Travel: A taste of the high life on Cape Cod

What do you enjoy most about the beach? Relaxing by the water? Eating delicious seafood? Taking a boat to check out the aquatic life off-shore? Cape Cod's Wequassett Resort in Chatham, Mass., offers all of those and more.

My husband and I headed down to Chatham for a few days of R&R and discovered the many charms of the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club. The location is gorgeous, embracing Pleasant Bay. The resort is set up as a campus, with meandering brick paths skirting beautifully manicured gardens. It doesn’t scream “hotel” – from a distance, you might assume it was a group of private shingled residences, some with cupolas on top. You can watch the sun sparkling on the water from almost everywhere on the grounds.

The accommodations vary from more traditional hotel rooms to cottages to elegant suites, all furnished in Cape Cod style. We checked into No. 9 Cranberry, one of Wequassett’s Signature Waterside rooms. Expansive, suffused with light and decorated in pale greens and blues, the room surrounded us with lavish ($1,375 a night this time of year) comfort. The king-sized bed’s fluffy duvet and custom linens looked so inviting. The room’s focal point, a gas fireplace, had a surround of braided marble and a marble-tiled hearth. A comfortable sitting area sported a large flat-screen TV. A wireless remote station and iPod docking stations were unexpected amenities.

The marble bathroom was fabulously appointed, with a double vanity, jetted soaking tub and walk-in shower with multiple shower heads. Outside our door, a private patio included a gas fireplace and breathtaking views.

Since the afternoon was hot and sunny, we pulled on our swimsuits and headed to the family pool, an attractively designed area with ocean and bay views. Immediately, a friendly staff member handed us towels and found us a pair of comfy chaise lounges under an umbrella on the pool deck. A smiling waitress circulated through the crowd, serving ice water. Another took drink orders. The staff at Wequassett is personable and solicitous without hovering.

We ate dinner the first night at the Outer Bar & Grille, one of the resort’s four restaurants. It’s a busy, family-friendly place. Vania, our waitress, provided cheerful, attentive service. The lobster roll was possibly the most delicious we had ever tasted, loaded with generous chunks of meat. For dessert, we enjoyed a bowl of fresh, seasonal berries.

After dinner, we strolled through the grounds, stopping at the poolside firepit. On a cool night, you can relax in its circular seating area. We continued on our walk, passing the adults-only lap pool and clay tennis courts, trellised for privacy. We peeked into the well-equipped Fitness Center. Back at our room, we lounged on the patio, listening to the lapping water and gazing at the stars.

The next day dawned drizzly and gray. We breakfasted in the room, enjoying the place despite the rain. Had it been a nicer day, we could have called the concierge to arrange a tee time at the Cape Cod National golf course or to book a complimentary boat ride to the Outer Beach at Cape Cod National Seashore.

If our son had been along on the trip, he could have spent the day at Wequassett’s award-winning Children’s Center, which presents daily programs for toddlers to teens. A pirate ship aquatic park, playgrounds and a small amphitheatre (think karaoke) are available. Kids into technology can enjoy hi-tech activities, including Wii, Playstation 3 or Xbox 360. And you don’t have to be a kid to look forward to the tiny Good Humor ice cream truck which drives around campus, dispensing frozen treats.

We had dinner reservations at the exquisite twenty-eight Atlantic, the Cape’s only 4-star, 4-diamond restaurant. Our server, Vivienne, a 17-year veteran at Wequassett, was extremely knowledgeable about food, wine and art. The meal was absolutely memorable, from the tiny amuse-bouche of Ahi tuna with spicy slaw, to the heirloom tomato appetizer, to our entries (one pork loin and one seared sea bass). Though it was hard to find room for dessert, we managed to scarf down a yummy peach and blackberry cobbler.

The last morning of our visit, we called the concierge to book a seal watch cruise. Captain Chris picked us up at the dock and took us into Pleasant Bay to hang out with hundreds of gray-spotted seals that live in the area. At low tide, you can see them sunning on a sandbar. The seals enchanted us with their sweet puppy faces and mischievous antics. One adorable seal pup swam alongside the boat.

We were truly sorry to leave the Wequassett Resort. On the way home, we consoled ourselves with some fish tacos at The Lazy Lobster in Chatham and vowed to return to the area soon.

Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, Route 28, Chatham, MA 02633; (800) 225-7125; www.wequassett.com