Cape Cod is classic New England summer: colorful clam shacks, weathered shingle cottages and miles of peaceful beaches. Known to locals simply as the Cape, it's long been a favorite escape for New Englanders. Cozy inns sit near rolling sand dunes, bike trails wind through the woods, and kayaks and fishing boats dot the shoreline. Life slows down here, and that's the whole point. It may attract celebrities, but the Cape is down-to-earth and laid-back at heart.

The Cape is divided into four regions, the Upper, Mid, Lower and Outer Cape, and each has its own feel. Head out to Provincetown, a lively, artsy and especially LGBTQ-friendly harbor town with quirky galleries and some of the best whale watching on the East Coast. Then visit Sandwich, the Cape's oldest town, for glassblowing demonstrations and historic homes. In between, explore the dramatic dunes and beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

A few days gives you a great taste of the beaches, views and seafood, but a week or more lets you truly settle in. I'll match you with the right town and cottage or inn, and plan your whale watch and island day trips to Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard.