1. Kolin McMillen
COM358
26 October 2015
Sandwich Beach: Cape Cod Vacation Rental
Multi-millionaires and middle-class workers alike look to escape the boredom of their
typical summer day, but do not want to spend their annual savings. Vacation rentals in the
United States are becoming more prevalent than hotels and resorts with families and friends.
This is due to the fact that vacation rentals are more inexpensive. The last thing families and
friends want is to go to places in which the traffic is unbearable and attractions are filled with
tourists. This vacation rental my family, friends and I had in Sandwich, Cape Cod is an affordable
hidden gem in the Northeast.
Located in the secluded Eastern point of Massachusetts sits one of the premier family
and friends summer getaways. The only way to get to Cape Cod is by boat or by driving over
one of the two bridges that take you over the water to get to this paradise. Only having two
bridges to get to Cape Cod makes it extremely difficult to time up when and when not to try to
go. A rule of thumb given to me by the locals was that the best time to get on to Cape Cod is
anytime other than Friday. This was a humorous response as it is an inside joke within Cape Cod
that it is very tedious to get there. Cape Cod is 62 miles from Boston and 245 miles from New
York City, making it a reasonable drive for those looking to escape the big city life for a while.
With summer temperatures averaging 75 degrees during the day and eventually dropping to
the low 60s after sunset, Cape Cod offers the perfect combination of beach and suntanning
weather during the day and dropping to sweater weather in the evening. The humidity is
noticeably less than Boston, Massachusetts leaving the air feeling even fresher.

2. I spent the past few summers in Cape Cod. In the summer of 2013, my family and I
rented a vacation cottage from the Grenier family. The vacation rental we stayed at in Sandwich
was $850 per week, however, it sleeps up to eight people which makes the cost extremely fair
for the location. Located less than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean in a beautiful neighborhood
including restaurants, shops and stores, this location is ideal for family and friends.
In 2013, the rental was a nice cottage in which my family and I could walk to the beach,
to restaurants and stores. This made my time in the cottage very small. We were able to stay at
the beach all day and was able to enjoy activities such as fishing, swimming and picnicking. The
cottage was renovated in 2014 after a storm passed through, tearing away at the beach and
many properties surrounding it. The Grenier family owns the cottage and rents it out to
vacationers year round. Although the Greniers do not allow pets due to allergies, the upgraded
cottage was now part of the overall experience in Cape Cod. Extremely clean and renovated
with big screen televisions and wooden interior, my family and I found it extremely hard to
leave the house. My family and I loved our experience in 2013, so we decided to rent the same
cottage from the Grenier family for the summer of 2015.
The amount of money spent at these vacation rentals varies, depending on many
factors. I had spent roughly $250 per week on food in the summer of 2013. This included going
out to eat for nearly every meal. When the cost is broken down, I had spent an average of $11
per meal. The location offered many fantastic restaurants within walking distance so going out
to eat was so convenient and easy. The Kettle Ho, Seafood Sam’s and the Cotuit Market were
the three restaurants that I went to regularly. However, in 2015 I found myself saving roughly
$110 per week by buying my own groceries and going out to eat far less.

3. For breakfast, The Cotuit Market was a fantastic choice. They have a bakery and deli in
which muffins were less than $3 and omelets and breakfast sandwiches were all under $10. My
go-to breakfast sandwich was a bacon, sausage and egg with cheese, jalapenos, mushrooms
and a special sauce on a toasted croissant for $8.99. The food was always spectacular, the
service was quick and the people were always so kind.
Seafood Sam’s was a great place for lunch. Offering a view of the water from many of
the tables, the atmosphere of this sit down restaurant is second to none. This place was a great
place for dinner also, however, the lunch specials were fantastic. I found myself regularly
getting their Sam Platter for lunch. The $11.99 special included my choice of three types of
seafood along with two other sides and a drink. I loved getting scallops, fried oysters, and clam
strips with a salted baked potato and coleslaw. The shrimp, lobster, crab and of course the clam
chowder were also among my family’s favorites for lunch or dinner, all of which can be used in
the special for $11.99, which is a fair price for the amount of food we received.
If you want the Cape Cod experience for dinner, walk no more than a mile to the Kettle
Ho. This nightlife pub was the best place for one to meet up with locals, learn about the Cape
Cod culture and have a great time all for a relatively low cost. While the burgers and steaks
were average, the seafood was again fantastic, a common theme with Cape Cod restaurants.
Burgers were roughly ten dollars and steaks ranged from fifteen to twenty dollars. The Lobster
BLT was one of my favorites to enjoy with a Cape Cod brewed beer. The BLT was $14.99 with
two sides while the local beer was $3 and mixed drinks ranged from $6 to $9 depending on the
size and quality of the alcohol. This was a great place to enjoy a game on one of their many big
screen televisions and sit at the bar among many locals. My family and I found the atmosphere

4. to be awesome. The music was not so loud that we could not hear ourselves think. Instead the
pub was more quiet and a great place to grab a drink with friends or sit down and enjoy a great
family dinner. According to yelp.com, there is a fantastic tuscan/seafood restaurant in Harwich,
which is 15 minutes from Sandwich. Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse is a high-end restaurant perfect
for a date-night with your significant other. Meals range from $31 to $60, making it one of the
more expensive restaurants in Cape Cod.
When you’re not enjoying food on the town there are so many options to spend your
day. If you like to shop there are many stores in the town. If you are looking to enjoy a mall
experience, one is a 20- minute drive from the cottage. There are actually only two malls in
Cape Cod, Hyannis and Providence. You can find your typical beach stores along with Best Buy,
Gamestop and other popular retail stores. However, if you are looking to truly embrace Cape
Cod and their atmosphere, you will never step foot in these malls. Stores on the streets and
strips allow for people to walk outside in the beautiful weather and get some exercise in while
looking at unique stores.
For many families and friends, the beach is the biggest attraction. I loved the beach due
to the many options I had there. I was able to take my yoga mat out in the morning and do yoga
in the beautiful sunrise. Then during the day I had multiple options, such as grabbing a
sandwich on the beach to enjoy while I soaked up the sun and went swimming. Other days I
went fishing for striped bass, black sea bass, and summer flounder. I could either fish from the
pier or go to the beach and take a kayak out on the water. Another enjoyable, but more
expensive option is to take a charter out deep sea fishing. My family and I took a Hy-Line Cruise
to deep sea fish out of Hyannis. The deep sea fishing tours last four hours. The cost is $37 for

5. adults and $27 for children. They also have fishing rod rentals available for $4. This was an
unforgettable experience for all of us as it was very fun and entertaining. Other activities that
Cape Cod offers is parasailing, wind-sailing, and jet skiing. I rented a jet ski for 3 hours for $150,
which was definitely worth the money. I had an instructor take me along the coast and I got to
see multi-million-dollar mansions, which was a great experience in itself.
During the evening, the beach was a great place to relax. My friends and family would
start a bonfire in the cool summer air and cook s’mores, hot dogs and sometimes even fish that
we caught. We just relaxed under the moonlight and enjoyed our time together bundled up in
blankets and light sweatshirts, a perfect way to end a day in the Cape. Another fun and
inexpensive option to spend your evening is on the baseball field under the lights. Various
towns in Cape Cod are home to collegiate summer baseball teams. These top-tier college
prospects play nearly every night at 7pm. Admission is free to all, but seats go very quickly as it
is a huge tradition in Cape Cod to follow your town’s collegiate summer baseball team.
Overall, my experiences in Cape Cod will never be forgotten. I made lifelong friends
there and enjoyed time together with my close friends and family. The vacation was very
inexpensive and memorable. I highly recommend this vacation rental in Cape Cod,
Massachusetts to any family and group of friends looking for an affordable hidden gem
getaway.

6. IF YOU GO
What to do
Cape Cod Baseball League
Various towns in Cape Cod are home to collegiate summer baseball teams. These top-tier
college prospects play nearly every night at 7pm. For schedules and rosters visit the official
Cape Cod Baseball League website:
http://www.capecodbaseball.org/
Hy-Line Cruises: Deep Sea Fishing
Ten minutes from Sandwich, Hyannis offers a great charter out to deep sea fish. The deep sea
fishing tours last 4 hours. The cost is $37 for adults and $27 for children. Rod rentals are
available for $4.
https://www.hylinecruises.com/deep-sea-fishing-schedule-and-rates/
Aqua Sport: Jet Ski Rental
In West Dennis, roughly 15 minutes from Sandwich, Aqua Sport offers jetski, kayak, banana
boat and water trampoline rentals. For more information call 508-398-5387 or visit their
website at:
http://www.capecodjetski.com/
Where to eat
Kettle-Ho Restaurant & Tavern - $$
12 School St, Cotuit, MA 02635
(508) 428-1862
https://www.zomato.com/cape-cod-ma/kettle-ho-restaurant-tavern-cotuit
Cotuit Fresh Market - $
737 Main St, Cotuit, MA 02635
(508) 428-6936
http://www.cotuitfreshmarket.com/delimenu.html
Seafood Sam's - $$
6 Coast Guard Road, Sandwich, MA 02563
(508) 888-4629
http://www.seafoodsams.com/samsmenu.php
Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse - $$$
Tuscan, Seafood
4 Depot Rd Harwich, MA 02645
(508) 432-6900
http://www.bucasroadhouse.com