We planned to go to Orleans, Cape Cod, for the sunset, but we could leave a little early, so we decided to make a little more of the evening.
Orleans is around 95 miles from my home in Franklin. It’s a 5-mile-wide town, so within a short drive you can explore the Atlantic Ocean to Cape Cod Bay.
We reached Nauset Beach around 4:30 PM. The parking lot attendant was already gone, so I have a feeling they start leaving around 4, not 4:30. Most Cape beaches have free parking after 4:30 PM on summer days, with charged parking during the summer months, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
https://www.orleanscapecod.org/2026/08/14/nauset-beach-cape-cod-national-seashore/
Nauset Beach is a long, miles-long sandy beach. The sand is beautiful and very fine.
The water was cold, but that's what the Atlantic Ocean up north is! The waves are stronger, but the beach is beautifully smooth and sandy.
It is one of the best places to have a picnic, or maybe go for a sunrise—not in summer, but spring and fall would be a decent time. You can just walk along the beach and collect beautiful, shaped stones.
There are bathrooms and showers, and during the day there are a lot of food trucks as well.
We stayed there for around 45 minutes and then decided to drive to Hog Island Beer Co. for a quick beer. https://hogislandbeerco.com/
A quick beer at a brewery on a sunny, warm evening.
It sounded like a good idea at that time.
The plan was to eat at some local place, but since we decided to add Nauset Beach to the evening, I wanted to have more time at the sunset beach. So we decided to just eat at the brewery.
They had live music, and it was totally packed.
Somehow, that place was full of a lot of senior citizens. And I realized that it was actually a pretty fun thing for them to get together in the evening, have a beer, and watch live music. 😊
We ordered a sausage plate, some shrimp, clam chowder, and fish and chips.
Except for the fish and chips, everything was good. The fish and chips were totally bland and didn't have much flavor.
So next time, I would probably not go there specifically for the food, but the beer was absolutely refreshing!
After that, we went to Skaket Beach. https://www.orleanscapecod.org/2025/05/01/skaket-beach/
This is one of my favorite beaches to watch the sunset. It's just a little far from my home, so I cannot do it frequently. But with two drivers, it's definitely doable.
Skaket Beach is on Cape Cod Bay, and it has low tide and tidal flats. That is probably the biggest attraction.
You have to be careful with the tide time.
The water goes about half a mile back into the bay, but it also starts coming back soon.
When we went, we could walk on a lot of the flat tidal area. But by the time we came back, the water was already up to our knees.
So be careful. Don't go too far out just because you see a huge area of exposed sand. The water can come back much faster than you expect.
This is one of the most beautiful beaches for children to play around. They have a lot of picnic tables and plenty of places to sit, even in the high-tide area.There are also foot-rinse stations and showers, which is always nice after walking around in the sand.
The best part of this evening was actually the reason we went.
I went to spend an evening with friends who are moving away to North Carolina. They had never been to Skaket Beach before.
And honestly, the best part was getting to show them something wonderful—to show them why I keep rushing to Cape Cod whenever I get a chance.
Maybe that's what I love most about these little trips. It's not just about finding a beautiful beach or watching a sunset. Sometimes it's about sharing a place you love with people you love.
A beautiful sunset, good food, a little beer, and good friends — that was a pretty perfect Cape Cod evening. ❤️
This was such a fun little part of the evening. ❤️I saw a family struggling to take a selfie, so I offered to take their picture. Just a random family, and somehow they ended up with some great family photos! The grandma couldn’t speak English, but she was so grateful. All I could hear was “gracias, gracias, gracias” multiple time.
