The High Pointe Inn on Cape Cod: Award-winning Bed and Breakfast Overlooking Cape Cod Bay

What could be more fun at this time of year, than revisiting old traditions and discovering new ones? A traditionalist at heart, I love recreating holiday rites from my childhood, but as the explorer and adventurer I aspire to be, I never shy away from trying something new. When the days grow shorter, and darkness seems to shroud the landscape, having a new adventure to look forward to always lifts my spirits. So I’m delighted to have some annual Cape Cod holiday events to return to this year, and will make an effort to sample some new venues as time and inspiration allow. Come visit Cape Cod for the holidays…we always have a room for you at our Cape Cod Bed and Breakfast Inn, the  High Pointe Inn in West Barnstable, MA. See event details below.

Heritage Museum & Gardens’ annual celebration of lights, Gardens Aglow, will be held each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5 to 9 p.m. beginning on November 26th and concluding on December 19th. During that time, the grounds will be sparkling with lights, the auto and art museums will be adorned for the season and feature a Gingerbread Exhibit created by the area’s most talented bakers. There will also be holiday performers, drop-in craft activities, and visits from Santa. On December 16th, Heritage will host a cocktail party and light viewing prior to a special performance of the Chatham Choral Chamber Singers.

The Church of the Transfiguration at Rock Harbor in Orleans invites all to the annual celebration of the Advent Service of Lessons and Carols on November 27th and 28th. This candle-lit service opens the season of Advent, with Scripture readings, prayers, and music sung by Gloriae Dei Cantores at the Church of the Transfiguration. The celebration on Saturday, November 27th will be at 7:30 pm; the celebration on Sunday, November 28th will be at 3 p.m. Doors open one hour prior to each service.

Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra will host its annual Holiday Pops Spectacular from December 3-5 at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center on West Main Street. Rekindle fond memories of the holidays with a merry medley of old favorites including “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Little Drummer Boy.” The December 3rd concerts will be held at 4 and 8 PM and the December 4th concert will be at 3 PM .

Christmas Holly Days in Sandwich begins Friday, December 3 and continues through Sunday, December 5. Special events include the north Pole Express, a magical train ride to see Santa and his elves at the North pole; plus an opportunity to tour beautifully decorated homes in a pristine New England Village.

25th Annual Christmas Stroll in Yarmouthport. Stroll along Route 6A in the village of Yarmouth Port, Sunday, December 5th, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The businesses, restaurants, bed & breakfasts and museums welcome the public with holiday decorations, food and music of the season along with Santa arriving on a horse-drawn hay wagon.

The Coonamesset Inn in Falmouth will host an Elizabethan Yuletide Madrigal Feast on December 14. Mastersingers will recreate the magic of an Elizabethan feasting hall with a sumptuous meal, gorgeous period costumes, plus music and entertainment.

Dexter Rhodies

Just up the street from our inn here in West Barnstable, MA is Heritage Museum and Gardens, formerly known as Heritage Plantation. The beautifully landscaped grounds of the Museum are a naturalized woodland park on the edge of upper Shawme Pond in Sandwich, MA. Founded by the Lilly family, of Eli Lilly and Company fame, to house several of the family’s collections, the grounds encompass nearly 100 acres. Lovely at any time of year, the gardens really come alive in late May and June, when hundreds of Dexter Rhododendrons burst into showy bloom.

Heritage Antique Automobile Museum Set among the gardens are three unique museums, the most prominent being a Shaker-style round barn near the entrance of the Museum that houses the J. K. Lilly III Antique Automobile Collection. A stunning display of antique automobiles, the museum features over thirty antique American automobiles, including a 2020 Ford Model T, which our grandchildren loved to sit in and pretend to drive. Nearby is the American History Museum, which hosts an impressive collection of military miniatures, antique firearms, and the distinguished bird carvings of master carvers A. Elmer and Cleon Crowell.

The Art Museum houses two exhibition galleries. The first is a folk art gallery with portraits, weathervanes, Nantucket baskets, scrimshaw, shop signs, and other fine examples of American folk art. In the past the North Gallery exhibits included Currier & Ives lithographs and a wide variety of fine art paintings from New England. This year, however, it will feature the art of Frank Vining Smith, one of the last painters to focus his efforts on depicting the Golden Age of Sail.

Heritage Museum Carousel

The real draw of a visit to Heritage, especially for our grandkids, is the hand-carved antique carousel, which was purchased in 2020, ostensibly to entice more women to the museum. Located in the Art Museum, the carousel was made by Charles I. D. Looff. A ride on the carousel is free with admission and sparks ear-to-ear grins and shouts of delight from all who alight.

Also on the grounds is the Old East Windmill, which was originally built in 2020 in Orleans, MA. The windmill was purchased by the Lilly family in2020,and moved to its present location where it was restored and fitted with an electric drive. Surrounding the windmill are gardens of roses, hydrangea, day lilies, and hosta.

We enjoy walking the miles of paved paths throughout the grounds, which are dotted with benches every few feet so that you can sit in the shade and enjoy the view. Parking is free and complimentary shuttles operate in the middle hours of the day on weekends for those not inclined to walk. Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic, or take advantage of the seasonal café. The museum is open from April through October, though several special programs and workshops are offered throughout the year. Occasionally on summer evenings, Heritage hosts a family movie night or music concert in its outdoor concert theater.

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Sand Dollar Sea Dream Moonglow

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70 High Street,West Barnstable, MA 20208
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