# Cape Cod vs Maine Coast



## andyzee (Aug 11, 2008)

In a thread concerning Cape Cod, a couple of folks chimed in saying how the Maine Coast is better. I've been to Cape Cod many times and love it, have only hit the Maine Coast once and then it was the southern most portion, so I really can't speak to it. I have to imagine that it's completly different from Cape Cod and as a result, it'l like comparing apples and oranges. So, what I'm asking is, educate me.


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## ckofer (Aug 11, 2008)

VERSUS


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## Hawkshot99 (Aug 11, 2008)

Ill take the Virginia shore.  Its warm!

Only pic I have from there.


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## Greg (Aug 11, 2008)

andyzee said:


> So, what I'm asking is, educate me.



Impossible.


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## wa-loaf (Aug 11, 2008)

If you like sand beaches there's southern Maine and the Cape.

If you like kayaking, sailing, hiking, climbing, and swimming in lakes. Go to Mt Desert Island. Personally I get bored at the beach really quick.


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## andyzee (Aug 11, 2008)

So what I'm hearing is apples and oranges, both nice but different from one another.


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## andyzee (Aug 11, 2008)

Greg said:


> Impossible.



Guess I'll have to bring my helmet cam to film you doing the bumps on your belly this year. :smash:


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## ckofer (Aug 11, 2008)

andyzee said:


> So what I'm hearing is apples and oranges, both nice but different from one another.



If you like to swim in the ocean without a wetsuit, go no further north than Cape Cod.


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## andyzee (Aug 11, 2008)

ckofer said:


> If you like to swim in the ocean without a wetsuit, go no further north than Cape Cod.



That much I learned very quickly when I was in Maine. September, stepped into the ocean, only up to my ankles. Figured my feet would get used to the cold water, nope, never happened


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Aug 11, 2008)

andyzee said:


> In a thread concerning Cape Cod, a couple of folks chimed in saying how the Maine Coast is better. I've been to Cape Cod many times and love it, have only hit the Maine Coast once and then it was the southern most portion, so I really can't speak to it. I have to imagine that it's completly different from Cape Cod and as a result, it'l like comparing apples and oranges. So, what I'm asking is, educate me.



I haven't stayed in Cape Cod before but I have been to Nantucket and the Maine Coast is better because there is more to do...rides, games, and kind of a mellow NJ Shore feel..Nantucket was like 11 bucks for a grilledsteezesandwich..

anyway save your vacation time for ski season..lol..the beach is over-rated..


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## andyzee (Aug 11, 2008)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> I haven't stayed in Cape Cod before but I have been to Nantucket and the Maine Coast is better because there is more to do...rides, games, and kind of a mellow NJ Shore feel..Nantucket was like 11 bucks for a grilledsteezesandwich..
> 
> anyway save your vacation time for ski season..lol..the beach is over-rated..



News flash, you want Jersey shore, you don't go to Nantucket :-D


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## Warp Daddy (Aug 11, 2008)

Different scenery and differeet vibe . Both are unique and worthy of your time and $$

 Neither disappoints :

 Kinda like choosing between 2 beautiful women with distinctive personalities .and looks


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## andyzee (Aug 11, 2008)

Warp Daddy said:


> Different scenery and differeet vibe . Both are unique and worthy of your time and $$
> 
> Neither disappoints :
> 
> Kinda like choosing between 2 beautiful women with distinctive personalities .and looks



Well put.


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## ccskier (Aug 11, 2008)

Ok, of course I am biased here.  I will say that both are beautiful places.  In college my two best friends were from Cape Elizabeth, so I have been able to experience both.  I do have to say that both are similar yet different.  Maine has Oqunquit, we have P-town.  I was fortunate to have grown up here on the Cape and even more fortunate to be able to live and raise my family here now, oh yeah I am also very fortunate to marry a gal who is from Northern VT, so I have the best of both worlds.  Yes, people live on the Cape year round and yes we have jobs, I was at a pre-wedding party a few summers ago and one of the guest from New Jersey asked if we even worked or were independently wealthy, WHAT!!!   

There are different sections of the Cape that really holds it's beauty.  Hyannis, NO WAY, FRIGGING DUMP, only good for the ferry's and main street.  Once you get past exit 7 on the Mid-Cape highway you can start to see how the Cape chills out, each town progresses into relaxation.  To see the Cape's real beauty do this, when you get onto the Cape take 6A right from the bridge.  You will wind across the northern side of the Cape, once in Dennis do down 134 to 28, follow through Harwich into Chatham, back around to Orleans, and back onto Route 6 in Eastham, etc...   You will really get a feel for the Cape on that drive.  There are still a lot of outdoor activities here on the Cape, kayaking, biking, walking, boating, etc...   Take a ride on the Rail Trail, walk around the villages of each town.  Some of the coolest things are the hidden jems that everyone over looks.  Do not buy just a Cape Cod Bracelet, go to Eden in Dennis and get the real deal, make sure it has the stamp inside.  

Cape Cod is a beautiful place.  To really enjoy it, come in September once all of the crazies leave, that is when you can get a meal w/ less than 1.5 hour wait, drive down 28 if it is not sunny and best of all the water is still warm.


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## andyzee (Aug 11, 2008)

One of my favorites is Coast Guard Beach in Chatham at night as the light sweeps the water.


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## ComeBackMudPuddles (Aug 12, 2008)

OldsnowboarderME said:


> nothing says _gay_ like Cape Cod .. not that there is anything _wrong _with that ...;-)




Fun quotes from that episode:

"You can do better than me. You could throw a dart out the window and hit someone better than me. I'm no good!" 
- George, trying to get rid of his current girlfriend, in "The Outing" 


"Hey, who do you think is the most unattractive world leader? 
"Living or all time?" 
"All time." 
"Well, if it's all time, then there's no contest. It begins and ends with Brezhnev." 
"I dunno. You ever get a good look at DeGaulle?" 
"Lyndon Johnson was uglier than DeGaulle." 
"I got news for you. Golda Meir could make 'em all run up a tree." 
- Elaine, Jerry and George, in "The Outing" 


"Yeah, 'cuz I'm single, I'm thin and I'm neat." 
"And you get along well with women." 
"I guess that leaves me in the clear..." 
- Jerry, Elaine and George, on why some people might thing Jerry is gay, in "The Outing" 


"Actually it was in gym class. I was trying to climb the ropes and Jerry was spotting me. I kept slipping and burning my thighs and then finally I slipped and fell on Jerry's head. We've been close ever since." 
- George, explaining how he and Jerry met, in "The Outing" 


"Look, you wanna have sex right now? Do want to have sex with me right now? Let's go! C'mon, let's go baby! C'mon!" 
- George, trying to convince a reporter that he's not gay, in "The Outing" 


"Ya know, there are tribes in Indonesia where if you keep your coat on in somebody's house, the families go to war!" 
- George, in "The Outing" 


"Guys And Dolls? Isn't that a lavish, broadway musical?" 
"It's Guys And Dolls, not Guys And Guys." 
- Jerry and George, still concerned that people might think they're gay, in "The Outing" 


"Every day it's something else with you. I don't know anything about you any more. Who are you? What kind of life are you leading? Who knows what you're doing? Maybe you're making porno films." 
"Yeah. I'm Buck Naked." 
- George's mother and George, in "The Outing" 


"I'm gay! I'm a gay man! I'm very, very gay." 
"You're gay?" 
"Extraordinarily gay. Steeped in gayness." 
- George and Allison, as he tries one more tactic to end the relationship, in "The Outing" 


http://www.pkmeco.com/seinfeld/outing.htm


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## deadheadskier (Aug 12, 2008)

I feel like I'm fairly qualified to answer this question as I lived on Cape Cod for six months on two separate occasions (2 seasons) and lived in southern Maine for two and a half years.


As ccskier pointed out, there are many different parts of the Cape, each with a different flavor.  You can take this same statement and multiply it by ten for Maine as the coastline for Maine is 3500 miles long .  

If a beach vacation is what you're after, Cape Cod would be a better bet.  There are many more miles of sandy beaches on the Cape than Maine and as I mentioned earlier, the water is far warmer.  That said, when I lived in Maine I swam in the ocean far more than when I was on the Cape.  This purely had to do with the fact that on the Cape I was living in Dennis and there are no waves on that part of the Cape.  I would have to drive further out to get to the waves and dealing with the traffic to do so was a pain in the ass. 

Now if you want a vacation that's a bit more rounded, Maine might be a better bet.  From the southern coast of Maine you can be hiking in the whites in under two hours.  You've also got a small very cool city in Portland if you enjoy that sort of thing.  Come in August if you still want to swim as the water though cold is manageable. Maine also has more in the way of amusement and water parks.  There are a few small ones south of Portland that are haoky, but fun.

I still enjoy visiting the Cape and appreciate it's quaint qualities.  I wouldn't want to live there though unless I had an arrangement like ccskier where I had a place to stay in ski country on weekends during winter. When I was down there, by mid-October I was ready to get out of there.

They're both worth a visit.


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## Greg (Aug 12, 2008)

ccskier said:


> once in Dennis do down 134 to 28, follow through Harwich into Chatham, back around to Orleans, and back onto Route 6 in Eastham, etc...   You will really get a feel for the Cape on that drive.



I really love the West Dennis to Chatham stretch.



ccskier said:


> Do not buy just a Cape Cod Bracelet, go to Eden in Dennis and get the real deal, make sure it has the stamp inside.



And be prepared to wait. My wife had me do that once with her and I vowed to never do that again. A hundred or more women cackling in a 2 hour line. No thank you.


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## deadheadskier (Aug 12, 2008)

hmmm.....never heard of a cape cod bracelet when I lived down there, but that was 12 years ago.  Are they all the rage these days?


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## ccskier (Aug 12, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> hmmm.....never heard of a cape cod bracelet when I lived down there, but that was 12 years ago.  Are they all the rage these days?



It is really the Dennis Bracelet.  Silver with a gold screw ball, I am sure you have seen them.  The old man at Eden who started making them never pattented or anything and everyone else stole it then calling it the Cape Cod Bracelet.


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## eastcoastpowderhound (Aug 12, 2008)

ckofer said:


> If you like to swim in the ocean without a wetsuit, go no further north than Cape Cod.



All depends on where you are...I was swimming in Liniken Bay last August (near boothbay) and the water felt as warm as long lake (bridgton, maine) had all summer...perfectly comfortable for swimming.


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## snowmonster (Aug 12, 2008)

IMHO, the best parts of the Cape stretch from the elbow (Chatham) up the forearm (Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet and Truro). If I had the chance to spend an entire summer on the Cape, it would be at Wellfleet. Provincetown has great beaches, food and entertainment but it has too much going on sometimes that I feel like I've never left the city. I like my solitude when I go to the Cape and losing myself -- and the rest of the planet -- while walking along the CCNS is my thing. Plus, there's good baseball to be seen all summer!

I've never really been on the Maine Coast except for a weekend on Mount Desert Island. If you have the time and gas money, go. Great hikes and you can cool off by jumping in a lake. Except on really crowded weekends, you can hear yourself think while on the trail. The Bar Harbor Real Ale is great too. Take a sixpack home!


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## Warp Daddy (Aug 12, 2008)

Spent a few Sabbatical leaves ( consulting in Boston Metro areas ) over the years on the Cape and in Ogunquit  on an earlier leave . 

I rented an incredibly beautiful beach home in Harwichport for 3 months  in the late 90's, it was a dream  stay for those 12 weeks    --The Harwiches  , Chatham ,Eastham,  Wellfleet  and Dennis including the  West Denny  and  Bass River areas are  AWESOME  and each is substantively unique  . We used our bikes daily to get around and learned every BACK road in those area so as to avoid the "28 crawl" whenever we did use the car.

Absolutely HATED Hyannis or " HIGH Anal" as we called it 

However We now do  BOTH MAINE and the CAPE ------------BUT in SEPTEMBER for obvious reasons 

Can't wait for this years' trip


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Aug 12, 2008)

I remember a nice glass shop in Hyannis..


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## wa-loaf (Aug 12, 2008)

snowmonster said:


> I've never really been on the Maine Coast except for a weekend on Mount Desert Island. If you have the time and gas money, go. Great hikes and you can cool off by jumping in a lake. Except on really crowded weekends, you can hear yourself think while on the trail. The Bar Harbor Real Ale is great too. Take a sixpack home!



September and October are my favorite time of the year on MDI. Crowds are gone after labor day. And you can't beat a place that has 3 breweries.


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## ChileMass (Aug 12, 2008)

Wellfleet is my favorite Cape location............because it reminds me of Maine!

So I am conflicted - I love them both.  Maine is easier to lose yourself and get away completely, but the Cape has the big dunes and more to do.  The water is freaking cold either place, so that's even.  The lobster is the same, too.  

I guess I'll go with the Cape just due to proximity to my home in Mass., but it's really a toss-up......


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## andyzee (Aug 12, 2008)

ChileMass said:


> Wellfleet is my favorite Cape location............because it reminds me of Maine!
> 
> So I am conflicted - I love them both.  Maine is easier to lose yourself and get away completely, but the Cape has the big dunes and more to do.  The water is freaking cold either place, so that's even.  The lobster is the same, too.
> 
> I guess I'll go with the Cape just due to proximity to my home in Mass., but it's really a toss-up......



Water's not cold on the bay side in Welfleet. the tip of the Great Island is sweet.


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## snoseek (Aug 12, 2008)

If you do some investigating there are some nice mellow little beaches south of portland. I will force myself to swim in the water when I visit home next month.

Has the water been extra cold this year? Anyone? I heard lobster is like 5.99# in portand, cheapest in many years if so


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## deadheadskier (Aug 12, 2008)

snoseek said:


> If you do some investigating there are some nice mellow little beaches south of portland. I will force myself to swim in the water when I visit home next month.
> 
> Has the water been extra cold this year? Anyone? I heard lobster is like 5.99# in portand, cheapest in many years if so



I've only been in a couple of times at the Wall in Hampton and it seemed colder than last year for sure.  

Saw lobsters today for $4.99# in Kittery.  The place that is on the Pisqataqua downtown off I think it's governor street.


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## bigbog (Aug 12, 2008)

*new england coastline is all about change*

Cape Cod.....made for beaches;-)...as you guys have mentioned...the fewer people, the nicer.  Maine coastline is beautiful too...just a little different character...smaller "stash" beaches mixed with some larger ones...*and far fewer urbanites...8)* 
No matter where you go, if you're only going to go where magazines-XYZ list, you're going to experience only the things that magazines-XYZ's staff enjoys in life.  Although they often DO point out where some food is to be found...but after a while, turns into another Coney Island.



snoseek said:


> If you do some investigating there are some nice mellow little beaches south of portland. I will force myself to swim in the water when I visit home next month.


*snoseek*....._ROIKA!!!_;-);-);-)  ..isn't that what TaPow(_old_ & worn out StarTrek character)..used for *ENOUGH!* of that talk...
also said(I ThInK).."This Bumpfest....is to the Death!.." ...???


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## snoseek (Aug 12, 2008)

deadheadskier said:


> I've only been in a couple of times at the Wall in Hampton and it seemed colder than last year for sure.
> 
> Saw lobsters today for $4.99# in Kittery.  The place that is on the Pisqataqua downtown off I think it's governor street.



Wow, that's as cheap as I've seen in a long long time.


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