Cape Cod & the Islands are a wonderland of fun and unusual things to do

Your 35 minutes sailing aboard the Island Queen, the comfortable passenger ferry to Martha’s Vineyard, features plenty of scenic views from the picture-window lounge and decks, but that’s only the beginning of the great things to do. On the Vineyard, explore the gingerbread houses of Oak Bluffs or the amazing red cliffs at Aquinnah or head to bustling Edgartown for shopping and dining. Back in Falmouth, there are fabulous beaches and bike paths as well as all the Cape has to offer, from its 14 lighthouses to Cape Cod Baseball League, arts venues, antiquing, nature preserves and historical sites. The ferry has a full-service snack bar, and parking is just 200 yards from the docks. Bring your bike or paddle board!

For three generations, the family-run Art’s Dune Tours, located at 4 Standish Street in Provincetown, has been taking spellbound visitors on tours of the dunes of the Provincelands, a marvelous, otherworldly place of sky, sea, bending dune grass, and wind-sculpted dunes. On the tours, you will travel through the majestic dunes where your guide points out the dune shacks where famous artists and writers like Eugene O'Neill and Harry Kemp became inspired to create their art. You will also pass the remains of the Peaked Hill Life Saving Station and learn how the brave "life savers" enacted their heroic efforts to save the lives of thousands from the doomed shipwrecks. Access by the public to the dunes is limited, so this is the to see them. 800-894-1951

A gaggle of artists’ shanties lines Ocean Street along inner Hyannis Harbor in Hyannis, beckoning to visitors to enjoy manmade art on one side and the beauty of the harbor on the other. Eight-five artists will rotate in and out of the shanties during the season; many work there and enjoy talking with visitors. Stroll the boardwalk and visit artists and plan to eat a picnic in the park. Live music nearby. The shanties are operated by the Arts Barnstable. 508-862-4767

A lazy day or weekend on Martha’s Vineyard is a perfect time to wander to the West Tisbury Farmers Market, which is open on Saturdays and Wednesdays at the 35 Panhandle Road in West Tisbury. The combination of the brightly colored floral bouquets, the scent of freshly harvested produce, the savory edibles offered and the music on Saturdays all combine to truly create a feast for the senses. Bring your children to visit the alpacas and enjoy the live fiddle music. And watch for the chance to try some more exotic treats, like wheatgrass juice and Vietnamese spring rolls. Market run mid-June to October 30. 508-693-9561.

Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation is the local land trust for the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Among other tasks, the foundation maintains public trails for hiking, bicycling, bird-watching, and cross-country skiing, and horseback riding. At the foundation’s website, under “Lands & Trails,” you can find detailed descriptions, maps, and driving directions for dozens of public walking trails on Martha’s Vineyard. The foundation offers a free app called TrailsMV that provides up-to-date accurate maps of all public trails, detailed property information and photographs, and more.

Pilgrim Spring Trail and Small's Swamp Trail , part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, are easy loop trails about one mile long, accessible off Route 6 at the Pilgrim Heights area sign in North Truro. The trails wind around a kettle swamp and marsh and offer wonderful views of Pilgrim Lake, sand dunes, the salt meadow, and the Atlantic Ocean. A stone marker identifies the site of the first fresh water the Pilgrims found. Trails are marked with information about local history and nature. This is a fine, easy walk for people of all ages, with views of typical Cape Cod landforms and living creatures.

A wide variety of interesting contemporary artwork is open for your browsing pleasure at The Gallery at Four India Street, a popular stop in Nantucket since it opened in 1989. The gallery’s focus of interest is American fine art paintings, sculpture, art glass and photography. Visit to enjoy, purchase, or even to get expert direction on creating a personal collection from the gallery’s owner, Kathleen Knight. 508-228-8509. Open daily, year-round.

Truto Vineyards and South Hollow Spirits at 11 Shore Road in North Truro is a lovely, relaxing place where tours and tastings of wine and spirits are held daily from May through Thanksgiving. The main house is located behind a wide expanse of law dotted with shade trees and picnic tables. Behind the house, tastings are conducted on a flower-decked patio. Inside, a gift shop offers all manner of fun gifts and books related to Cape Cod wines and the drinking and collecting of wine. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Tastings are offeredon the hour and half-hour, and free tours are conducted of the wintery and distillery. 508-487-6200

Wellfleet Preservation Hall at 335 Main Street in Wellfleet is a wonderful resource driven by heartfelt people promoting arts, entertainment, and classes for the body and mind. It is very much a locally run operation, and equally welcoming to seasonal visitors. The Hall is a creative re-use of a former church. Special events that happen every year include the Garden Party & Birdhouse Auction, the Oysterfete, and Taste of the Town smorgasbord. Throughout the year, live music and dance parties bring every style of music. In summer, you are invited to many fitness programs. 508-349-1800