The ultimate family guide to Cape Cod

Best dessert
Marion’s Pie Shop (2022 Rte. 28, Chatham; 508/432-9439). For about 50 years, this is where the cognoscenti come for best pies, be it “life-altering lemon meringue for dessert to the sea-clam pot pie for dinner.” Closed Monday.

Best ice cream
1. Sundae School (Locations at 381 Lower County Rd., Dennisport; 606 Main St., Rte. 28, Harwich Port; 210 Main St., East Orleans). The three locations at this “slice of nostalgia” serve up ice cream that’s “pure nirvana,” along with real whipped cream, and old-fashioned sarsaparilla and cream sodas.

2. Emack & Bolio’s (Rte. 6A, Oracle Sq., Orleans; 508/255-5844. Other locations: 2 Kent Pl., Chatham and 117 Main St., Wellfleet). Located in a Victorian-era house with a wide front porch and tables inside and out, this quaint shop offers options that are creative and change often. “A double scoop of Serious Chocolate Addiction is worth a drive from anywhere on the Cape.”

3. Four Seas (360 S. Main St., Centerville; 508/775-9253). “For homemade ice cream, sherbets, and frozen yogurt that’s a cut above the usual.” “Be sure to look for the old check posted on the wall that Jackie Kennedy wrote to pay for her ice cream.”

4. Buffy’s (456 Main St., Chatham; 508/945-5990). Serves “decadently rich ice cream, fresh-squeezed citrus rickies and delicious fruity smoothies.”

5. Hallet’s Store (139 Hallet St., Yarmouth Port; 508/362-3362). In operation since 1889, this “darling country drugstore” dispenses fabulous ice-cream from its marble soda fountain with swivel stools.

Best market
Wellfleet Flea Market (parking lot of Wellfleet Drive-in theater, Rte. 6 in Wellfleet; held Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday during the summer). You can find anything from “new clothes and handmade jewelry to boogie boards, sunglasses, books and toys.” There is a nominal fee to park. A playground on the premises helps to keep children entertained.

Best bookstore
Eight Cousins (189 Main St., Falmouth; 508/548-5548). This fabulous children’s bookstore is located in the former phone company headquarters from the 1930s. It’s the “kind of wonderful shop you wish you had in your hometown” and boasts a “phenomenally knowledgeable staff.”

Best for children’s clothing
Pocket Full of Posies (13 Wianno Ave., Osterville; 508/420-8895). “For very adorable kid’s clothes and accessories.”

Best for cheap souvenirs
1. The Kandy Korner (474 Main St., Hyannis; 508/771-5313). “Don’t leave the Cape without stocking up on saltwater taffy, penny candy, and fudge.” If you don’t have a sweet tooth, “there are tee-shirts, toys, and cheap take-home baubles, too.”

2. 1856 Country Store (555 Main St., Centerville; 508/775-1856). Referred to by locals as “The Penny Candy Store,” this former cranberry storage barn has been this lovely town’s general store since 1856. “Really great candy and a fun, random mix of toys, dolls, games, tee-shirts, and souvenirs.”

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3. Brewster General Store (1935 Main St., Brewster; 508/896-3744). Built in 1852, this authentic general store is a popular spot with locals and tourists alike, whether to “grab that first cup of coffee and a newspaper” or treat the kids to the “old-fashioned pleasures of penny candy and seaside trinkets.”

4. Cape Cod Salt Water Taffy (984 Rte. 28, South Yarmouth; 508/394-7557). You’ll recognize this favorite roadside stand by the bins of taffy lined up in front. Simply take a box and fill it with your favorite flavors—there are 30 made on the premises. “Flavors include the unusual, like beach plum and Fluffernutter. If you are lucky, you can even watch them make the taffy.”

Best motels

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1. Viking Shores Motor Lodge (Rte. 6, North Eastham; 800/242-2131). Expect “basic but clean rooms, a free continental breakfast, and a great location between the bay side and the ocean side.” Plus: The grounds include a pool, picnic tables, and charcoal grills. “Thumbs up for the in-room fridge, WiFi Internet access, and cable TV with HBO.” Also, you can rent bikes for a nominal cost. Closed late October through mid-May.

2. Captain’s Quarters Motel (Rte. 6, North Eastham; 800/327-7769). “The free continental breakfast is a cut above those at other motels in this price range.” Rooms are “clean but generic in décor,” with a good location between the ocean and the bay. You also get cable TV, an in-room refrigerator and coffee-maker, plus a heated outdoor pool, two tennis courts, beach volleyball and basketball courts, and free use of bikes.

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