Located at the Cape's imaginary bicep, Brewster lies at the intersection of two glacial outwash plains. Its beaches taper so gently that they extend nearly a mile between the tide lines, while its inland woods sprout from a bumpy glacial moraine, resulting in a wealth of kettle ponds. In the 19th century, when as many as 100 captains of sailing ships made their homes here, Brewster took to calling itself "The Sea Captains' Town." The nickname persists, even if all that remains of the old salts are their Federal and Greek Revival manses. Keep in mind that they were away at sea for years at a time, making Brewster the ultimate bedroom community that it remains -- the quiet antidote to the Outer Cape's dramatic beaches, the bustle of Hyannis or Provincetown, or the frank commercialism of the Nantucket Sound shore.
A shore thing
Cape town's many attractions keep waves of summer vacationers happy
Spend
At some point in the day, just about everybody who lives in or passes through town stops at The Brewster Store (1935 Main St., 508-896-3744, brewsterstore.com) for coffee, an ice cream cone, a clam knife, or a bag stuffed with "penny" candy. The venerable enterprise also has a gimcrack souvenir for every taste.For more refined sensibilities, art galleries abound along Route 6A, but one of the most original is Sydenstricker Galleries (490 Main St., 508-385-3272, sydenstricker.com). Founder Bill Sydenstricker has passed on, but his former apprentices still produce elegant and colorful glass art using his innovative techniques.
Antiques shops line Route 6A from one end of town to the other. Try Mark Lawrence Fine Period Antiques (1050 Main St., 508-896-8381, fineperiodantiques.com) for furniture and decorative arts that would have pleased those old-time sea captains' wives.
Don't forget to pick up some bargain-priced beach reading at the Sea Captains Thrift Shop (2198 Main St., 508-896-8180) in Town Hall Annex when you go to buy your beach parking pass.
Play
Take your pick: woods or shore. Parking permits (nonresidents $15 a day or $50 a week at Town Hall, 2198 Main St., 508-896-4511) are required at saltwater and pond beaches. Paine's Creek Beach is best for serious saltwater swimming (a natural jetty wraps around a deep hole), but the other seven Brewster beaches turn into the Brewster Flats around low tide when a mile or more of sand flats, clam beds, and tidal pools are exposed. For a three-hour stretch, you can explore the ocean floor on foot. Inland, locals favor the swimming at Sheep Pond, the deepest of Brewster's many glacial kettle ponds (Fisherman's Landing, off Harwich Road).
READER COMMENTS »
View reader comments » Comment on this story »