Port Hosts: {BYC Members}
OVERVIEW
Though compact, the port of Sandwich has much to offer. There is a choice of restaurants surrounding the East Boat Basin. There is also a Stop and Shop, CVS, hardware store, post office, liquor store, hair salon and bank an easy half mile walk away. As a bonus, along this walk is The Shipwreck Ice Cream shop. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.7713714,-70.501872/Stop+%26+Shop,+65+MA-6A,+Sandwich,+MA+02563/@41.768751,-70.5083292,840m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!4m13!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-70.5068438!2d41.767071!3s0x89e4ca36e15066b7:0x8bd5ddd2ada5158d!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e4ca36b4b6fc83:0x1d9d948b2f0c9068!2m2!1d-70.5096256!2d41.7664746!3e2?entry=ttu
FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Just under a mile away is the Tree House Brewing Company. It overlooks Cape Cod Bay and the eastern entrance to the Canal. Unfortunately, the free shuttle service does not run on Sundays or Mondays. They have an interesting policy that you must preorder a time slot online BEFORE you go. This is to limit the number of people allowed in at one time thus keeping the experience a pleasant one for all. Your choices are either an 11am to 4pm slot, or a 4pm to 8pm slot. When ticket sales for the day sell out, that’s it. If you really wish to experience the beer and views, make sure to get your tickets at the beginning of that day. You may also order beer to go if you need to restock your onboard supply. Again, it is required to preorder a time slot for this service also. Make sure that you have selected the Sandwich location when you do this. There is a wealth of information and links for the local area, so it may be useful to visit this site. https://treehousebrew.com/visiting-sandwich
Fisherman’s View is on the west side of the marina off Freezer Road. It offers a full seafood centered menu to eat in plus sushi and picnic boxes to go. The drinks are highly rated, and they are also available online to go. Sandie’s is the outside patio area that serves sushi, chowder, wings, guacamole, humus, etc. They do not take reservations for the patio so there is a fair chance to get a seat here. A portion of their inside restaurant is available for reservations. You must set up a RESY account, get confirmation that you have set up the account and then make the reservation to receive the reservation confirmation! A fish market is also onsite. https://www.fishermensview.com/samplemenu
Pilot House is another good choice for lunch, dinner or drinks on the outside lawn. They have music every day at 5pm. Situated on the east side of the harbor off Ed Moffitt Drive, so very convenient. https://www.pilothousecapecod.com/lunch-menu
A great seafood market, Superior Lobster and Seafood is on the east side of the marina next to the Pilot House. They will cook your lobster for $5 per order in case you don’t have a big enough pot on board (or simply don’t want to deal with it!). Also on hand are precooked offerings that are either frozen or refrigerated that may be useful further down the cruise.
Seafood Sam’s is a great option for those that would rather have a slightly more relaxed experience and the outside tables are dog friendly. It has a cafeteria type setup for ordering, you then return to pick up your food when ready. The bar appears to have full service and mixed drinks. Everyday price for a Family 8-piece fried chicken with choice of 4 sides and biscuits was $28 at time of lookup. Open daily 11am to 9pm. It is on the east side of the marina/basin past the Pilot House and Coast Guard station and has blue awnings. https://www.seafoodsams.com/
For those looking to get away from seafood, there is a place called Off the Grid. It is a BBQ and burger food truck surrounded by an outdoor picnic table area and an outside bar. Situated next to the Hillport Gallery (which closes at 4pm), it is dog friendly. A half mile from the marina (Gallo to Town Neck Road), it’s a good option for Sunday (open 12 – 7) as they are closed on Monday. They do have music starting at 4 pm and there is a chance of other food trucks (one serves tacos) being open as well. https://www.offthegridcapecod.com/
PLACES TO VISIT
Heritage Museum and Gardens
I can’t recommend this place highly enough. Given as a suggestion to us by the kind folks at Superior Lobster and Seafood, we were blown away. Not only do they have an impressive indoor museum full of classic cars (including a 1930 Duesenberg owned by Gary Cooper and a former president’s car), but immense grounds that had flowers and massive specimen trees everywhere. Hydrangeas were in full bloom the last time we were there and since it is the same week this time around, I expect another showstopper display. They are open 10 am to 5 pm daily and tickets are $22 adults, $12 for ages 3 – 17. Tickets are date specific so you may wish to wait until you know if it is not going to be a downpour day before purchasing. However, the price alone would be worth admission to the JK Lilly lll (indoor) Automobile Gallery. For nourishment, they have a café that has typical Cape Cod pricing but extremely well-made fresh food. You can also bring your own boxed lunch/picnic. Though alcohol can be purchased at the café, you cannot bring your own. No tripods or drones are allowed for picture taking and no pets are allowed. Complimentary transportation for those with mobility challenges is available at seven fixed stops throughout the grounds. Please visit the website for a complete list of restrictions and other more detailed information. The Museum/Gardens are 2 miles away (via Gallo, Town Neck, Tupper, Grove Street) and there is an uphill grade to get there. It is best to share an uber with someone as you will be tired from walking the grounds. We only got through half of the actual grounds before tiring out. We used our bikes, but it was a stretch with the heat and hill. https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/about-us/visit/hours-admission-guidelines/
Sandwich Glass Museum
About a mile away (Gallo, Town Neck, Tupper), this place gets rave reviews online and most people recommend at least an hour and a half. Open daily from 9:30am to 5pm there are glass blowing demonstrations hourly on the hour. There is a rich history of glassmaking in Sandwich and the permanent and special exhibits are sure to be of interest. Very pretty stuff and it may be hard to leave without a memento. Adults $12, Children 6-14 $2, Seniors 65+ $11 https://sandwichglassmuseum.org/visit/
Dexter Grist Mill
Across the street from the glass museum and next to town hall, this mill still grinds cornmeal that you can purchase in cloth flour bags. Open Sunday 1 to 4:30 pm and Monday 11 am to 4:30 pm. Adults $5, kids 12 and under $3. Under 8 free. https://www.sandwichmass.org/419/Museums
Hoxie House
The fully restored Hoxie House (circa 1640) reflects life in the town of Sandwich in the 17th-century. High on a bluff overlooking beautiful Shawme Pond. Same hours and website as the mill above. Up the hill from the mill off Rte 130.
Old Town Cemetery
A three-minute walk up from the mill on the Grove Street side of Shawme Pond it has gravestones from the 1700’s.
Cape Cod Visitors Center
Closed on Monday, this mini museum is free and a hit with kids of all ages. Displaying the history and engineering of the Canal, it also offers hands-on stuff for the kids, including being able to board a retired 40-foot patrol boat. Being a visitors’ center, I imagine they can also answer any questions about the local area. Open 10 am to 5 pm. Located on the east side of the marina/basin along the canal wall past a huge parking lot, it looks like a Coast Guard Station (which is why I didn’t visit it when we were here last). The true Coast Guard station is just past the Pilot House. Will be a must for me this time around when we arrive on Sunday. https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Cape-Cod-Canal/
ADVENTURES TO HAVE
Rideaway Adventures
Across the main (Tupper) road from the ice cream place, this bike shop rents out bikes and has tours available. It also rents and has tours available for paddleboards and kayaks. It appears that these are held in various areas though and except for the bikes, most seem to be out of Sandwich. Too many options to list. Please visit the website and call for particulars. It may be possible to take a bus or the company itself may have options for transportation. The prices seemed very reasonable, and the reviews were excellent. 508-247-0827 https://rideawayadventures.com/
Cape Cod Canal South Service Road
The 6.5-mile South Service Road is ideal for fishing, biking, hiking or jogging. Make sure to have the proper fishing license. Please visit the website for more information. https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Cape-Cod-Canal/
There are benches and restrooms along the way. See website for map. https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/Recreation/CCC/CanalRecreationMap2018.pdf
There are restrictions on e bikes and motorized vehicles. https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/Recreation/CCC/MotorizedVehiclesWebsiteFINAL.pdf?ver=2020-08-06-110642-603
Sandwich Boardwalk
The boardwalk through the marsh to the beach is under construction. It is not recommended this year but should be completed by the summer of 2024. https://www.sandwichmass.org/168/Beaches
TRANSPORTATION
Bus service runs five days a week. I must assume they mean Monday thru Friday so Monday would be the only day to use it. You can catch the local bus service at the Stop and Shop on Rt 6A, Merchant Square area, which is just over a half mile walk from the marina. The Sandwich Line, as it is called, does stop at the town hall which is next to the grist mill and right across the street from the glass museum. This would save you a half mile of walking and may be worth doing on the return leg to pick up any necessities before heading back to the boat. (If walking the whole way to the town hall area from the marina, it would be more direct NOT to go to the Stop and Shop first.) It is exact fare only; $2 each way, $1 for age 60+ and disabled. Some fixed route buses have fare boxes that will give you a ticket in place of change for use on subsequent fares. There is more than one Stop and Shop on the Sandwich line. This is the Rte 6A/Merchant Square one which is stop #103. It heads south towards the town hall area every 2 hours from 8:59 am on the 59th minute, last service at 6:59pm. On the return trip, from town hall which is stop # 104, it leaves every 2 hours on the 23rd minute starting at 7:23 am with service ending with the 7:23 pm pickup. This is a very rough guide and my translation only. Please visit the website and double check before relying on this. There are also 3 bike spaces on each bus though no way of knowing if those are available before the bus arrives. You must load the bikes yourself after the driver lowers the rack on the front of the bus for you to do so. https://capecodrta.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CCRTA-Summer-2023-The-Sandwich-Line.pdf
