PREFACE<br >This guidebook was born in a car near a parking lot on a rainy day on<br >Cape Cod. The man outside the highly advertised aquarium shook his<br >head and waved us on. The parking lot was full. A line of cars filled<br >with families was waiting. And there we were. What else was near?<br >What else was there to see? What could we do?<br >If it isn t a beach day， what can you do? Although there are 300 miles<br >of beaches， a major draw， the "real Cape" is also places and people:<br > .. Watch a potter transform a lump of clay into a smooth curved pot.<br > .. Visit an enamelist and see the glass crystals come out of the kiln<br > and change into a myriad of fascinating colors.<br > See a glassblower at work.<br > Rent a canoe.<br > Go to the local library.<br > Join a fishing trip.<br > Stay home and cook a regional recipe.<br > Try an old-fashioned ice-cream parlor.<br > Explore a marked nature trail.<br > Bicycle.<br > And more<br >If you ve come for a summer vacation and it s not sunny， somehow<br >there s a feeling of failure. People have to be constantly reminded that<br >only travel brochures control the weather; guilt should not set in.<br >Pause before you panic.<br >We know the situation well. So we wrote the needed guidebook:<br >comprehensive， practical-and fun.<br >Sight-seeing is different here. The gentleness of the Cape offers a<br >contrast to New York s Empire State Building， Boston s Museum of<br >Fine Arts， or Washington s Smithsonian. Museums， old houses， and<br >historic sights are small and informal. You have a chance to discover<br >the unique qualities of the Cape and Cape Codders.<br >This is a "do" book. Information includes what s where， when it s<br >open， how much it costs， how to get there， notes of caution， and what s<br >nearby. You ll find people and places we ve discovered， the traditional<br >and the commercial along with lesser-known places.<br >