Cape Cod all to yourself

If you’ve been to Cape Cod in the summer, you know how congested it can be. Hotel prices are at their peak, popular restaurants are jammed, and finding a parking spot at a beach can be problematic. Visit during the offseason, and the Cape is all yours in its tranquil beauty.

If snow falls on the Cape, it melts quickly, which is why the area’s hiking, rail, and bike trails are ideal for running, biking, and walking this time of year.

But for a true Zen moment, bundle up and stroll down an empty beach, where you’ll be soothed by the rhythmic crash of waves and refreshed by the crisp, salt air.

Doane Rock, at the Cape Cod National Seashore, was deposited by a glacier thousands of years ago. Throw on some extra layers and go hiking (or biking) along the nature trails nearby.

Enjoy the quiet and scenic trails at Wiley Pond. Trails are well-marked, making it safe for you to venture as far as your heart desires.

For some salty, crunchy fun, head to the Cape Cod Potato Chips factory in Hyannis, where you can take a free, self-guided tour to see how those thick, kettle-cooked chips are made.

Cape Cod Beer, in Hyannis, offers free tours, along with tastes of their small-batch brews made and sold only on Cape Cod.

All tours end with tastes of the seasonal beers on tap (21 years or older), all of which can be purchased in the retail store, where you’ll also find a huge selection of locally made goodies, ranging from Bog Beans (chocolate covered cranberries) to hand-crafted cutting boards.

The Sandwich Glass Museum is filled with over 6,000 candy-colored treasures. Only an hour’s drive from Boston, it has 15 galleries and rooms devoted to molded, blown, and pressed glassmaking, including a room showing how glass colors are mixed.

A bit farther down the Cape is the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, devoted to the president’s life on Cape Cod. Through a video narrated by Walter Cronkite and over 80 photographs taken from 1934-63, you’ll see Kennedy sailing, sunning, and relaxing with his family in and around Hyannis.

The indoor wave pool at the Cape Codder Resort & Spa is popular in winter.

For some of the best oysters on the Cape, head to the Naked Oyster Bistro & Raw Bar in Hyannis, which has its own oyster farm. The menu offers nearly a dozen raw and baked oyster preparations.

Out in Provincetown you’ll find terrific dining at the Mews Restaurant & Cafe. The cafe menu features homey fare, such as burgers and roast chicken, while the restaurant serves fancier entrees, such as almond-crusted cod with clementine citrus beurre blanc.

Should you wish to spend the night, lodging prices are at their lowest this time of year.

The Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, for example, offers rooms for nearly half their summer price while the Land’s End Inn in Provincetown is likely to have rooms available, possibly in one of its more coveted suites, like the circular Moroccan Tower room, with its domed ceiling, heavy red rugs, and North African decor.

If you are in Sandwich, check out the Tuesday Room (pictured) at Belfry Inne & Bistro. The church’s original rose window lies above the bed and floods the room with a stunning gem-like light.

Enjoy the uncrowded beaches and catch an early sunset.

License plates, business signs, and even a judge’s shingle adorn Land Ho!, a restaurant/bar in Orleans. Land Ho! is a popular hangout, especially when live music kicks off later in the evening.

After 10 p.m. at the Atlantic House (better known as the A-House) in Provincetown, there’s dancing – complete with strobe lights, a fog machine, and a pulsing beat.