SANDWICH

Sandwich is calm, even in the height of summer. Many visitors whiz right by it (which is a shame), eager to get farther away from the “mainland.” Even people who know about delightful Sandwich Village often hop back onto Route 6 without poking around the rest of Sandwich—the back roads and historic houses off the beaten path. Those who take the time to explore will find that Sandwich is a real gem.

You could spend a day wandering the half-mile radius around the village center, a virtual time capsule spanning the centuries. Antiques shops, attractive homes, and quiet, shady lanes are perfect for strolling. Shawme Duck Pond, as idyllic as they come, is surrounded by historic houses (including one of the Cape’s oldest), an old cemetery on the opposite shore, a working gristmill, swans and ducks, and plenty of vantage points from which to take it all in.

Sandwich’s greatest attraction lies just beyond the town center: Heritage Museums & Gardens, a 76-acre horticulturist’s delight with superb collections of Americana and antique automobiles.

Beyond the town center, the Benjamin Nye Homestead is worth a visit; have a look-see, even if it’s closed, because it sits in a picturesque spot. East of town on Route 6A, past densely carpeted cranberry bogs (harvested in autumn), you’ll find a few farm stands, antiques shops, artisans’ studios, and the Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen, paying homage to naturalist Thornton W. Burgess, a town resident and the creator of Peter Cottontail.

At the town line with Barnstable, you’ll find one of the Cape’s best beaches and protected areas: Sandy Neck Beach (see the “Barrier Beach Beauty” sidebar in “Barnstable”) and Sandy Neck Great Salt Marsh Conservation Area (see Green Space in “Barnstable”).

The marina, off Tupper Road, borders the Cape Cod Canal with a recreation area. The often-overlooked town beach is nothing to sneeze at, either, and there are numerous conservation areas and ponds for walking and swimming.

Although a surprising number of Sandwich’s 20,675 year-round residents commute to Boston every morning, their community dedication isn’t diminished. A perfect example took place after fierce storms in August and October 1991 destroyed the town boardwalk, which had served the community since 1875. To replace it, townspeople purchased more than 1,700 individual boards, each personally inscribed, and a new boardwalk was built within eight months.

The oldest town on the Cape, Sandwich was founded in 1637 by the Cape’s first permanent group of English settlers. The governor of Plymouth Colony had given permission to “tenn men from Saugust” (now Lynn, Massachusetts) to settle the area with 60 families. Sandwich was probably chosen for its close proximity to the Manomet (now Aptuxcet) Trading Post (see To See in “Bourne”) and for its abundant salt-marsh hay, which provided ready fodder for the settlers’ cows. Agriculture supported the community until the 1820s, when Deming Jarves, a Boston glass merchant, decided to open a glassmaking factory. The location couldn’t have been better: There was a good source of sand (although more was shipped in from New Jersey), sea salt was plentiful, salt-marsh hay provided packaging for the fragile goods, and forests were thick with scrub pines to fuel the furnaces. But by the 1880s, midwestern coal-fueled glassmaking factories and a labor strike shut down Sandwich’s factories. The story is told in great detail at the excellent Sandwich Glass Museum. Today, glassblowers work in a few studios in town.

Sandwich was named, by the way, for the English town, not for the sandwich-creator earl, as many think. (That Earl of Sandwich was born 81 years after this town was founded.)

PUMP THE HANDLE

Artesian fountain, between the grist-mill and Town Hall. Join residents by filling water jugs with what some consider the Cape’s best water, reportedly untainted by the plume of pollution that affects Upper Cape tap water.

GUIDANCE Sandwich Chamber of Commerce (508-833-9755; sandwichchamber.com), 510 Route 130. Information booth open mid-May to mid-October. Pick up the good village walking guide at this booth (and at many shops in town).

Cape Cod Canal Visitor Center (508-833-9678; capecodcanal.us), 60 Ed Moffit Drive, east of the Sandwich Marina. Open mid-May to late October. This office dispenses information about boating, fishing, camping, and other canal activities. Highlights of the center include historic photos, interactive monitors, and a small theater showing films on canal history, critters, and wildflowers. Inquire about their hikes, lectures, and other programs.

GETTING THERE By car: Take the Sagamore Bridge to Route 6 east to Exit 2 (Route 130 North) and travel 2 miles to Main Street. From Exit 1 and Route 6A, you can take Tupper Road or Main Street into the village center.

By bus: There is no bus service to Sandwich proper, but Plymouth & Brockton (508-778-9767; p-b.com) buses bound for Boston stop at the Sagamore Bridge, behind McDonald’s in the commuter parking lot. For points south and west, Bonanza (888-751-8800; peterpanbus.com) buses stop nearby in Bourne.

GETTING AROUND Sandwich Village is perfect for strolling, but you’ll have to get back in your car to reach the marina and Heritage Museums & Gardens (see To See).

PUBLIC RESTROOMS Seasonal restrooms are located across from Town Hall and at Russell’s Corner.

PUBLIC LIBRARY Sandwich Public Library (508-888-0625; sandwichpubliclbrary.com), 142 Main Street.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY Call 911.

It’s not an “emergency” (the kind you’d expect under this category, anyway), but many area water wells are closed due to contamination caused by years of training with grenades and other live munitions at the Massachusetts Military Reservation. I drink bottled water on the Upper Cape.

To See

IN SANDWICH VILLAGE

Dexter Grist Mill (508-888-4910), on Shawme Duck Pond, Water Street. Open mid-June to mid-October. The circa-1640 mill has had a multiuse past, and the site wasn’t always as quaint as it is now. The mill was turbine powered during Sandwich’s glassmaking heyday; it then sat idle until 1920, when it was converted into a tearoom. After adjacent mills were torn down in the late 1950s, it was opened to tourists in 1961, with the cypress waterwheel you see today. You can also purchase stone-ground cornmeal here—great for muffins, Indian pudding, and polenta. $.

DEXTER GRIST MILL

Hoxie House (508-888-1173), 18 Water Street. Open mid-June to mid-October. For a long time this circa-1640 structure was thought to be the Cape’s oldest saltbox, but it’s impossible to know definitively because the Barnstable County Courthouse deeds were lost in a fire. Nonetheless, the house has a rare saltbox roofline, small diamond-shaped leaded windows, and a fine vantage above Shawme Duck Pond. Thanks to loaner furniture from Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, the restored interior looks much as it did during colonial times. One of the most remarkable facts about this house is that it was occupied without electricity or indoor plumbing until the 1950s. The house was named for Abraham Hoxie, who purchased it in 1860 for $400. The Reverend John Smith lived here in 1675 when he came to be minister of the First Parish Church. The rather fun tours include more of a social historical view rather than emphasizing dates.

HOXIE HOUSE

HOXIE HOUSE WINDOWS

A PERFECT DAY IN SANDWICH

8:15	Grab a great bite at Café Chew.
9:30	Locate 17th-century gravestones at the Old Town Cemetery.
10:30	Fill glass containers with clear water from the artesian fountain.
10:45	Feed ducks, geese, and swans at Shawme Pond.
11:15	Visit one of a remarkable trio of houses dating to the mid–17th century: Wing Fort House, Hoxie House, or Benjamin Nye Homestead.
12:45	Gather bread, cheese, and wine from the Brown Jug.
2:00	Peruse used, rare, and new tomes at Titcomb’s Book Shop.
3:00	Learn about the process of glassmaking, and see stunning examples of antique glass, at the fine Sandwich Glass Museum.
6:30	Dine at Belfry Bistro.
8:30	Indulge in a hot fudge sundae from Twin Acres Ice Cream.

First Church of Christ (508-888-0434; firstchurchsandwich.org), 136 Main Street. This Christopher Wren–inspired church with a tall white spire was built in 1847, but its brass bell, cast in 1675, is thought to be the country’s oldest.

Town Hall (508-888-5144; sandwichmass.org), 130 Main Street. Sandwich has certainly gotten its money’s worth out of this Greek Revival building. It was constructed at a cost of little more than $4,000 in 1834 and still serves as the center for town government.

Old Town Cemetery, Grove Street, on the shore opposite the Hoxie House. You’ll recognize the names on many gravestones (including those of Burgess, Bodfish, and Bourne) from historic houses and street signs around town. Although the oldest marker dates to 1683, most are from the 1700s; many are marked with a winged skull, a common Puritan design.

ELSEWHERE AROUND TOWN

Heritage Museums & Gardens (508-888-3300; heritagemuseumsandgardens.org), 67 Grove Street. Open early April to late October. Established in 1969 by Josiah K. Lilly III, a descendant of the founder of the pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company, this place is an oasis for garden lovers, antiques and vintage-car buffs, and Americana enthusiasts. These 100 acres are planted with outstanding collections of rhododendrons, including the famous Dexter variety, which blooms from late May to early June. (Charles O. Dexter was the estate’s original owner, and he experimented with hybridizing here.) There are also impressive collections of holly bushes, heathers, hostas, hydrangeas, and more than 1,000 daylilies, which bloom from mid-July to early August. Don’t miss the labyrinth or the Hart family maze garden. The estate is equally pleasant for an autumn walk. Or have a go at their zip line (see To Do).

SAND TRANSFORMED

Sandwich Glass Museum (508-888-0251; sandwichglassmuseum.org), 129 Main Street. Open year-round except January. If you’re in the habit of skipping town historical museums, break the habit this time; you won’t be disappointed. During the 19th century, Sandwich glassmaking flourished at Deming Jarves’s Boston & Sandwich Glass Company (1825–1888) and the Cape Cod Glass Works (1859–1869). Today this internationally known museum, operated by the Sandwich Historical Society, chronologically displays more than 6,000 pieces of decorative and functional glass objects, which became increasingly more elaborate and richly colored as the years progressed. Many displays are dramatically backlit by natural light streaming through banks of windows. Check out the elaborate table setting featuring Hannah Rebecca Burgess’s late-1800s collection; a 20-minute multimedia presentation that describes the first 200 years of Sandwich’s history; and lots of changing seasonal exhibits. You’ll also enjoy glassblowing demonstrations and the contemporary gallery with changing exhibits. $.

Inquire about the museum’s excellent 90-minute village walking tours (mid-June through October).

The American History Museum features an extensive collection of bird carvings by Elmer Crowell in addition to a large array of hand-painted miniatures, while the J. K. Lilly III Antique Automobile Museum, in the replica Shaker Round Barn, houses the museum’s outstanding vintage-car collection. A 1930 Duesenberg built for Gary Cooper and President Taft’s White Steamer (the first official auto of the White House) are two of the mint-condition classics.

The Art Museum features folk art, scrimshaw, cigar-store figures, weather vanes, and Currier & Ives lithographs. Also on the grounds you’ll find an 1800 windmill, an operational Coney Island–style 1912 carousel, and a café. The alfresco café has a menu of overstuffed sandwiches, salads, and desserts. There is golf cart transportation for those who may need assistance. Keep your eyes peeled for museum special events, including plant sales, a rhododendron festival (see Special Events), concerts, and car shows. Gift and garden shop at the entrance. $$.

Benjamin Nye Homestead and Museum (508-888-4213; nyefamily.org), 85 Old County Road, East Sandwich. Open mid-June to mid-October. Off Route 6A, this 1685 homestead belonged to one of Sandwich’s first settlers and has undergone many structural changes over the years. Although it began life as a small, narrow house with a central chimney, an addition turned it into a saltbox. A second floor created the full Colonial you see today. Although the interior is hardly a purist restoration, you’ll see some of the original construction, early paneling, 18th-century wallpaper, a rosewood melodeon built by the Nye family in the 1850s, a spinning wheel, and handwoven sheets. $.

1641 Wing Fort House (508-833-1540; wingfamily.org), 63 Spring Hill Road (off Route 6A), East Sandwich. Open mid-June to September. The Wing house is the country’s oldest home continuously inhabited by the same family. This circa-1646 house began as a one-room cottage when Stephen Wing, descendant of the Reverend John Wing, arrived with his new bride. In the mid-1800s, a second house was added to it to create the current three-quarter Colonial. $.

Friends Meeting House (508-398-3773), 6 Quaker Road, off Spring Hill Road (from Route 6A), East Sandwich. Meetings every Sunday. The building standing today was built in 1810, the third Quaker meetinghouse on this site. The congregation has been meeting since 1657, which makes it the oldest continuously used meeting house in North America. The interior is simple, with pews and a wood-burning stove stoked in winter for 25 or so congregants.

FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE

Sandwich Fish Hatchery (508-888-0008; masswildlife.org), 164 Route 6A at Old Main Street. Open daily. More than 200,000 trout at various stages of development are raised to stock the state’s ponds. Throw in pellets of food (bring quarters for the vending machines) and watch ’em swarm.

Boardwalk, Harbor Street off Factory Street. The boardwalk crosses marshland, Mill Creek, and low dunes to connect to Town Neck Beach (see Green Space). Depending on the season, you might see teens jumping into the creek (1½ hours before and after high tide, when the water is theoretically deep enough) or blue heron poking around the tidal pools and tall grasses. There are expansive views at the end of the 1,350-foot walkway.

To Do

BLUEBERRY PICKING The Blueberry Bog (508-888-1560), 92 Spring Hill off Route 6A. In the 1940s, this former cranberry bog was turned into a blueberry farm. Today there are about 400 bushes on more than 4 acres. Pick your own from late-July to August.

BICYCLING Ecotourz (508-888-1627; ecotourz.net), 20 Jarves Street. In addition to bikes, these folks offer kayak rentals and estuary tours. Open mid-April to early November. Bike rentals by the hour ($), day ($$), or multiday ($$$–$$$$).

CANOEING & KAYAKING Shawme Duck Pond, Water Street (Route 130), is actually linked to two other ponds, so you can do a lot of canoeing here.

Scorton Creek. Head east on Route 6A, turn right onto a gravel road before reaching the Scorton Creek Bridge. This is a good place for picnics, too.

Wakeby Pond, off Cotuit Road, South Sandwich.

FARMERS’ MARKET On the village green, 164 Route 6A, June through October (Tuesday 9 AM-1 PM).

FISHING Procure freshwater and saltwater fishing licenses and regulations online.

Sandcatcher Recreation Area and Scusset Beach State Reservation pier (off Scusset Beach Road from the rotary on the mainland side of the canal) are good places to cast a line into the canal.

GOLF Holly Ridge Golf Club (508-428-5577; hollyridgegolf.com), off Route 130, South Sandwich. An award-winning, 18-hole, 3,000-yard, par-54 course.

Sandwich Hollows Golf Club (508-888-3384; sandwichhollows.com), Exit 3 off Route 6, East Sandwich. An 18-hole, par-71 course.

MINI-GOLF Sandwich Mini Golf (508-833-1905; sandwichminigolf.net), 159 Route 6A. Open mid-May to mid-October and daily in summer. This course is set on a cranberry bog and boasts a floating raft for a green. An honest-to-goodness stream winds around many of the 35 holes. $–$$.

SCENIC RAILROAD Cape Cod Central Railroad (888-797-7245 for tickets; capetrain.com), 70 Main Street, Buzzards Bay. Late May through late October. The relaxing 48-mile trip takes two hours and passes alongside cranberry bogs and the Sandy Neck Great Salt Marsh. (I always try to have “beginner’s eyes” on this trip, seeing it as a first-timer would, but honestly, the scenery is a tad . . . shall we say, uneventful.) On certain days in July and August, when there are two trains daily, you can take the first one from Hyannis, hop off in Sandwich, walk around Sandwich center for three hours, and then catch the next train back to Hyannis. The best part of this trip is the local narration—unless you’ve never been on a train before, in which case the simple act of taking a train will tickle you more. Oh, and the dinner part of the dinner train? They serve a pretty decent meal. $$$.

TENNIS Public courts are located at Wing Elementary School on Route 130; Oak Ridge School and Sandwich High School, both off Quaker Meetinghouse Road; and Forestdale School off Route 130.

ZIP LINE The Adventure Park at Heritage Museums and Gardens (508-866-0199), 67 Grove Street. This aerial obstacle course and zip line has been fun for the whole family since it opened in 2015. Open daily in summer, weekends in fall. $$$–$$$$.

Green Space

Shawme Duck Pond, Water Street (Route 130), in the village center. Flocks of ducks, geese, and swans know a good thing when they find it. And even though this idyllic spot is one of the most easily accessible on the Cape, it remains a tranquil place for humans and waterfowl alike. Formerly a marshy brook, the willow-lined pond was dammed prior to the gristmill operating in the 1640s. It’s a nice spot to canoe.

SHAWME POND

Shawme-Crowell State Forest (877-422-6762 reservations; reserveamerica.com), Route 130. You can walk, bicycle, and camp at almost 300 sites on almost 750 acres. When the popular Nickerson State Park (see the sidebar “A Supreme State Park” in “Brewster”) is full of campers, there are often dozens of good sites still available here. There are also a few yurts; reservations required.

Scusset Beach State Reservation (877-422-6762 reservations; reserveamerica.com), on Cape Cod Bay, off Scusset Beach Road from the mainland side of the canal. The 380-acre reservation offers about 100 campsites (primarily used by RVers) in-season (early May to mid-October), bicycling, picnicking, and walking opportunities. Facilities include camping, in-season lifeguard, restrooms, changing rooms, and a snack bar. Parking $.

See also Giving Tree Gallery and Sculpture Gardens under Selective Shopping.

BEACHES Town Neck Beach, on Cape Cod Bay, off Town Neck Road and Route 6A. This pebble beach extends 1.5 miles from the Cape Cod Canal to Dock Creek. Visit at high tide if you want to swim; at low tide it’s great for walking. $. The lot rarely fills up.

See also Scusset Beach State Reservation, above.

PONDS Wakeby Pond (off Cotuit Road), South Sandwich, offers freshwater swimming and picnicking.

IT IS A WONDERFUL THING TO SWEETEN THE WORLD

Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen (508-888-6870; thorntonburgess.org), 6 Discovery Hill Road off Route 6A, East Sandwich. Trails open year-round. Jam-cooking demonstrations most days April to December. Even in an area with so many tranquil spots, Green Briar rises to the top. It’s run by the Thornton W. Burgess Society “to re-establish and maintain nature’s fine balance among all living things and to hold as a sacred trust the obligation to make only the best use of natural resources.” Located on Smiling Pond and adjacent to the famous Briar Patch of Burgess’s stories, this big patch of conservation land has many short interpretive nature trails (less than a mile long), a lovely wildflower garden, and a veritable Noah’s Ark of resident animals. The society hosts natural history classes, lectures, nature walks, and other programs for children and adults.

The Jam Kitchen was established in 1903 by Ida Putnam, who used her friend Fanny Farmer’s recipes to make jams, jellies, and fruit preserves. Step inside the old-fashioned, aromatic, and homey place to see mason jars filled with apricots and strawberries, and watch fruit simmering on vintage-1920 Glenwood gas stoves. Two-hour workshops (sign up in advance) on preserving fruit and making jams and jellies are also held. About this place, Burgess said to Putnam in 1939, “It is a wonderful thing to sweeten the world which is in a jam and needs preserving.” Berry festivals are held throughout summer: look for strawberries in June, blueberries in August, and cranberries in September.

GREEN BRIAR JAM KITCHEN

GREEN BRIAR JAM TRAILS

GIVING TREE GALLERY

WALKS Talbot’s Point Salt Marsh Wildlife Reservation, off Old County Road from Route 6A. This little-used, 1.5-mile (round-trip) hiking trail winds past red pines, beeches, and a large salt marsh.

See also Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen and Shawme-Crowell State Forest.

Lodging

Sandwich’s historic hostelries provide great diversity and something for everyone—from an incredibly impressive church conversion to a large motor inn.

RESORT MOTOR INN Dan’l Webster Inn & Spa (508-888-3622; danlwebsterinn.com), 149 Main Street. Modeled after an 18th-century hostelry where Revolutionary patriots met, today’s motor inn has a certain colonial charm that’s vigilantly maintained by the Catanias, owners since 1980. Most of the 48 traditionally decorated rooms and suites are of the top-notch motel/hotel variety. A minority are more distinctively innlike and found in two separate older houses. Touring motor coaches are part of the parking lot landscape. $$–$$$.

INNS Belfry Inn (508-844-4542; belfryinn.com), 8 Jarves Street. Innkeeper Chris Wilson presides over the center of town (and the town’s wedding business) with the circa-1900 Abbey, the circa-1879 Painted Lady, and the 1830s Federal-style Village House. Between the three, there are 23 guest rooms appointed with fine antiques and tasteful furnishings. Abbey rooms are downright spectacular: outfitted with stained glass, flying buttresses, fancy linens, bold colors, beds made from pews, gas fireplaces, Jacuzzis, and balconies. Chris and his architect deserve awards for this spectacular conversion, which consistently wins rave reviews. Most Painted Lady rooms have whirlpools, while Village House rooms are relatively modest with hardwood floors (some bleached) and down comforters. The Belfry also offers dining to the public (see Dining Out). Full breakfast included. $–$$$.

BED & BREAKFASTS Isaiah Jones Homestead (508-888-9115; isaiahjones.com), 165 Main Street. This Victorian gem in the middle of the village deserves your full attention. Filled with killer antiques and showing lots of elegant decorating prowess (they’re not as fussy as the website photos suggest), there isn’t one single room I’d hesitate to recommend. For more privacy, though, choose the adjacent carriage house with whirlpool tubs, robes, and upscale amenities. Presiding since 2007, the delightful innkeepers Katherine and Donnie Sanderson (he grew up in Chatham) serve a three-course breakfast (think French toast that’s more akin to soufflé) and wonderful special-occasion dinners. They’ve also outfitted each of their seven rooms with either a fireplace or gas stove. $$.

1750 Inn at Sandwich Center (508-888-6958; innatsandwich.com), 118 Tupper Road. Expert hospitality is a watchword at this five-room inn operated by lovely innkeepers Jan and Charlie Preus. They serve delicious breakfasts (like macadamia nut French toast or quichettes served in individual ramekins) in the keeping room—complete with a beehive oven—or on the patio. And they set out brandy and chocolates in the evening. Guests gather in the living room surrounded by period architectural details and are regaled with vivid stories about the inn’s history. The two choice guest rooms, painted in soothing colors, are the upper floor front rooms. Come off-season to best enjoy the fireplaces (in most rooms). $–$$.

COTTAGES & MOTELS Spring Garden Inn (508-888-0710), 578 Route 6A, East Sandwich. Open April through October. Reserve early if you can; this is one of the best motels on Route 6A. Although modest from the street, the bilevel motel overlooks a salt marsh and the Scorton River, particularly beautiful at sunset. The peaceful backyard is dotted with lawn chairs, grills, and picnic tables. Owner Steve Lang has eight carpeted rooms with knotty-pine paneling, two double beds, and refrigerator. In addition, there are two efficiencies and a two-room suite with a private deck. $.

ISAIAH JONES HOMESTEAD

1750 INN AT SANDWICH CENTER

CAMPGROUND Peters Pond Park (508-477-1775; peterspond.com), 185 Cotuit Road. Open mid-April to mid-October. Call for current status. At last look the RV resort offered more than 450 well-groomed campsites, cottages, yurts, walking trails, summertime children’s activities, a ball field, two beaches, a campfire ring, and a popular spring-fed lake for trout and bass fishing, boating, and swimming. Rental rowboats, paddleboats, and kayaks were also available. $.

See also Shawme-Crowell State Forest and Scusset Beach State Reservation under Green Space.

RENTAL HOUSES & COTTAGES Beach Realty (508-888-4998; beachrealtycapecod.com), 133 North Shore Boulevard, East Sandwich.

Where to Eat

Sandwich eateries run the gamut, from fine dining in a former church to casual eating in a tiny tea shop.

DINING OUT Belfry Bistro (508-888-8550; belfryinn.com), 8 Jarves Street. Open L, D. The quiet setting (inside a converted church) is divinely dramatic—with soaring beadboard ceilings, stained glass, interior flying buttresses, a confessional converted into a tasteful bar, and a former altar set with tables. It’s also elegant—with candlelight, damask-covered tables, high-backed leather chairs, and a wood-burning fireplace. Tasteful alfresco terrace dining is available, but it seems a waste not to sit indoors here. Chef Toby offers a menu ranging from simple (like clam chowder or fish-and-chips) to sophisticated (like tuna carpaccio nicoise or brioche-crusted codfish). The experience is as much about the food as the setting. L $$, D $$–$$$$.

Amari (508-375-0011; amarirestaurant.com), 674 Route 6A, East Sandwich. Open D. On the town line with Barnstable and near Sandy Neck Beach, Bob and Maureen Hixon’s upscale but comfortable eatery has a little something—with big portions—for everyone. Dine within sight of an open kitchen, surrounded by lots of mahogany, on Italian cooking with a contemporary flair. Best bets include wood oven pizza and fried calamari. $$.

BELFRY BISTRO

Dan’l Webster Inn (508-888-3622; danlwebsterinn.com), 149 Main Street. Open B, L, D. Just so you’re not wondering, this kitchen serves classic American dishes (think prime rib and filet mignon) in comfortable dining rooms. The sunlit Conservatory resembles a greenhouse; the Music Room is more traditional; and the casual Tavern has lighter fare. B $, L $–$$, D $$–$$$.

EATING OUT Café Chew (508-888-7717; cafechew.com), 4 Merchant’s Road. Open B, L, D. Dubbed “Sandwich’s Sandwichery,” the delightful Chew offers sandwiches from a blackboard menu, a full line of fair trade organic coffees, and artsy tables at which to dine. There are plenty of reasons owners Tobin and Bob win tons of awards: Their renowned German breakfast sandwich features eggs with melted Gruyère cheese and ham encased in a Bavarian pretzel roll. The Midwestern lunch sandwich boasts homemade meat loaf with cheddar cheese, bacon, and tomato relish on ciabatta bread. And don’t even get me started about their mint chocolate brownie. For kids, the peanut butter is paired with all-natural preserves. Soups, specialty salads, and daily specials, too. $.

CAFÉ CHEW

BROWN JUG

The Brown Jug (508-888-4669; thebrownjug.com), 1 Jarves Street. Proprietor Michael Johnston tastes everything he sells at his specialty food-and-wine-shop-cum-café. And what taste he has! Bostonians and New Yorkers whizzing to points elsewhere have all the reason they need to detour in Sandwich: artisan cheese, pâtés, dozens of kinds of salt, caviar, pastas, gravlax, breads, and more. Furthermore, the wine store is one of the best I’ve wandered, with bottles in the $10–$100 range; they even carry my favorite and little-known Gruet champagne from New Mexico. Check out the Friday night wine tastings and the cappuccino bar. Miss The Brown Jug at your peril.

Dunbar Tea Room & Gift Shop (508-833-2485; dunbarteashop.com), 1 Water Street. Open L. I always want to love this tiny English tearoom, set in a slightly rustic, American-style country setting. But in my experience, service can be “relaxed” and less than friendly, and the portions small. Still, if you want, try the authentic ploughman’s lunch or scones and Scottish shortbread. Afternoon English tea includes scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts. In summer, garden tables are an oasis; in winter, the fireplace makes it cozy indoors. L $–$$.

Marshland Restaurant (508-888-9824; marshlandrestaurant.com), 109 Route 6A. Open B, L, D. It’s primarily locals who frequent this small, informal roadside place for coffee and a breakfast muffin—or lunch specials like homemade meat loaf, quiche with great salads, and chicken club sandwiches. They serve real mashed potatoes for dinner, too, along with large portions of out-of-this-world good stuffed quahogs. Eat at one of the Formica booths or on a swiveling seat at the U-shaped counter. B $, L $–$$, D $–$$.

Beth’s Bakery (508-888-7716; bethsbakery.net), 16 Jarves Street. Beth and Joe, lifetime residents of Sandwich, offer light breakfasts, scones and such, soups, salads, and sandwiches. Patio and indoor seating and local Beanstock coffee, too. Dishes $.

Seafood Sam’s (508-888-4629; seafoodsams.com), 6 Coast Guard Road. Open L, D, early March to mid-November. This casual spot near the marina serves fried and broiled seafood, seafood sandwiches, and seafood salad plates. L $, D $$.

DRINKS Horizons (508-888-0060; hoizonsonthebay.com), 98 Town Neck Road. Open seasonally. This is a nice place for an afternoon drink on the deck; views are spectacular.

ICE CREAM Twin Acres Ice Cream Shoppe (508-888-0566; twinacresicecreamshoppe.com), 21 Route 6A. Open April to mid-October. The best in the area. The shop also boasts a lush lawn, a little oak grove, and plenty of tables and chairs. (It sure beats standing in a parking lot!) It’s lit at night, too. My only complaint: There’s so much colorful signage describing the offerings that it’s overwhelming. To compensate, I’ve returned often enough to memorize the menu. Generous servings; banana boats, hot fudge sundaes, and an ample grill menu at lunchtime through late September.

Entertainment

Band concerts, at the Wing School off Route 130, are given by the Sandwich Town Band on Thursday evenings at 7:30 in July and August.

Selective Shopping

Unless otherwise noted, all shops are open year-round. (Still, don’t expect many to be open midweek during the winter.)

ANTIQUES Sandwich Antiques Center (508-833-3600), 131 Route 6A. A multidealer shop worth your time . . . if you treasure the hunt.

Maypop Lane (508-888-1230), Route 6A at Main Street. With many dealers under one roof, there’s a broad selection: decoys, quilts, jewelry, sterling, copper, brass, glass, furniture, and other collectibles and antiques.

AUCTIONS Sandwich Auction House (508-888-1926; sandwichauction.com), 15 Tupper Road. Consignment estate sales are held once a week. Call about their monthly super-duper Oriental rug auction.

BROWN JUG

TITCOMBS BOOK SHOP

BOOKSTORE Titcomb’s Book Shop (508-888-2331; titcombsbookshop.com), 432 Route 6A, East Sandwich. Book enthusiasts won’t be disappointed; rare-book lovers will be even happier; and online shoppers in heaven. This three-story barn is filled with more than 30,000 new, used, and rare books for adults and children, a good selection of Cape and maritime books, educational toys and puzzles, and cards by Tasha Tudor. Personalized service is exceptional: The Titcombs have owned and staffed the shop since 1969 and, with the help of their eight children, have made hundreds of yards of shelves. It’s a charming place, promoting browsing. By the way, owner Nancy Titcomb helped resurrect interest in Thornton W. Burgess, and, as you might imagine, she offers a great selection of his work. Titcomb’s was recently selected by the International Booksellers Federation as one of 50 unique bookshops around the world. Check the website for book signings and other special events.

SPECIAL SHOPS Giving Tree Gallery and Sculpture Gardens (508-888-5446), 550 Route 6A, East Sandwich. Open March to December. The fabu gallery’s motto might as well be “Where Art and Nature Meet.” It’s a wonderful and aesthetically pleasing place. Outdoor sculpture is exhibited on acres of marshland with nature paths, perennial gardens, and a bamboo grove. And the rope suspension bridge out to the marsh is fun for kids. But don’t overlook the indoor gallery, featuring mainly the work of hundreds of jewelry artists.

Glass Studio (508-888-6681; capecodglass.net/the-studio), 470 Route 6A, East Sandwich. Open April through December. Artist Michael Magyar offers a wide selection of glass made with modern and centuries-old techniques. He’s been glassblowing since 1980, and you can watch him work most weekends in season. Choose from graceful Venetian goblets, square vases, bud vases, handblown ornaments, and “sea bubbles” glassware, influenced by the water around him.

The Weather Store (508-888-1200; theweatherstore.com), 146 Main Street. If it relates to measuring or predicting weather, it’s here: weather vanes, sundials, and weather sticks to indicate when a storm is headed your way.

Home for the Holidays (508-888-4388), 154 Main Street. Each room of this 1850 house is filled with decorations and gifts geared to specific holidays or special occasions. Items in one room are changed every month, so there’s always a room devoted to the current holiday.

Horsefeathers (508-888-5298), 454 Route 6A, East Sandwich. This small shop sells linens, lace, Victoriana, teacups, and vintage christening gowns.

Collections Unlimited (508-833-0039; collectionsgallery.com), 23a Jarves Street. Handcrafted items—wood objects, pottery, baskets, stained glass, and the like—from members of the Cape’s longest-running cooperative (since 1990).

Mrs. Mugs (508-362-6462; mrsmugs.com), 680 Route 6A, East Sandwich. Reader Janet Grant (no relation) and my mother (relation) write enthusiastically about this place, which has mugs (of course) but also funky T-shirts, unique watches, locally made jewelry, and what has to be the largest selection of Crocs on the Cape. The beloved owner, Lori Simon, offers gifts for all price ranges.

Crow Farm (508-888-0690; crowfarmcapecod.com), 192 Route 6A, East Sandwich. Open May to December. In addition to jams, jellies, corn, summer squash, native peaches, and bread, Paul Crowell’s farm stand also offers cornmeal ground at the local gristmill.

See also Green Briar Nature Center & Jam Kitchen under Green Space and The Brown Jug under Eating Out.

Special Events

Late June: Sandwich Fest (sandwichfest.com). This sandwich contest was hugely popular when it debuted in 2009.

Mid- to late May: Annual Rhododendron Festival (508-888-3300; heritagemuseumsandgardens.org). Includes a rhododendron canopy walk, photography and other workshops, on-site flower experts, and more. And for families: scavenger hunts, nature detectives, and other games.

GIVING TREE GALLERY

Late November through December: Holly Days (508-833-9755; sandwichhollydays.com). A chamber-sponsored festival with caroling, hot cider served at open houses, trolley tours, and crafts sales. The full calendar is listed on the chamber’s website.