The Sound of Music

It seems as if the Cape is "alive with the sound of music"! Sorry, I couldn't resist. The play of "The Sound of Music" is playing on the Cape for the next few weeks. The Academy Playhouse in Orleans is presenting the Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical on Thurdays through Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 2PM (special matinee on March 8th at 4:30).

For more information call 508-255-1963. With the cheerful music of "Bye Bye Birdie" and "The Sound of Music" it should be easy to get rid of the winter blues. We're still offering weekend specials at the Tidewater, so call us at 508-775-6322.

Voula

Bye Bye Birdie

Everyone around me has had either the flu or a stomach virus, including myself. With this long winter, it's time to find some cheer until spring comes along. I found the perfect venue: the Harwich Winter Theatre Presents "Bye Bye Birdie" until March 15th. This cheerful musical plays on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30PM with matinees on Sundays. I don't want to age myself, but I remember loving the movie version when it came out in the early 60's. Being a young immigrant girl from a village in Greece, I had never seen anything like this. I loved the music and dancing and thought it was the best movie ever!

To get more information on the play, you can call the box office at 508-432-2002 or visit their website at www.hjtcapecod.org.

Voula

Hyannis Marathon is here!

As I mentioned earlier, the Hyannis Marathon is this weekend, Sunday the 22nd at 10am. If you don't have accommodations yet, we do have a few rooms left. We are offering late checkout on Sunday so that runners can come back after the race and shower or enjoy a soak in our hot tub. Our breakfast diner will also be open for a hearty breakfast before the race.

Voula

Mardi Gras on Cape Cod

We lived in Mobile, Alabama for 10 years where Mardi Gras was a week long celebration with balls and parades. These balls and parades were a big part of the old Mobile culture and preparation was often year long. Mobile has the oldest Mardi Gras celebration and the second largest in the country. New Orleans, of course, has the the most popular and largest Mardi Gras celebration. We used to enjoy going to the parades every night where the revelers on the float would throw candy, necklaces, coins, and moon pies. My two girls looked forward to Mardi Gras and moon pies were their favorite. Fat Tuesday was the culminating celebration before the beginning of lent with parades all day long. When we were moving a few years ago I found a box full of colorful Mardi Gras necklaces from close to twenty years ago. Brought back wonderful memories!

Why these Mardi Gras reminisces? I never even knew it was Mardi Gras until I saw in the paper that the 24th is Fat Tuesday. In Mobile the whole city is anxiously anticipated the balls, parades and parties but in the North it's hardly noticed. As I was reading the Cape Cod Times I saw that comedians Jimmy Dunn, Paul Nardizzi and Eric Hurst will perform some of their best material at "Mardi Gras Comedy Night" to benefit Our Lady of Victory Parish, 230 S. Main Street in Centerville. It begins with hors d'oeuvres at 6pm, followed by a New Orleans-themed dinner at 7pm and the show at 8pm. Not New Orleans or Mobile style celebrations, but it does sound like a fun evening.

Voula

School Vacation Has Begun

After a very quiet winter season, it's wonderful to see so much activity. This afternoon our indoor pool was filled with voices and laughter. Fortunately, this is a very large atrium style room filled with sunshine in the afternoon. Kids and their parents were enjoying the pool or enjoying the sunshine as they lounged in the chairs. In the afternoon, we had an ice cream social and this evening will be movies and popcorn.

The weather has been beautiful. Sunny and in the 40's during the day. Perfect for a hike or walk on the beach. We were almost sold out this weekend, but have more availability during the week. So if you haven't made plans...come on down.

Voula

Hyannis Marathon

It's time for the Hyannis Marathon once again. This increasingly popular marathon has closed registration already at 4200 runners. This year's special guests will be Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter. They will be at Palio Pizzeria on Saturday, February 21, where you can join them for food and drinks. For a complete schedule of events visit www.hyannismarathon.com.

If you haven't booked a room yet, the Tidewater is offering accommodations at the discount rate of $69.99 for Friday and Saturday night and $49.99 on Sunday night if you would like to soak in our hot tub after the race. Call us at 508-775-6322 to book or for more information.

Voula

Affordable Getaway

Talking to my guests and potential guests and discussing what the Cape has to offer is what I enjoy most about my job. During the off season when we all wear many hats to save on payroll costs, I spend much of my time answering reservation telephone calls. A few days ago I spoke to a mother who told me her family needed a break from this messy winter and was thinking about coming to the Cape. She originally had thought of going North to the ski slopes but the costs were way too steep for her budget. She saw our ad in her local paper with our special rates for school vacation week and was surprised at how affordable it was.

She said that she had never thought of coming to the Cape in the winter and with our indoor heated pool it would be a great place to relax and entertain the kids at the same time. That was exactly the message I was trying to send and this mother said it better than I could. While this is peak season at the ski resorts, it is off season on the Cape and the Cape is a wonderful value. While we are in the business to make money, it's also good to see that by offering reasonable rates, some families that would not be able to go on vacation are able to get away for a few days of relaxation and quality time with the kids.

If your budget is limited, perhaps you can still get away from the routine for a day or two and ejoy the Cape off season. The Tidewater is still offering the special of $59.99 midweek and $69.99 on weekends.

Voula

February School Vacation Activities

February School Vacation is only a few weeks away! The Tidewater is offering an affordable getaway for families. Our special for the week is as follows:

      $59.99 Sunday - Thursday
      $69.99 Friday & Saturday

Of course, you can enjoy quality time around the pool with the family, but there's also lots of activities for children and families during the week for February School Vacation. I've listed a few options below, but will keep you posted on more activities. Don't forget that our 50's style breakfast diner, Helen's Diner, will be open for the week for a hearty, homecooked meal.

There's a great website for families and children that lists fun things to do with kids on the Cape and has a current calendar of activities: http://www.capecodkidz.com/
The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, www.ccmnh.org, in Brewster has a whole week of events planned which take place everyday at 1PM. For detailed information, visit their website or call them at 508-896-3867.

The Cape Cod Children's Musuem in Mashpee also has a special activities for vacation along with their usual hands-on exhibits, pirate ship, and indoor planetrium. 508-539-8788

The Salt Pond Visitor's Center in Eastham (508-255-3421) and the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (508-349-2615) both have nature oriented events including nature hikes, exhibits and workshops.

The Green Briar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen (What a great name!) offer nature trails, jam kitchen, and programs for adults and children. 508-888-6870.

Hyannis Public Library, Downtown Hyannis

I've listed a few activities, but there's many more commercial options such as Ryan Entertainment Center which has bowling and video games. Zooquarium and free tours of the Cape Cod Chip Factory.

We are booking quickly, so if you want an inexpensive getaway give us a call at 508-775-6322.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Voula

Winter Again

On Monday it felt as if spring had arrived on the Cape. All the snow had melted and it was sunny and in the mid 50's. I went for a short walk to the beach and on my return was itching to start gardening. But I knew it was a "false" spring, just a tease. Yesterday, winter arrived again and it snowed all day and through most of the night. I woke to a winter wonderland. It was beautiful, but I still prefer spring.

Today has warmed up and the snow is starting to melt. This weekend will be in the high 40's, so maybe it will disappear. I didn't feel this strongly about winter when I lived in the mountainous Berkshires which had many ski resorts nearby, but being on the Cape and close to the ocean, winter is more of a nuisance to me.

We are getting ready for February School Vacation at the Tidewater. The Museum of Natural History and Museum of Art are offering special events for families. The Mass Audubon Center in Wellfleet is also offering nature events. I'll give more details tomorrow on other child-oriented activities.

Voula