A Welcome Book bursting at the seams with great “insider information”  sits on the desk in every guest room. We have a “Directions To…”  box loaded with pre-printed directions to our favorite off-the-beaten-path destinations, restaurants, and beaches located right at the front door so guests can grab whatever they need for a day of spectacular sightseeing. And just recently we added a photo slide show of some really beautiful shots of the Cape that Rich has taken over the years to the guest computer in the living room. Sort of a “preview of coming attractions” for arriving guests.

But today we decided to take it one step further and add what we are calling the “Ultimate Cape Cod Getaway Package” to our roster of great specials and packages. This would be the perfect package for a honeymoon, first time visitor to Cape Cod, or for anyone wanting to see what makes this destination so special. In five leisurely days you can take a day trip to Nantucket via high-speed ferry, experience the thrill of a whale watching adventure on Cape Cod Bay, dine at one of the most romantic restaurants on Cape Cod, and enjoy the laid-back luxury of a one-hour side-by-side couples massage in the comfort and privacy of one of our spacious and elegantly appointed rooms or suites. A bottle of hand-selected wine and a specially prepared cheese board are yours to enjoy whenever the spirit moves you during your stay.

This extra-special package is available from mid-May to mid-October, with rates starting at just $1999 complete. Here is a round-up of the highlights of this one-of-a-kind vacation package:

• Five nights in a spacious ocean-view guest room or garden suite with deck.
• A 3-course gourmet dinner for two one night.
• Round trip high-speed ferry tickets to Nantucket.
• Two adult Whale Watch excursion tickets.
• One-hour side-by-side in-room couples massage.
• A bottle of red or white wine in your room on arrival.
• A cheese and cracker platter in your room on arrival.
• Full farm-to-table hot breakfast each morning.
• Afternoon home-baked treats.
• 24-hour hot coffee and tea.
• Complimentary after-dinner drinks at the Inn.
• Access to our super-secret self-guided driving tours.

For more details or to book your Ultimate Cape Cod Getaway package, call us toll free at 1-800-362-4441.

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Earlier this morning Rich pointed out a brilliant yellow gold finch at the feeder. This prompted me to put out the hummingbird feeder. No hummers have visited it yet, but I expect to see one soon. I’ve heard the spring peepers a couple of times and no doubt the skunk cabbage is fermenting by now in the swampy areas of the woods.

The daffodils are up in our yard about 7-8 inches and the lawn is definitely greening up, at least here at the High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod. Soon we’ll see the sand dollars scattered on Sandy Neck Beach, and hear the street sweepers clearing the roads of winter’s sand and debris.

Besides all the signs of spring, April is my birthday month. I can’t help but be happy in April. It was my Mom’s birthday month too. In fact today is her birthday. She would have been 96. So naturally I have been thinking about her a lot today. I pulled out this recipe card, handwritten by her ages ago. She was a wonderful baker, perhaps because had a sweet tooth, but I think mainly she just loved to make things with her hands. I remember waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread and donuts on Saturday mornings. How can you not be happy waking up to that?

So I’m sharing her recipe with you, with apologies for the lack of details, in honor of her birthday. If you try it, let me know how it works out.

My Mom’s Recipe

The post April, My Favorite Month on Cape Cod (or anywhere) appeared first on The High Pointe Inn.

April
Whale Watching and seal cruises begin in mid-April
April 13 – Oct 27: Driving Our Dreams: Concept Car Exhibition, Heritage Museums & Gardens, Sandwich
April 26 – 28: Annual Brewster in Bloom Festival
April 27 – 28: Spring Festival, Main Street, Hyannis

May
May 1 – October 31: Harbor Your Arts artists Shanties open at Hyannis Harbor
May 15 – 19: Nantucket Wine Festival, Nantucket Island
May 17 – 19: 32nd Annual Herb Festival & Plant Sale; Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen, East Sandwich
May 18 – 26: The Rhododendron Festival; Heritage Museum & Gardens, Sandwich
May 19 – June 21: 20th Annual Cape Cod Maritime Days.
May 25 – 27: 42nd Annual Figawi Regatta. Hyannis to Nantucket

June
June 2 – 28: 18th Annual All Cape Art Show, Creative Arts Center, Chatham
June 8: Inaugural Falmouth Food & Wine Festival, Barnstable County Fairground
June 8: Antiques, Crafts & Flea Market, Orleans Historical Society
June 12: Cape Cod Baseball League opens for the season
June 16: 19th Annual Father’s Day Auto Show, Main Street, Hyannis
June 19 – 23: 14th Annual Provincetown International Film Festival
June 21: 5th Annual Cape Cod Quahog Day, West Dennis
June 26 – 30: Annual Provincetown Portuguese Festival
June 29 – 30: 11th Annual Art in the Village, Barnstable Village
June 30: 66th Blessing of the Fleet, Provincetown

July
July 1 – August 9: Arts Foundation Summer Concert Series, various towns throughout the season
July 1 – August 30: Cape Harmony A Cappela Concerts, Artist Shanties at Hyannis Harbor every Friday night
July 4th Parades & Fireworks: various towns throughout Cape Cod
July 5 – 7: Annual Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal PowWow at Barnstable County Fairground, Falmouth
July 11: Palette to Palate: Art and cuisine celebrated at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis
July 19 – 21 Annual Grecian Festival: St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Centerville
July 20 – 27: Barnstable County Fair, Barnstable County Fairgrounds
July 27 – Aug 3: 2nd Annual Whale Week,
July 27 – August 3: 22nd Annual woods Hole Film Festival

August
August 9: La Tavolta Feast Under the Stars  at South Cape Village, Mashpee.
August 11: 28th Annual TD Bank Pops by the Sea Concert at Hyannis Village Green.
August 11: 41st Annual Falmouth Road Race, Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights
August 17 – 18: 43rd Annual CraftFest Cotuit at Cotuit Village Green.
August 17 – 19: 9th Annual Provincetown Jazz Festival
August 18 – 24: Annual Carnival Week, Provincetown
August 24: 24th Annual Pops in the Park at Eldredge Field, Orleans

September
Sept 1: Truro Agricultural Fair
Sept. 1: 8th Annual 5k Labor Day Road Race, Johnny Kelley park, South Dennis
Sept. 6 – 8: Eastham Windmill Weekend
Sept. 7: 13th Annual Seaside le Mans Kart Race, Mashpee Commons
Sept. 7 – 8: 26th Annual Cape Cod Antique Glass Show & Sale, Sandwich Glass Museum
Sept. 7 – 8: Bird Carver & Wildlife Arts Show & Sale, Green Briar Nature Center, East Sandwich
Sept. 13 – 15 Cape Cod Bird Festival
Set. 14: Annual Cape Cod Wildlife Festival, Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary, Barnstable
Sept 20 – 22: 44th Annual Bourne Scallop Festival at Buzzards Bay Park, Bourne.
Sept 28: 2nd Annual Cape Cod Brewfest, Barnstable County Fairgrounds
Sept 29 – Oct 28: 7th Annual Fall for the Arts Festival, Cape-wide

October
Oct 4 – 6: Jazzfest, Falmouth
Oct 12 – 13: 35th Annual Yarmouth Seaside Festival, Route 28, Yarmouth.
Oct 19 – 20: Wellfleet OysterFest, Town Pier, Wellfleet

The post 2013 Cape Cod Seasonal Events and Annual Celebrations appeared first on The High Pointe Inn.

Rail Service from Boston to Cape Cod

A partnership among the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority, MassDOT, and the MBTA has resulted in rail service returning to Cape Cod after almost 25 years. Beginning Memorial Day weekend and continuing through Labor Day weekend, the CapeFlyer will offer rail service from Boston to Buzzards Bay and Hyannis. Trains will leave South Station in Boston on Friday nights and offer roundtrip service on Saturdays and Sundays. From the Hyannis terminal it will be easy to connect with local bus service on the Cape or hire a rental car. Transit time is expected to be under two hours and will allow visitors to skip the summer weekend traffic often encountered at the Sagamore and Bourne bridges. The final schedule will be available shortly at capeFLYER.com.

First Ever Cape Cod Bird Festival

Birders rejoice. The Cape Cod Bird Club is hosting a three-day bird festival September 13th through15th at the Cape Codder in Hyannis. Birding expert, Pete Dunne from the Cape May Observatory, will be the keynote speaker. Among the scheduled activities are field trips to birding hotspots across the Cape; workshops led by birding specialists; a series of lectures; a pelagic trip; and much, much more. Enjoy fall birding at its best! Registration opens April 1st. For more information visit https://www.capecodbirdclub.org/events/cape-cod-bird-festival/

The Lanes Bowl and Bistro

Combine a 10 pin bowling alley and a casual bistro and what do you get? The Lanes Bowl and Bistro. Recently opened at Mashpee Commons, it is Cape Cod’s first-ever boutique dining and entertainment venue. In addition to bowling, the bistro offers evening entertainment, an al fresco seasonal bar, and a bocce court. Aimed at busting the stereotypes often associated with a typical bowling alley, the Lanes offers upscale dining and contemporary décor in a casual environment. For more information, visit lanesbowlandbistro.com.

HyARTS Cultrural District

Home to Cape Cod’s first state-designated cultural district, the HyARTS Cultural District in downtown Hyannis encompasses cultural and historical attractions alongside local restaurants and shops. Open year round, and centered on the Kennedy Legacy Trail, the district celebrates the long and storied history of the Kennedy’s and their influence on Cape Cod. The trail itself, a 1.6 mile self-guided route linking key locations along Main Street and the waterfront, features 10 signed stops offering a brief insight into the relevance of the site to the lives and works of the Kennedys. For more information visit kennedylegacytrail.com.

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Often our walks lead us to treasures too good to be left behind. On one a few years back we found an old oar head that resembled the silhouette of a whale. It was so unique that Rich had it made into a sculpture for me for Christmas that year. But mostly we find sea glass, and my new passion: heart rocks.

A friend of mine first introduced me to the phenomenon of finding heart-shaped stones on the beach. Heart rocks, as they are called, come in all manner of sizes and colors. The first heart rock I found had a small crack in its upper lobe. I nicknamed it “Heartbroken”. I have found so many heart rocks on the beach that I display them on the window sills of the dining room where we serve breakfast. Our guests are fascinated by them and eagerly hunt for them on their own walks on the beach. Some even bring one back to add to my collection.

By but far the most unusual heart rock in my collection I found right after the blizzard in early February this year. Strolling along the coastline marveling at what Mother Nature had done to the beach landscape and the dunes of Sandy Neck, I spotted a dark grey rock with a bright white heart in the center. No bigger than 2 inches long and an inch and a half wide, this rock lay among dozens of others tossed up by the sea. Small rings of white encircle its perimeter, but a very distinct white heart shape adorns its front. I call it my “Ghost Heart”. It was right before Valentine’s Day and I wondered what force of nature sculpted such a perfect symbol of love in stone.

It adorns a special corner in my collection now and everytime I look at I smile. I love the beach and I love that we live so close to it.

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Spring also heralds the opening of some of our favorite clam shacks and ice cream shops. Steve and Sue’s Partee Freeze opened last week, along with Cooke’s Seafood. And Seafood Sam’s, open in Falmouth now, will open its Sandwich location on March 5th. It can’t be that much longer until we see the sign for Captain Frosty’s uncovered and the folks at Sesuit Harbor Café arranging the picnic tables and unfurling umbrellas for yet another season.

When we can’t make it to a warm weather destination in spring, we like to celebrate its arrival with a quick trip to one of our surrounding New England states. Sometimes just a change of scenery for a day or two is enough to put the ah…er, pardon the expression, spring back in our step. So we thought maybe we could do the same for you.

Our Spring Fling package is designed to pink up your cheeks and perk up your smile. Start with a bouquet of flowers in your room, enjoy dinner out at one of Cape Cod‘s finest restaurants, then take a quick trip to Nantucket for some island-style adventure. Of course, our award-winning hospitality completes the package. Rich has some awesome new breakfast specials to sample, and Debbie has added a new line of hand-crafted jewelry to the gift shop. Rates start at just $625 complete for the two-night package.

Come celebrate spring on Cape Cod. It’s a voyage for the soul.

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Be safe in the storm

So as we await the impending storm here on Cape Cod,  I found myself with a few extra minutes to play around with a fun new app from Expedia for Facebook.

You can check out the results the results of my efforts here.

We’ve battened down the hatches and made safe the lines and hope that we come out unscathed on the other side.

To all our friends, family, and guests in the Northeast today, be safe.

The post Snowy Day Activities at the High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod. appeared first on The High Pointe Inn.

BedandBreakfast.com is the most comprehensive global site for finding bed and breakfast properties around the world, with more than 13,000 properties worldwide representing nearly 80,000 rooms. Each November, BedandBreakfast.com names 30 overall top inns based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews from the past year. We were delighted to receive the Top Ten status from BedandBreakfast.com in 2005, 2007, and 2009.

Starting in December 2011, BedandBreakfast.com decided to recognize more of the world’s best inns and began a monthly awards program to honor 10 more B&Bs every month in a special category.   “These award-winning inns, including the High Pointe Inn, really showcase bed and breakfasts and inns that often become a destination to discover, and not just a place to stay,” says Gregory Sion, general manager of BedandBreakfast.com. “Travelers select bed and breakfasts because they enjoy staying in a one-of-a-kind place that offers not only character, special amenities and unmatched hospitality, but also enables them to discover new experiences.”

It’s a true honor to be chosen for the 2013 Top 10 Romantic Inns award, and we are thrilled that our hard work has set us apart. View all the award winners at BedandBreakfast.com.

With Valentines’ Day approaching, be sure to check out our “February is for Lovers” package on the Special and Packages page of our website. Don’t you deserve a little romance this season?

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Bistrot de Soleil is a relatively new restaurant on the Cape, located on Stevens Street between North and Main in what once was the home of the popular Harry’s Blues Bar. A small venue, the décor is a blend of understated elegance and French kitsch. It’s an interesting combo that belies what awaits you on their extensive menu. We were lured in part by the 3-course prix fixe dinner special advertised in the local Cape Cod Times. Accompanied by a glass of chef-selected wine for just $20 per person the abbreviated menu suited three of just fine.

We started with a choice of four appetizers including soup, salads, and a hot dish. We opted for the salads, caesar and caprese, and were not disappointed. The caprese was lightly dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette and the Caesar perfectly chilled, a great start to what turned out to be a magnificent meal. The wines that accompanied the prix fixe entrees were also good, in particular the Honoro Vera Jumilla, an organic monastrell from Spain, which suited my entrée nicely. Smooth and jammy from start to finish, it had a particularly nice mouth feel and stood up to the sea salt, pepper, and garlic preparation of my grilled bistrot steak. The steak was accompanied by pomme frites and haricot vert, a nice counterpoint to the beef. Portion sizes of the prix fixe menu items were smaller than the main dinner entrees, but I still ended up taking home at least half of my steak.

One of our dinner companions has a wheat allergy and was delighted to find so many gluten-free options to choose from on the menu. After much deliberation, he went with a pan-seared pork chop that was served with sautéed cherries and a blueberry chutney. The dish was a decided hit, as evidenced by his clean plate at the end of the meal.

The restaurant prides itself on sourcing the freshest local ingredients and offers an extensive menu of European-inspired dishes, as well as pastas, risottos, pizza and burgers. Desserts are house-made, and judging by the crème brule I had, worth saving room for. Our server, Luiz, was a delightful addition to our evening out, attentive without being over-bearing and well-informed without being smug.

With so much to offer it goes without saying that we will recommend this new find highly to our guests of our Inn and will find many more reasons for a return visit ourselves often this winter.

Bistrot de Soleil is open seven nights a week starting at 4:30 PM. Starting in the spring they will also open for lunch.

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Welcome to the High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod

We are often asked by prospective guests if we have any additional photos of the High Pointe Inn, especially of the guest rooms. Being a visual person, I can understand wanting to have a complete picture of where I will be laying my head at night when I am on vacation.  So as a Christmas present to ourselves (and ultimately our future guests) we invested in a professional photographer to try to capture the nuances of each room.

You’ll find a link to our Picasa photo album here if you are interested in taking a look. Let us know how you like them and which ones we should add to our website pages on a permanent basis.

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