Mrs em and I will be spending a long weekend in Boston, the weekend of Thanksgiving, for a bit of sightseeing and shopping (this may not be the most wise thing, but I only realised it was Thanksgiving after I'd booked the non-refundable flights).

Now then, we've long fancied visiting Cape Cod (though I'm not really sure why, apart from a general fondness for sand dunes and salty air ). If we rent a car and head out there, will there be anything to do/see, or is it all closed, grey and horrible outside of the summer season?

Come to thnk of it, will Boston be 'open' that weekend? We arrive on Friday evening, and leave on Tuesday afternoon.

If you are arriving Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, you should be fine. The only big 'shut down' day is Thanksgiving Day itself.

Roads will likely be busy with shoppers taking advantage of the pre-holiday sales (the Friday after Thanksgiving is a BIG day for that, as well as the rest of the weekend. If shopping is one of your aims, I recommend you do a web search for "Black Friday" in advance of your trip for an idea of some of the bargains available that weekend. They start appearing on the web early to mid November)

A lot of businesses are seasonal on the Cape, but they won't be shut down completely. There are year-round residents, and the restaurants, shops, and services that cater to them. I find the Cape beautiful any time of year - it all depends on the weather when you are here. It can be cold, so pack warm clothing. On the upside, at this time of year you can get beautiful cold and crisp blue-sky days, and there is something about the winter light on the Cape that makes the scenery that much more beautiful. Be sure to make the National Seashore a stop if the sand dunes and salt air are what draw you.

Personally, I am a fan of Chatham - particularly the town area, Marion's Pies, and the area by the lighthouse; the National Seashore; and Provincetown. Everyone has their own favorite places.

(Oh yeah, should probably let you know that P-Town has a large open, out, and proud gay and lesbian population. If that is something you aren't comfortable with, you may want to visit other areas.)

I was in Boston in August, and decided to drive down to the Cape on a Friday afternoon. The road turned out to be the longest traffic jam I've ever seen!

For your sake, I hope the traffic is less congested at Thanksgiving.

It is. I live en route to the Cape, and avoid Route 3 South on weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It's the sneaky back roads for me!

August is prime time. Friday afternoon is super prime time. You got the absolute worst. OK, maybe the Friday of July 4th weekend is worse.

I spent a weekend in late November on the Cape a couple years back (staying down in Provincetown). It's definitely very quiet and a much different experience from the typical Cape Cod trip. May be a bit strange for a first-ever visit.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think we'll take a look at the weather before planning anything. ^

November will be quiet, but as said, there are a lot more year round residents so the larger towns will have stuff going on.

My favorite time to Visit the cape is between Labor Day and Columbus Day. Everything is still open, the tourists are gone, hotel packages are awesome (and inexpensive), the water is still warm so the temperature is bearable, the traffic is gone and it is just a great time to be there.

Make sure no matter when you go you stop at Nauset (sp) beach (Coast Guard Beach). My favorite place on the planet.