After a long snowy winter and a lonnnngggg rainy spring, this Mama and her chicks were ready for some sun and sand. So when an offer to spend a weekend at the Red Jacket Resort on Cape Cod came our way, we high-tailed it in that direction. And we were glad we did.
For those of you not from the Northeastern part of the U.S., let me explain Cape Cod, Massachusetts—known in these parts as “the Cape.” Around here, the Cape is almost synonymous with summer. It’s a body of land that extends out into the Atlantic Ocean and is accessible by a couple of well-known (and often very crowded) bridges. It is beloved for it’s many (many) beaches, mini-golf courses, ice cream shops, seafood restaurants, quaint towns, rental houses and hotels, motels and inns of every shape and size.
In the past, we’ve stayed at a variety of these accommodations. The expensive waterfront inn in Chatham, the roadside motel in Falmouth and a variety of weekly rental houses. But somehow we had missed the Red Jacket, a gem of a summer resort. (In fact, I’m not sure I knew there was even a “resort” on the Cape at all!)
From the moment we pulled up at the Red Jacket and saw it’s location RIGHT on a great strip of private beach in South Yarmouth, we knew we were going to have a good weekend. I have a family of beach bums, after all. And we came with a truckload of sand toys and water gear.
At check-in we were greeted by a friendly staff who answered questions and directed us to our oceanfront room (thankfully, because the resort in itself is a bit of a maze!) The room itself was a fairly standard hotel room. A little dated, but clean. Adequate furnishings, though nothing fancy. Plenty of space for our family of four to move around. It wasn’t five star living, but when I looked out the sliding glass doors, it was everything I needed. We were, literally, 25 steps from the Red Jacket’s private beach. I immediately opened the sliders and inhaled the smell and sounds of the ocean. Fabulous.
In addition to the beach, the resort has some great amenities for the whole family: an indoor, heated pool; two outdoor heated pools (one small zero-entry pool, one large for the family); a spa; tennis courts; a full-service restaurant (which serves only breakfast in lunch during the “shoulder seasons”); an outdoor patio and grill; kayak and jet ski rentals and more.
In the summer months the Red Jacket runs a supervised kids camp with excursions, but this was not available in mid-June when we visited. Same is true for many of the family-friendly and kid-friendly activities that apparently go on once school is out.
Because we’re a family of beach bums, we spent most of our time on the pretty white sand beach where we sat comfortably in lounge chairs supplied by the resort. We picked up take-out order lunches from the Red Jacket’s restaurant and enjoyed them on the beach—sandwiches, burgers, chicken fingers and such (all very good). The kids loved climbing down the jetty at one end of the beach and hunting for snails and clams. This would also be a great spot for fishing.
In the evenings we hopped in the car and rode just a mile or two for fresh seafood, Pirate’s Cove mini-golf, and a taste of homemade ice cream. It was a great way to ring in summer.
Our only complaint during our visit was that a wedding on the premises and a second, large travel group made for some loud evenings (and nights). People, young and old, seemed to be celebrating into the wee hours, both inside and out. This meant we couldn’t leave our sliders open and fall asleep to the sounds of the crashing waves, as I had hoped. But this may have been our bad luck in terms of timing. A quick look at other reviews on TripAdvisor.com doesn’t show any such complaints. So I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt and write it off as an unusually rowdy weekend.
If you’re looking for five star luxury, the Red Jacket Beach Resort may not be the place for you. But if you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly spot with easy beach access and lots of activities for the kids, it’s a great find.
Note: Our stay at the Red Jacket was provided at no cost by the resort’s ownership, but with no obligation for a positive review. For more information on Momicillin’s “no pay for play” policy, please see our Terms and Conditions.
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