I have a small confession: Phoebe is almost 2 years old and we’ve yet to take her on an airplane. And for a while, I felt bad about that….like we were depriving her of some sort of infant rites of passage. But, I soon got over it by realizing that 1) You win no actual prizes for surviving a plane ride with your infant. 2) Most babies’ first plane ride is to meet the grandparents or other family members and we’re VERY lucky to have 90% of our immediate family close by. And 3) Road trips rock! Which brings me to our recent road trip to Cape Cod….
Last week we packed up the family and hit 95 North with our sights set on the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth, Massachusetts. While we haven’t done the airplane scene with Phoebe, we have taken plenty of road trips and, actually, thoroughly enjoy the comfort of a nice drive. Unlike airplanes, road trips allow you pack all of the comforts of home without confining your life to 3 oz limitations or forking over insane checked baggage fees.
Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth, Massachusetts makes perfect sense for families. The palatial resort is located on the water — Honestly, you had me at “beach front” property! Families loooove a good beach front property and my family is no exception. The hotel’s 700-foot private, white-sand beach is super clean and absolutely breathtaking.
While the majority of the folks we ran into at Sea Crest Beach Hotel were families (and the General Manager confirmed that most guests are families), I couldn’t help but think that the Sea Crest Beach Hotel would also be perfect for a “Girls Getaway”. In fact, they offer a luxe spa package at a nearby spa. The Bellezza & the Beach package includes overnight accommodations at Sea Crest Beach Hotel, a Personal Customized Facial, Hot Stone Massage, a Classic Pedicure and welcome bag. Rates start at $398 and include gratuity. [Mental Note: Start planning my next road trip with the ladies!!]
While staying at Sea Crest Beach Hotel, we dined locally, but we also ate at the property a few times (it’s so much easier with the kid). Our favorite dining experience was at Red’s, a casual eatery with classic cape cod fare. We had our obligatory fill of seafood. And I must say, The Cape does not disappoint.
I should also note that the entire staff at Red’s is top notch. We dined with and without reservations and in both instances we were treated to incredible service. The service was pretty consistent at the bar as well…bartenders were friendly, courteous and helpful. At one point, I had an appetizer that was not what I had in mind when I ordered it, and the bartender was very accommodating and professional about replacing it. She offered a substitute that was more in line with my taste buds. I was more than pleased the second time around!
Let’s talk accommodations….because, if a place is going to be your home away from home, it better come correct! Luckily, we had the opportunity to experience two types of rooms because we invited my mom to join us. While our room had a partial ocean view and my mom’s did not, both rooms were still beautifully appointed and very comfy cozy. Sometimes rooms without a “view” sort of skimp on the accommodations….but this (thankfully) was not the case. I actually loved the open concept design of my mom’s room.
The trip to Sea Crest Beach Hotel from NJ was about 4 hours. Once there, you feel totally transported and the hustle and bustle of the city is a distant memory.
In an ideal world, I’d recommend staying Friday through Monday. We left on Sunday (work beckons) and I gotta tell you — I didn’t want to leave. The location, the staff (Hi Clark, Deb, Mike, Ryan, Nora!!..a few of my favs), the vibe, and the food all made it very hard to say bye-bye. But, we vowed to return again — so that made parting just a bit easier.
If you find yourself in need of a weekend jaunt to The Cape, Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth, MA is not to be missed.
