:30 to 5:00 pm starting the end of June through the first of September on the front lawn of the Main Street School just west of the rotary.

BASEBALL

Chatham Athletics
Veterans Field in Chatham is the home park of the Chatham Athletics, one of the 10 teams in the widely known Cape Cod Baseball League.  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.  The Chatham A’s are sponsored by the 600-plus member Chatham Athletic Association, which also supports a wide range of athletic and youth activities in the community.  The Chatham Athletic Association locates housing among local families and identifies jobs within the business community. Summer evenings may be cool so come prepared with folding chairs and blankets.

www.chathaminfo.com  (2006 Schedule)
www.Chathamas.com  Chatham Athletics (A’s)

Baseball Camp
The Chatham A’s, with the support of the Chatham Rotary Club, sponsors a Baseball Clinic at Veterans Field.  It consists of seven (7) one-week periods of weekday sessions from June 20 through August 1; the cost is $60 per week.  Registration dates are Monday mornings, late June through August.   Check www.chathamas.com for specifics.

BEACHES

Town Beaches

Cockle Cove Beach		South Chatham
Forest Beach		South Chatham
Harding’s Beach		West Chatham
Oyster Pond Beach		Chatham
Pleasant Bay (Jacknife)		North Chatham
Pleasant Street Beach		South Chatham
Ridgevale Beach		West Chatham
Schoolhouse Pond		West Chatham
South Beach		Chatham

Check www.chathaminfo.com for sticker and rate information.

BIKING

After many years in the works, the Cape Cod Rail Trail Chatham Spur from Harwich town line to beautiful downtown Chatham is doable.  You can start at Route 134 in Dennis, or Harwich Center.  Starting at Morton Road off Route 28 in South Chatham, the new Spur of the Cape Cod Rail Trail runs for four miles to downtown Chatham.  The only confusion occurs at the airport where you must turn right and bike along George Ryder Road for 2300 yards to a left after the VFW.  For more information try www.capecodtoday.com/print.php?sid=107

Chatham Cycle
www.brewsterbike.com
508-945-8981

Monomoy Sail & Cycle 
800-824-0201

BIRDING

Chatham is a mecca for bird enthusiasts.  In autumn, Cape Cod is a veritable tap for burds of numerous species.  Its temperate climate attracts many birds through the winter when most have winged south.

The summer months see the migration at its height.  Chatham, with Monomoy Island, affords unexcelled opportunity to observe many species, both rare and common.  Nearly every species recorded from New England has been seen at some time in this area.  The Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge is a link in the chain of migratory waterfowl refuges along the Atlantic Flyway.  Access is by short boat trip from Chatham, and local boat charters are available.

BOATING

Both sail and power boat opportunities are available.

Chatham Sailing Voyages
Sail in comfort aboard Autumn Voyager, a luxurious, contemporary 42 foot yacht, which sails from Stage Harbor into Nantucket Sound with Captain Bob Powell and his wife, Judy.  Novice to experience sailors may privately charter or call to join a group of up to 6 people.
508-221-1815

CLAMBAKES AND "CHOWDAH"

Enjoy a Clambake on Cape Cod a tradition of sweet, succulent Lobsters, Clams and Mussels, plus corn, potatoes, onion and sweet sausage.

Clambakes-to-Go
www.clambake-to-go.com
877-792-7771

FISHING

Chatham boasts fishing for everyone.  For the boys and girls there are flounder, and the experts match their skills against the stripped bass, bluefish and tuna. The waters of Cape Cod off Chatham offer some of the best striped bass fishing in the world.  No permit is required for salt water fishing.

Chatham Bait and Tackle
508-945-9779

Coastline Sport Fishing
www.coastlinesportfishing.com
508-945-4971

Dear Abbie
www.emeryfishing.com
508-945-3458

Headhunter Fishing Charters
www.capecodfishingcharters.com
508-430-2312 

Liveliner Sportfishing Charters
www.liveliner.com
508-945-5470

GALLERIES

Bartholomew Gallery of Chatham
www.ChathamArtAndJewelry.com
508-945-3111

Chatham Pottery
www.chathampottery.com
508-430-2191

The Munson Gallery
www.munsongallery.net
508-945-2888

Struna Galleries
www.strunagalleries.com
508-945-5713

GOLF

Seaside Links Golf Course
Chatham Seaside Links is located on Seaview Street.  This town-owned course provides nine holes of challenges in the midst of seaside beauty.  Carts are available. 

Pro Shop, 508-945-4774

HIKING

Trail #1:  Frost Fish Creek Trail – Orleans Road (Route 28), North Chatham.  Heading north toward Orleans take a left onto a dirt road past the old laundry area, just before the creek runs under the road.  Trail proceeds west along the creek and marsh.  At the end of the trail take a left and proceed approximately 45 feet and then take the path up the ridge to return to the parking area via a ridge path.  The ridge is somewhat difficult walking, so you may want to retrace the entry route.  Woods, marsh, field plants, and birds: 45 minutes to 1 hour 16 acres.

Trail #2:  Barclay Ponds Trail – Old Queen Anne Road and Training Field Road.  The entrance to the trail is at the Yield sign, 20 feet south of telephone pole #38 in the intersection.  Park in the field (Crowell’s Pit) north of the entrance.  A quiet, woodsy walk, up and down hill.  Approximately ½ hour; 12 acres.

Trail #3:  Honeysuckle Land, off Stage Harbor Road – At the bottom of the hill, on the left side of the road are two short trails leading to the Old Ice Pond.  Many water birds are generally seen in this area.  The right side of the road near a telephone pole and alongside a narrow stream is a short walk featuring white cedar trees, leading to other trails in and around Cedar Swamp, which is mostly owned by the Town of Chatham.

HISTORIC

Chatham’s Old Grist Mill
Located near Chase Park, off Shattuck Place, this mill was built in 1797 by Col. Benjamin Godfrey to grind corn using only wind power.  A wind speed of at least 20 miles per hour was necessary to do the job, and when the wind topped 25 miles per hour the miller had to either “reef” his sails or cease grinding that day.

The mill was a gift to the town from Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Crocker.  It was moved from its original location on Mill Hill, off Stage Harbor Road, in 1956.  The facility is under the supervision of the Park and Recreation Commission.  The Mill is open Monday through Friday from July 1^st through Labor Day.

Fish Pier
The Chatham Fish Pier, at the corner of Shore Road and Barcliff Avenue on Aunt Lydia’s Cove, is a constant source of interest to visitors.  The members of the fishing fleet make their run each suitable day to the fishing grounds from 3 to 100 miles off Chatham.  Their catch consists of haddock, cod, flounder, lobster, Pollack, dogfish, and halibut.  The one-day fresh fish is placed in ice and transported in refrigerated trucks and local markets, arriving less than 24 hours from the time it is taken from the ocean.  The boats start returning to the pier shortly after noon, depending upon the tide.  Be sure to bring your camera.  Visit the monument at Chatham Fish Pier.  The monument entitled “The Provider” features a strong hand pulling fishing net from the sea with multi fish and shellfish indigenous to Chatham caught in the net.

The Mayo House
Just east of the Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank building is the Mayo House, this is an excellent example of a traditional Cape Cod house, built in 1820.  This antique home serves as headquarters for the Chatham Conservation Foundation.

The Mayo House, beautifully preserved and restored, was donated to the foundation by the Bank.  It is furnished with period furniture and is open from mid-June through September on Tuesday through Thursday.

Stage Harbor, Chatham
This site is as historical as it is pretty.  It was here that the famous French explorer Samuel de Champlain was turned back by the Manamoyicks in 1606, in a battle marking the first skirmish between Native Americans and Europeans.

KAYAKING

Monomoy Sail and Cycle
800-824-0201

LIGHTHOUSES

Chatham Light, Chatham
It was first built in 1808 as two brick towers with a keeper’s house.  Two lights were used to distinguish it from the single light at Truro’s Highland Light.  Erosion claimed the original lighthouses and they were replaced with metal ones in 1877.  One of these two lights was then moved to Nauset in 1923.  Chatham Light has breathtaking panoramas of Chatham Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean.  Here you can view the famous Chatham Break, a division in Nauset Beach created by a fierce winter nor’easter in 1987. Nearby is the U.S. Coast Guard station ready to answer emergency calls involving distressed mariners, fishermen, and summer visitors with problems on the water.  There are 44 steps and a ladder to ascend to the top.  Reservations are not required.  Tours are free and conducted by the Chatham Flotilla 11-01, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. See the local calendar of events for times and dates.   Directions:  Drive east on Main Street, Chatham, to the junction with Shore Road.  Turn right and drive one-half mile.  Lighthouse is opposite overlook parking lot.  For tour information call 508-430-0628.

Stage Harbor Light, Chatham
This lighthouse was erected in 1880.  It was the last lighthouse built on the Cape.  It was closed in 1933 and sold to become a private residence, which it remains today.  It is not open to the public, except on specially scheduled occasions.  Directions:  Inaccessible by road.  Off Route 28 in Chatham, turn right at Barn Hill Road and continue one-half mile to Harding Beach Road.  Turn right and continue to Harding Beach parking lot.  Walk over one mile along beach to Stage Harbor Light

MUSEUMS

Cape Cod Railroad Museum, Chatham
It is housed in a striking 1887 Victorian building with a turret and gingerbread trim.  Listed in the National Register of Historical Places, this building is over 100 years old and on its original site.  It served the town for over fifty years from 1887 to 1937.  In 1951, Mrs. Jacob Cox of Cleveland Ohio and Chatham purchased the structure and land as a gift to the town.  It was restored as a “country depot” and a museum in 1960.   The exhibits, starting with a relic of the first commercial railroad in the U.S. in 1826 include hundreds of factors of historical significance in the railroad field, plus models and objects which never fail to interest the visitors.

The 75-year old caboose of olden days, the gift of the New York Central System, has been fully restored and is open for all to enjoy the sounds of the rails.  Young and old will enjoy the trip through this “Home on Wheels” of the railroad train crews.  The diorama of the Chatham years of about 1915 is a new acquisition – a must see exhibit.  Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, mid-June to mid-September. www.virtualcapecod.com/chatham.asp

Old Atwood House Museum
The Old Atwood House at 347 Stage Harbor Road is owned by and home to the Chatham Historical Society.  This house, one of the oldest in Chatham, was erected in 1752, days when the men who engineered the job were all subjects of His Majesty, King George the II of England.  Allow 2 hours to tour this complex which includes the Durand Wing with its display of Shells, Sandwich Glass, and Parian ware.  In the William Nickerson Wing, changing exhibits portray old Cape Cod life through artifacts, photos, and maritime paintings.  The New Gallery displays local sea captains and other individuals all painted in the 1930s by Frederick Wight, son of Alice Stallknecht Wight.  Her nationally-know murals are housed in the annexed old Chatham Railroad freight shed.  The murals are in three large sections painted between 1932 and 1945 and include portraits of more than 130 townspeople pictured with a “modern Christ.”  The Joseph C. Lincoln Room (famous Cape author) contains all his books, memorabilia and many personal objects of interest.  An interesting Antique Tool Room has been set up in the basement; and now on the premises, with furnishings intact, and saved from storm erosion, is an original North Beach Camp built in 1947.  Open Tuesday though Saturday, mid-June through September.

MUSIC

Band Concerts
Every Friday evening at 8:00 PM from July 1 to September 2 all roads on the Cape lead to the band concert at Whit Tileston Band Stand – Kate Gould Park on Main Street in Chatham.  As many as six thousand people attend these concerts, and it will be one of the highlights of your summer stay.  There will be musical numbers by the band, folk dances for the children, dance numbers for grownups and community singing for everyone.  Volunteer members of the colorfully uniformed forty-piece band live in Chatham and the surrounding towns, contributing to the summer life of Chatham.  Summer evenings may be cool so come prepared with folding chairs and blankets.  If you arrive early, you may park in the area near the Town Offices, only a short block from the park.  Enjoy a wonderful evening and sing along.

Music by the Sea
Tuesday nights Unitarian Universalist Church

Music for a Summer’s Night
Weekly from late June to September at First United Methodist Church. 
www.chathaminfo.com

Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival

August performances at the First Congregational Church at the rotary.
www.chathaminfo.com

PARKS

Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge consists of North and South Monomoy Islands and a portion of Morris Island.

The nearly 3,000 acre uninhabited refuge, home to 285 species of birds, stretches approximately ten miles southward into the waters of Nantucket Sound and the Atlantic Ocean.,  Ninety-four percent of Monomoy’s acreage was designated a Wilderness Area in 1970, and is managed under the guidelines of the Wilderness Act of 1964.  It is the only Wilderness area in southern New England.

Directions:  To reach the headquarters on Morris Island, take Route 6 east to Route 137 south to Route 28.  A left turn takes you through downtown Chatham (about 3 miles).  Turn right at the stop sign to the Chatham Lighthouse and Coast Guard Station.   Take the first left after the lighthouse, then the first right.  Follow Morris Island Road to signs for the refuge on the left.  For further information, call 508-945-0594.

RESTAURANTS

Recognized as home to one of Cape Cod’s most prolific fishing fleets, Chatham is well known for its fresh fish and seafood.  While many restaurants feature the “catch of the day” and other local favorites there is no lack of other fare.

Dining is most establishments is casual; and while shoes and shirts are always required, the need for a jacket and tie are rare.  Most take reservations and honor major credit cards however it is always best to check the establishment itself or the Whalewalk Inn staff will be delighted to assist you in your selection.

Chatham Bars Inn (Jacket required)
www.chathambarsinn.com 
508-945-0096 

The Chatham Squire
www.thesquire.com
508-945-0945

Chatham Wayside
www.waysideinn.com
508-945-5550

Christian’s  
www.christiansrestaurant.com 
508-945-3362

Eldredge Room
www.eldredgeroom.com
800-545-4667

Impudent Oyster 
www.capecoddining.com
508-945-3545

Marley’s
508-945-1700

Pate’s
508-945-9777

Pisces
508-432-4600

The Roo Bar 
http://www.theroobar.com/  
508-945-9988

SHOPPING

Chatham offers an exceptional number of unique and upscale shops to whet your appetite for that “special” purchase.  Whether you are seeking an unusual souvenir, a “T” shirt, fine art for your home or a special anniversary jewel, you are sure to find it at one of the many boutique shops.  Chatham is a destination for browsers and buyers alike.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Christmas by the Sea Festival
Begins Thanksgiving weekend and continues through December.  The most populare event is the Christmas Stroll with special events throughout the evening and entire weekend. 

THEATER

Chatham Drama Guild
Chatham’s year- round community theatre sponsors productions in March, May, July-August, and October.  Visit the website for the latest news on auditions and upcoming productions. 
www.chathamdramaguild.com
508-945-0510

The Monomoy Theatre
It is one of the Cape’s finest theatrical companies and known for their summer productions. This is Summer Theater at its best, featuring the Ohio University Players.  While a training program for graduate and undergraduate students in all aspects of theater, the productions are truly professional.  Enjoy the intimacy of this charming theater in the heart of Chatham.
www.monomoytheatre.org
508-945-1589

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