4. Stroll the heaven-scented fields and wooded trails of the Cape Cod Lavender Farm in Harwich to discover a fairy garden—and the irresistible urge to peek in the tiny windows of the miniature stone tower.
5. Standing beneath the Chinese mulberry or among the sunlit rows at Truro Vineyards, you will agree such beauty calls for a toast. Complimentary tours of the winery and distillery are offered at 11 am Monday-Friday in season.
6. Salute life before cell phones on a free, guided tour of the 1891 French Cable Station Museum in Orleans.
11. See what’s brewing during the short daily tour at Cape Cod Beer in Hyannis; there are games to keep the kids busy if you decide to stay for a tasting.
12. When you fall in love with the patients at National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay, ask how you can adopt one of the rescued sea turtles, harbor seals or pups.
13. Step back in time on a walking tour of sea captain and patriot homes from the 1600’s. Download a mapPDF FileDownload PDF and take your own self-guided tour of the Barnstable Village Cultural District at your leisure!
14. The next time the kids are bored or your spirits are low, report immediately to Taylor-Bray Farm in Yarmouth Port and be cured, whether by baby lambs at the June sheep festival, fall hearth-cooking and hayrides, or the beauty of a snow-dusted farmhouse.
15. Breeze along the 26 miles of the Cape Cod Rail Trail stretching from South Yarmouth to Wellfleet, and marvel that quiet stretches of solitude are somehow never too far from the eateries, shops and beaches of the towns along the way.
20. If you’re in Hyannis, you’re already following in the footsteps of American royalty. Go the full distance on the 1.6-mile Kennedy Legacy Trail, starting at the JFK Hyannis Museum.
21. There are 140 species at the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, from bearded sea ravens to rescued harbor seals. Talk with the staff as they feed the animals in the open work area, or reach into the touch tank for a live encounter.
22. Wander the trails at the Green Briar Nature Center in East Sandwich, founded in honor of author and Sandwich native Thornton Burgess, to inspire your childhood love of nature. Also inspiring: The scent of fresh preserves cooking in the nearby jam kitchen.
23. Catch air at one of the free local skateparks in Chatham, Falmouth, Harwich, Barnstable, Orleans, Provincetown and Wellfleet. The Oak Crest Cove Skate Park in Sandwich is the newest place where you can grind, carve and tweak your tricks.
24. You will recognize the iconic red-and-white Nauset Lighthouse from your bag of Cape Cod Potato Chips. Late fall weekends are a beautiful time to take a free tour.
25. There’s free, and then there’s priceless: the 43,500 acres of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Start at the year-round Salt Pond Visitor Center in Eastham to plan your course. Favorite spots include the otherworldly White Cedar Swamp in Wellfleet and the sweeping vistas of Fort Hill in Eastham (check for tours of the Captain Penniman House). Whichever trail you follow, you’re never far from something unexpected, whether a trio of lighthouses in the middle of the woods (a.k.a. “The Three Sisters”), a golden carpet of leaves in the Beech Forest, or 40 miles of coastline you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
This post is updated from an article originally written by Nicole Maranhas for the Cape Cod Travel Guide.