When not in our room, we preferred resting in the recently renovated pool area featuring numerous tented cabanas, umbrellas a-plenty, and perhaps the most comfortable cushioned beach chairs we've ever experienced at a resort. Resting on them, it was like lying in bed, we kid you not. Next to the pool is a slip of sand where you can dip your toes into the ocean. Take our advice and forget that - just have the resort pack you a picnic lunch and take the complimentary boat ride out to its private beach that's part of the acclaimed National Seashore, and have yourself one fantastic Cape Cod day. We can't think of a better way to spend any day.
Delicious Dining
The restaurants at the Wequassett are designed to impress - just like the staff. The Outer Bar & Grille is an open-air venue serving traditional Cape Cod favorites in an easy, breezy atmosphere. Appetizers include stuffed quahogs and a shrimp-and-crab cocktail. We adored the arugula baby spinach salad served with a sweet strawberry vinaigrette with toasted pine nuts - it's a winner. Pizzas and paninis are also available. We delighted in the grilled swordfish served with orcecchiette pasta and ratatouille, and the grilled salmon with olive tapenade.
28 Atlantic, however, is the resort's piece de resistance, and Cape Cod's only restaurant to have received four stars from Mobil, four diamonds from AAA and the highest Zagat rating down on the Cape. This magnificent room features walls of windows overlooking Pleasant Bay, and is a stunner. Here, Chef Bill Brodsky serves classic Cape Cod cuisine with a gourmet twist - such as Chatham "day-boat" scallops with mushroom ravioli and truffle cream sauce. Appetizers include organic baby lola rossa and tango greens served with raspberry vinaigrette, and organic simple greens in a champagne vinaigrette, all artfully prepared and served. The entrees, which start at $25 for braised organic chicken, also include a petite clambake and a caramelized salmon with white bean ragout. It's not so much a menu as an extraordinary experience. "I try to keep the preparations as simple as possible to let the quality of the amazing ingredients that I use take center stage," says Brodsky. Sumptuous side orders include porcini-scented whipped potatoes; asparagus-mushroom gratin; and creamy polenta with goat cheese.
We weren't surprised that we had such a delightful meal - the menus are adorable in themselves, and, like an invitation, hinted of what was to come. The menus are plastic with a blue gel inside, whose look is to inspire waves. A totally fun concept, for an excellent restaurant whose wine list, which covers all regions of the world, has won Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence many times.
Thoreau's is the popular bar area adjacent to the main dining room, serving favorites such as clam chowder, yellowfish tuna sushi, cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches. Here, if you desire, you can even order from the 28 Atlantic menu - patrons sitting next to us did just that and spent more than $300 on their dinner in a very relaxed setting.
Activities
Weddings and Conferences
Clambakes
Private beach accessed by boat
Pool
Poolside pampering with spa treatments from The Pampered Mermaid
Kayaks
Championship golf
Fitness Center
Four tennis courts ($30 hr.)
Complimentary shuttles to the village of Chatham
Jazz Festival that runs June through September
While the Wequassett offers numerous activities, the highlight is the golf at the neighboring Cape Cod National Golf Club, one of the finest, most prestigious private clubs in the nation. The championship-quality, 6,954-yard, 72-par course with 18 challenging holes was designed by Brian Silva, Golf World Magazine's 1999 Architect of the Year. The breezy, well-groomed course takes full advantage of the Cape's unique topography and natural beauty. Tee times cost $140.
To sum it all up, the Wequassett is a stunner - in every way. A stay is a totally exceptional experience - and one you'll never forget. When you go - give Lloyd our best.
Local Attractions
The entire Route 6 Area
Automobile museum
Walking and hiking paths
Beaches in Truro and Wellfleet
Antiquing
Fishing
Day trips to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard
Whale-watching
Route 6A, which takes you to the Wequassett, is 39 miles long and is the longest contiguous historic district in America - it contains four centuries of architecture. The scenic route is rife with antique shops, art galleries and restaurants. For the car fanatic, the Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich owns and exhibits the most important collection of American automobiles in the United States. Enjoy biking? The Cape Cod Rail Trail follows a former railroad path for a 22-mile stretch through the towns of Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet - and is a wonderful way to see Cape Cod via bike, horse, or just your own two feet.
We especially recommend taking the quick half-hour drive to explore the incredible world-famous beaches in Truro and Wellfleet, which are part of the legendary Cape Cod National Seashore. A beach such as Newcomb Hollow, in Wellfleet, for example, has incredible dunes that are almost 100 feet high. You should also take in Head of the Meadow in Truro, which also has beautiful sand dunes. Both of these beaches are ideal for swimming and sunning; there's a $10 charge to visit Head of the Meadow. No visit to the Cape is complete without visiting these stunning sands.
