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 The town of Barnstable—the Cape’s largest—comprises 60 square miles and seven villages (and a few hamlets): Barnstable (and Cummaquid), Centerville (and Craigville), Cotuit (and Santuit), Hyannis (and Hyannisport and West Hyannisport), Marstons Mills, Osterville (and Wianno) and West Barnstable. The founding of Barnstable is credited to Reverend John Lothrop, a persecuted English minister who had been imprisoned before sailing to Scituate and, five years later, migrating to Cape Cod with two dozen followers seeking a Puritan utopia. Barnstable was settled by farmers, drawn by its plentiful salt marsh hay, and farmers raised livestock, corn, rye, onions and flax. By the early 19th century, fishing, shipping and trading sustained the economy and, of 4,000 residents, 800 were shipmasters, (104 in Centerville alone). Barnstable is Cape Cod’s flagship town, and there exists a temptation to speak of it as the “capitol” of this peninsula. The town cuts a swatch from Cape Cod Bay to Nantucket Sound and each of its pleasing towns has its own persona. Native American names are ubiquitous throughout Barnstable, evidence of their early presence, as were extensive ‘shell middens’ (refuse heaps) discovered in and around Hyannis Harbor. Perhaps the best example is Hyannis’ name—a derivative of Iyanough (or Iyanno), the kindly Native American sachem who aided early settlers. His namesake village erected a bronze statue to his memory on the green. Hyannis is, by far, the most renowned (and most visited) of all Cape towns and the Cape’s tourism, commercial, transportation and shopping center. Along Routes 132 and 28, shoppers of any persuasion will find a surfeit of options—clothing, antiques, furniture, electronics, off-price stores, domestics to name a few of the hundreds of options. In 1970, the Cape Cod Mall and has recently undergone a major renovation (christened “mall-terations” ). The Mall, largest shopping center on the Cape, houses many well-known large stores and the full parking lot is a testament to its popularity. Many believed, when the Mall opened, that this would be the death knell to Main Street, Hyannis, turning this popular thoroughfare into a Cape of version of urban blight. Far from it, the visionary merchants and town planners have turned Main Street into an interesting and worthwhile destination in its own right, with a plethora of shopping, dining and socializing options all within a few steps of the beautiful Hyannis Harbor, its ubiquitous water craft and, of course, the island ferries. Hyannis is an amalgam. From its off-beat Main Street with its attendant local color, its inspiring JFK Memorial or windsurfing Mecca, Kalmus Beach, to its lively waterfront on Lewis Bay from which hordes of island visitors depart and return, it is the unofficial “heart” of the Cape. All visitors, it seems, are wont to pay homage here. Main Street, just one block from the waterfront, is thronged with myriad boutiques, restaurants, off-price venues, antiques shops and restaurants is as urban as the Cape gets. Meander slightly from Main Street’s heart of and find an enduring harbor on Lewis Bay. From here, ferries and catamarans sail to the popular island playgrounds, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Travelers may also access the islands by air from Hyannis’ airport. Visitors will invariably find themselves reading menus in Hyannis eatery windows; while there are fine dining choices Cape-wide, Hyannis seems to have the edge when it comes to diversity. Ethnic options include Italian, Brazilian, Thai and French; there’s plenty of fresh seafood—taken literally from boats in the harbor to your table—plus homemade ice creams, fudges and coffee bars offering gelato and cannoli. Many visitors, drawn by the Kennedy mystique or seeking to pay homage to a global icon are drawn to the tiny enclave of Hyannisport. Nearby the John F. Kennedy Memorial on Hyannis’ Ocean Street offers splendid vistas of the bay so loved by JFK. Kennedy buffs can also reminisce at an unassuming building on Main Street which houses the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum on Main Street. Though diminutive, the Museum features a stirring audiovisual exhibit. Heading south and west is Hyannisport or Hyannis Port (no matter how you spell it, this is Kennedy Country). Landlubbers cannot see the Kennedy compound from their dry vantage point, but those bent upon espying the simple white clapboarded, sequestered Colonials on Irving Street should instead plan to take one of the Hyannis Harbor Cruises offered by Hy-Line Cruises. From this vantage point, the narrated tour evokes the nostalgic Kennedy Era. On a lighter note, Cape Cod Melody Tent’s schedule includes big name entertainers ‘in the round’ where every seat is a great one. Hyannis eclipses somewhat the remainder of Barnstable’s villages—staid Centerville, affluent Osterville and Cotuit, bucolic Marstons Mills and historic Barnstable Village. West of Hyannis, this clutch of affluent seaside communities snuggles up to the shore. Cotuit—once considered ‘Oyster Capital of the World’—is a bucolic respite from Route 28 and was once so popular among academics that it earned the appellation “Little Harvard.” Osterville, nee Oysterville, was purchased from Native Americans for two cooper kettles and some fencing—a cheap price for what has evolved into Cape Cod’s most prestigious address. Many of the Fortune 500 company CEOs and some du Ponts, Cabots and Mellons summer at Wianno or Oyster Harbors—Osterville addresses even more affluent than Osterville itself. Along its white clapboarded Main Street, one observes Jaguars, Mercedes, Volvos, BMWs, Alfa Romeos, Saabs, stretch limos and a parade of obviously affluent residents with their black labs in tow. Centerville, a venue for Christian Camp Meeting Association meetings since the late 19th century, is a sleepy seaside community whose claim to fame is Craigville Beach. This Nantucket Sound beach, with warm waters and soft sands, is alternatively known as “muscle beach,” a nod to its reputation as a place for preening male bathers to impress, then meet, eligible young ladies. Just down the road from Craigville Beach is Four Seas Ice Cream—adjudged exemplar of ice cream by its 3,000 daily summer fans. Of the town’s seven sibling villages, prim West Barnstable—replete with its pristine antique homes, bed & breakfasts, chic eateries, galleries, antique shops, beautiful bay beaches and whale watch boats—sits astride Route 6A, the Old King’s Highway, named one of ‘America’s Ten Most Scenic Byways.’ Its stately courthouse presides over the picturesque village, where the former Custom House’s reincarnation as a museum exhibits artifacts from the town’s maritime past. Whale watches depart from the scenic harbor and offer sensational sightseeing voyages of the Cape’s bayside coast en route. West Barnstable is famous for one of Cape Cod’s most dramatic and beautiful barrier beaches—eight-mile long Sandy Neck Beach on Cape Cod Bay. The Beach and its dunes protects the 8,000-acre Great Marsh, a great place to canoe at high tide and there espy the beautiful Blue Heron which feed on the Marsh’s indigenous life. These microcosmic enclaves define the quintessential essence of Cape Cod life, their shady byways, beach roses, stalwart scrub pines and weathered shingles taken almost for granted by those who see them daily. The wayward visitor, having taken a wrong turn or simply being adventurous, may happen upon one of these villages. A strange face in town marveling at a handsome main street or an ocean vista may remind residents of the subtle, sometimes forgotten beauty of the place they call home. Cape Cod Central Railroad, 252 Main Street, Hyannis. This two-hour train trip will thrill visitors with views of some of Cape Cod’s most hidden and scenic areas. Also offered are dinner trains and family supper trains. Memorial Day Weekend thru October plus Christmas season excursions and also runs Mondays of holiday weekend. Cahoon Museum of American Art, 4676 Falmouth Road (Route 28), Cotuit. This exceptional museum housed in a 1775 Colonial farmhouse features marine paintings and works by American impressionists and contemporary primitive artists Martha and Ralph Cahoon. Museum shop. Open year round. Cape Cod Melody Tent, West Main Street and West End Rotary, Hyannis. Yes it’s really a tent. This is real ‘theater-in-the-round’ (actually oval-shaped) where, since 1950, summer visitors could practically reach out and touch (only 20 rows deep) a diverse roster of big name stars, comedians and performing bands. Seasonal. Cape Cod Potato Chips, Breeds Hills Road, Hyannis. In 1980, Cape Codder Steve Bernard invented a “kettle cooker” to give his thicker-than-usual potato chips better flavor and consistency. Visitors can watch the entire process through glass and afterwards taste for themsleves. Open year round. Donald Trayser Museum, Route 6A, Barnstable. A US Custom House from 1856, this impressive structure houses a collection of New England artifacts. The grounds include a wooden building reputed to be the oldest jail in the nation. Displays include ship models, farm and nautical equipment, Native American artifacts, Oriental objects from the China trade and building implements. Open Tuesday-Sunday afternoons, mid-June to Columbus Day. Kennedy Memorial, Ocean Street, Hyannis. With a Lewis Bay vista, this small esplanade pays homage to the president of ‘Camelot.’ JFK once said: “I believe that it is important that this country sail and not lie still in the harbor.” His words were not lost on Hyannis’ citizenry, who installed the Memorial in 1966, mindful of these very words. This venue, replete with brass plaque and small garden, provides an idyllic spot for reflection. Open year round. John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, 397 Main Street, Hyannis. The Old Town Hall in Hyannis has became a mini-Camelot with the opening of this Museum in 1992. A video narrated by Walter Cronkite and a collection of more than 100 heartwarming photographs spanning the period from 1934-1963 capture the human side—and the mystique—of the Kennedy family. Open year round. West Parish Meetinghouse, Route 149, Barnstable. This landmark structure was built 1717, its members being the oldest Congregational parish in America. The Congregation traces its origins back to London’s First Congregational Church. In 1634, founder John Lothrop led a band of 22 followers to Scituate in Massachusetts Bay Colony, from whence they then sailed on to Mattakeese (Native American for “plowed fields”). They named the area Barnstable, erecting their Meetinghouse in 1634. After the original structure was built, a bell tower with its gilded rooster weather vane from England was appended. In 1806, Patriot Paul Revere was commissioned to cast the half-ton bell. This oldest public building on Cape Cod is also one of two surviving “First Period” meetinghouses in New England. |
