The Arts, Antiques and Museums

Day One: One of the “ten most scenic roads in America” is Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway. The route starts at the Orleans rotary and weaves along the North Shore of the Cape all the way to the Sagamore Bridge in Sandwich. You may want to do this trip in two days as there are so many places to see along the way. Without stopping this trip would take 1 hour and 15 minutes. However, stopping is the fun part.

Starting at the rotary, take routes 6A – 28 off the rotary and stay right on 6A when they divide. Stay straight through 3 stoplights and you will cross into Brewster. Two galleries worth seeing are the Struna Gallery, specializing in watercolors, acrylics and engravings and the Ruddeforth Gallery featuring oils, watercolors and photographs, both on the right hand side. On the left are Lilly’s Emporium and the Strawberry Patch Gift Shop. Lilly’s is a consignment shop of antiques and the Strawberry Patch is more of a gift shop and has wonderful gifts for the “little ones.” There are other galleries along the way. Keep your eyes open for the signs. Maybe you will be able to come back and give us your favorite one to add to the list.

If you are feeling hungry, stop at the Brewster Fish House for a light lunch. Try the lobster bisque, a mixed greens salad or their tempura fried oysters — delicious.

Before you know it, you will be at the Brewster General Store on your right. It is really worth a stop and will take you back in time to the days of penny and dot candy, and of course, a candy necklace. They also have “old time” mixing bowls, bottles and books – a fun place to visit. After shopping turn right out of the General Store onto 6A.

On your right is the New England Fire Museum, small and unique. Breton House is on your left and a must see. Following down to the blinking yellow light is Stoney Brook Road, turn left to the Brewster Grist Mill – very pretty. Retrace to 6A and turn left to the Maddocks Gallery on your right, specializing in original paintings and prints of Cape Cod and the Islands.

Further down on your right, you will see a group of buildings. The Lemon Tree Shops house the Cook Shop with gourmet sauces, rice, syrups and all the pots and what-knots to cook with and in. Other shops have glass pieces, women’s clothing, and outdoor statuary.

Continuing west you will see the Museum of Natural History. Learn about lighthouses on the Cape and why some were moved. Become acquainted with the animals and plants that are indigenous to the area. Also, learn about the birds that are not only inland, but inhabit the beaches.

Heading back to the Inn, if you did not stop at the Brewster Fish House for lunch, they open for dinner at 5:00PM. You may want to stop. They do not take reservations and seating is very limited. The striped bass is delicious, as are all their dinner choices.

Take advantage of the evening, after your early dinner, and head to the Orleans Playhouse for a delightful evening at the theatre.

Day Two: After a gourmet breakfast, head back to the Orleans rotary. Take the 6A-28 exit, and bear left onto 28. After the light at Main Street, about 2 miles down the road is an antique shop on your right. (Find out name of shop) There you will find great pieces of Americana. Further down the road is the Whale’s Eye, with painted country furniture.

Then head into Chatham for a pleasant time touring the town’s shops. Chatham is the quintessential New England town. There you will find everything from candy shops, art galleries, sea memorabilia, and even Lilli Pulitzer fashions. The Munson Gallery is committed to excellence in contemporary art since 1860. The Chatham Art Gallery has everything – watercolors, oils, and limited edition prints. The Chatham Glass Company is the studio and showroom of award-winning contemporary art glass by Jim Holmes. Chatham Pottery has beautifully crafted pieces depicting the Cape and Island’s most precious scenes, wildlife and delicacies, especially their Hydrangea collection. Again you may want an early dinner at Pisces, The Cape Sea Grille, Impudent Oyster, Allouitte, or Vining’s Bistro. All are great choices.

For the evening’s entertainment, head to Dennis to the Dennis Playhouse, where many great actors got their start in show business, and where other artists have given back to their community.

Day Three: Today you can head back to the Orlean’s Rotary and head north to Provincetown. Keep your eye out for the sign for Fort Hill Area. There you can see the Penniman House. Where else can you find a whalebone arch, but on Cape Cod. Continue on Route 6 and at the sign for the National Seashore, turn right at the light. On your left is the Eastham Schoolhouse Museum. Step back in time and see how children on the Cape learned their 3 Rs. Stop in to the visitor’s center and learn about the many lighthouses that dot the Cape, the importance of Marconi and his station, and how the Cape has physically changed over the years.

Continuing North, your next stop is the town of Wellfleet. This old fishing village has become a Mecca for the arts – many old fishing homes are now exclusive galleries. On Main Street is the Kendall Art Gallery, Brophy’s Fine Art, featuring Cape Cod artists, and Left Bank Gallery, Small Works and Jewelry. Also, be sure to visit the Wellfleet Historical society and Museum on Main Street. After Main Street go to Bank Street. There you will find The Blue Heron Gallery, which has a diverse collection of contemporary fine art. Find the list of featured artists in The Official Guide got 2005 Cape Cod Arts Including Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Continuing down Bank Street, it will end at Commercial. Follow it to the Bookstore Restaurant. Actually, behind the restaurant there is a bookstore with rare finds, sheet music, antique posters and some used books for casual reading. At the restaurant, you will experience the best in clam chowder and their renowned Wellfleet oysters. Their claim to fame is that they have never touched ice – can’t get them any fresher.

If you were doing the Wellfleet trip on Saturday evening, the galleries remain open for a lovely late night stroll – some even have wine and hors d’oeuvres.

In the evening you can enjoy a production put on at theWHAT Theatre.

Day Four: Go back to the Orleans rotary and again head north to Provincetown. Head straight up to Provincetown. It will take about 40 minutes. If you go to the center of town, off Commercial, there is a large parking lot at the wharf. Park you car and head back to Commercial. Turn left to start you loop around Provincetown. P-Town, shortened by the locals, is a diverse arts, music and crafts town. There are many festivals, museums and galleries with an eclectic mix of clothing stores, furniture shops and gift shops. In June the town hosts the Provincetown International Film Festival and the Portuguese Festival. July brings Secret Garden Tour, and August you can experience Carnival Week and Parade.

However, if you are not there during their festival times, there is still plenty to do in this quaint fishing village. Visit the Julie Heller Gallery and see the works of featured artists. The Simie Maryles Gallery offers paintings, scfulpture, glass and Giclee prints. There is an Artisan Cooperative with the shopper in mind. There you will find scarves, clothing, collage, wall and folk art, metal sculpture, pottery, baskets quilts and many new surprises. They are located at Whales Wharf and open year round.

You will see, looming in the distance, the Pilgrim’s Monument. With a series of stairs and ramps, you can climb to the top and on a clear day see as far as Boston. You can see the hook at the end of the Cape and get a sense of why the area was such a wonderful choice for a harbor and fishing village. Also, down stairs there is a great fishing and whaling museum. Visit the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, and if you are there on Sunday, experience Great Music on Sundays at 5:00. Check their website for details at www.ptownmusic.com.

If you would like a respite from you shopping, be sure to see nature at its best on a whale watching tour. They last about 4 hours and are well worth the trip. See the Minke Whales, the Right Whale, and the most spectacular Humpback Whales. They will dive for you, breach and get very brave and swim under the boat. Hold onto your hat as the boat hits the swells from their dives. If one gets close enough, you can even smell the fish on its breath. Too awesome! Reservations can be made in the morning. During the summer, you may want to plan a day in advance.

Getting hungry? For lunch try Bubulas, Twomey’s – right on the water—Fat Jack’s Café or Napi’s. If you are looking for a dinner destination, The Red Inn can’t be beat. Chester’s and Cafe Edwige are also excellent. Looking for the ultimate lobster, give the Dancing Lobster a try.

Looking for a different type of hands on experience in the arts, contact the Truro Center for the Arts, Castle Hill at www.castlehill.org for schedules and classes. Make your trip a truly artful experience. If you enjoy doing watercolors, but need some help with your technique, call Kelly Knowles in Orleans for a schedule of her classes.

Day Five: An art gallery trip in Orleans is a close to home, but nevertheless, delightful experience.