Cape Cod is no place to be driving this time of year. Even after you make it through backups at the bridge, congestion in many spots can look more like rush hour than vacation.
It seems as if Cape traffic gets worse every year, and it does.
''The heaviest summer volume of 20 or 25 years ago is now the year-round norm," says Bob Mumford, transportation program manager for the Cape Cod Commission. Summer traffic has gone up by about 15 percent in the last decade.
Not so long ago, a typical stay on the Cape centered on a cottage, a beach, maybe a couple of nearby restaurants and entertainment spots. These days, vacationers dash over to Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard on the new high-speed ferries for the day, journey to Provincetown to pass a rainy afternoon, or drive two towns over to try a new restaurant.
Let's think about this: What is the point of vacation if you end up like the people seen so often at Hillside Farms in Truro, running in to buy corn and tomatoes, then lining up in their cars waiting to turn back onto the highway?
Just because you can get to Nantucket and back in one day doesn't mean you should. Just because there are interesting things to do in every town doesn't mean your vacation will be better if you fit them all in.
Why stay somewhere that requires a drive every time you need a carton of milk or a glimpse of the water? Why not choose a vacation location that offers much within walking distance? Here are a couple of suggestions.
Brewster Main Street in Brewster is also Route 6A, which can be bumper-to-bumper on summer afternoons. On the other hand, there's a sidewalk for safe promenades and plenty to do within walking distance. In the late 19th century, Brewster was home to more sea captains than just about anywhere in the country, and the road is still lined with many of their homes, several of which have been converted to inns. Antiques stores and pottery shops, restaurants, and beautiful bay beaches are all within a half mile.
Try one of the inns near the intersection of Routes 124 and 6A. The Old Manse Inn, on the National Register of Historic Places, dates to 1801. Owners Paul and Joyce Stier function both as innkeepers and vacation planners. They'll put together activities for every day, if you like.
The Captain Freeman Inn, built in the 1860s, sits off Main Street facing Breakwater Road. A large screen porch overlooks the pool and a lawn for croquet and badminton. Innkeeper Donna Amadeo serves breakfast in the morning and lemonade on the porch in the afternoon, and keeps a wine and beer bar open in the evening for guests.