Activities at The Midway
The place to start is right here at the Midway. Our spacious common room is a great place to unwind. There are games for the kids, a TV, books, a couch, table and chairs, plus free coffee and a newspaper to read every morning! With three large screen doors and several windows, there are always refreshing sea breezes wafting through our common room. Outdoor activities at the Midway include shuffleboard, badminton, and horseshoes.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail
Many people call it "the bike path" although, once you see it, you will realize that is a bit of an understatement. The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a 10-foot wide paved surface that runs a total of 25 miles from Dennis to Wellfleet! And, since it occupies the former railroad bed (hence the name Rail Trail), the grades are gentle and the turns are broad. This wonderful recreation resource runs right along the back edge of our property, so instead of loading the bikes on the car and driving to one of the parking areas, just step out of your room, grab your bike, and go!
Beaches
What else is The Cape if not beaches? Eastham has beautiful beaches at the Atlantic Ocean to the East, at Cape Cod bay to the West, and at two freshwater ponds in between! All are just a short drive from The Midway. The expansive Atlantic beaches generally have larger waves, and the scenery is breathtaking. There are also bathrooms, showers, and changing facilities. The calmer waters of the Cape Cod Bay beaches are wonderful for small children. The water is warm, shallow, and clean, and the kids just love exploring and playing in the shallow tidal pools that remain for hours when the tide goes out. And let's not forget about our excellent freshwater beaches! Eastham has two beautiful, clean, freshwater ponds with three different sandy beaches to choose from. Wiley Park, at Great Pond, also has playground equipment for added fun. Parking for the all Eastham beaches is by daily fee, or you can buy a pass for the week or the season.
Family Fun
Being a vacation destination, Cape Cod has ample attractions for the whole family to enjoy together. Just two minutes away is the Wellfleet Cinema with eight theaters featuring all the very latest releases. Right next door to the Cinema is the Wellfleet Drive-in theater, one of the few remaining in the country. And on Sundays, the Drive-In's parking lot becomes a huge flea market! Everyone enjoys miniature golf, and there are two courses less than 5 minutes away; one of them is just a short walk down the bike path! Twenty five minutes away, in Provincetown, you can board a Whale Watch cruise boat to see these beautiful awe-inspiring creatures up close and personal. Also in Provincetown you can take a sightseeing plane ride around the entire tip of The Cape, or embark on a "dune tour", a narrated and fascinating ride through Cape Cod's vast sand dunes. The Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, just minute away, features scenic walking trails where you can observe many kinds of wildlife that inhabit The Cape.
Shopping
If you like to shop, you've come to the right place. Cape Cod has an abundant variety of shopping adventures available. There are many gift shops nearby featuring items ranging from kitschy Cape Cod souvenirs and brightly-colored sunglasses for the kids, to beautiful hand-wrought creations by Cape Cod crafts persons. The famous Christmas Tree Shops have a location in Orleans, just 10 minutes to the South, for bargain hunting galore. Just 10 minutes to the North is the town of Wellfleet, known by many as the "art gallery town" featuring works of local and internationally known artists. Twenty five minutes to the North is Provincetown with its quirky Commercial Street and almost unfathomable shopping opportunities. Be sure to leave room in the trunk when you leave home; it will surely be filled when you return. And if you like fishing, Cape Cod offers an abundance of opportunity; there are freshwater ponds, the tranquil bay, surfcasting along the Cape's "backside", and sportfishing from one of the many charter boats in the area.
Local Flavor
Cape Cod is rich in history, and there are many places to visit nearby to help remind us of this seafaring community's past and its people. A good place to start is the National Seashore Visitor's Center just four minutes away. Here you can watch short films about various aspects of The Cape's history, tour the museum featuring items from the past and from nature. There are also walking trails, a bike path to the beach, a bookstore, and helpful park rangers to answer your questions. The Province Lands visitor's center in Provincetown has similar exhibits, but it also features a second-level observation deck with breathtaking panoramic views of the entire tip of The Cape, from the Atlantic to the East to Cape Cod bay to the West. It shouldn't be missed. Just a few minutes away is the Marconi Area, featuring exhibits detailing the first American transatlantic wireless communication from right here on the dunes of The Cape. This location also has panoramic views of The Cape from the ocean to the bay. Some nearby museums include one run by the Eastham Historical Society housed in an antique one-room Greek Revival schoolhouse across from the Visitor's Center, and the Highland House museum located near Highland Lighthouse in Truro twenty minutes to the north. And speaking of lighthouses, be sure to visit the recently relocated Nauset Light, just three minutes away, and its predecessors, the "Three Sisters" of Nauset.
Sunrise / Sunset
Here on the outer Cape is the only area in this part of the country where you can watch the sun rise and set* over the water. Being on the beach early in the morning, facing the North Atlantic, and watching the sky brighten and the sun ease its way up and over the horizon is an experience that will stay with you long after your vacation ends. Then, late in the day, go to any of the beaches on Cape Cod bay and watch the magnificent show as the sun drops lower and lower in the sky and then sinks behind the horizon. As the sun sets, the panorama of sky and clouds change colors continuously in breathtaking shades of almost every color imaginable, and it is not uncommon to hear applause when it's over. Reveling in the magnificence of nature at its best at these beaches at sunset is popular among locals and vacationers alike.