Osterville Gems

The SigO and I have a week off so we thought we would start the staycation with a little bit of beach cruisin' for the perfect spot to enjoy fun in the sun!

Now while the tourists were heading towards the always popular Craigville Beach in Centerville (not far from where we live), we decided to hit a spot popular with the locals - Dowses Beach in Osterville, MA. 

After living on the Cape for the past eight years, I find that I am a little partial to Osterville. (One day, over a bottle of wine, ask me to tell you an amusing story regarding kamikaze cicadas and Osterville...) With an upscale Main Street, gorgeous library, lovely wide streets suitable for walking, and a beautiful beachfront, Osterville is the quintessential picturesque Cape Cod town.

However when we got to the beach, we "surprisingly" saw a line of cars waiting their turn to get in. (Duh, hello July 4th long weekend and perfect vacation day...) Not ones to be deterred, we headed up the road to Main Street, found parking, and then walked the mile or so back to the beach. (Tip from a local: the walk from Main Street to the beach is great for gazing at elegant homes and pretty landscaping to envy good-naturedly. Totally worth it.)

We finally made our way in to the beach area, chose our perfect spot of heaven and camped out for a few hours of blissful chilin' like a villain (OMG am I dating myself here?) under a dazzling blue sky.

View from bathrooms/life guard office area.

White sand, blue sky, picture perfect beach day

Bonus water area on the other side of the parking lot

So aside from the lovely sand, and clean water, another reason I love Osterville is the local hot spot - Amie Bakery. Opened in December of 2014, and owned by the mega-talented baker Amie Smith, this French bakery is worth a stop (or two or three) for a sweet treat. (Note: They also have a specials chalkboard with daily changing lunch options if you are in the mood for for a bite before dessert. As good as everything sounds on the board though, my visits are my decadent indulgence for the week, so I skip straight to the delectable delicacies prepared fresh daily.) ​

To share or not to share...

Not to share!

A cool marble counter, sea green and white decor, and a drool-worthy display case makes you feel a bit like you stepped back in time to when real foods were prepared with care, love, and ingredients you can pronounce and recognize. Although you can always get something to go, the SigO and I love to stake out a spot at the counter and offer suggestions to the tourists that wander on on what they should get. "E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G" (Special note to my purist vegan buds, be sure to check with the staff on the dessert ingredients before ordering. Being a practical vegan myself, I tend to go with the don't ask, don't tell policy as I love this place and discovered it before I went vegan.)

Update October 2016: I was re-reading this post and noticed my use of the term practical vegan meaning I didn't always check about eggs or dairy. Since then, I discovered it was more in line with my health and values to no longer eat any animal products. Therefore, although I do highly recommend Amie Bakery as it is a wonderful local business, and delicious foods, I currently only eat options that are confirmed as vegan friendly. (Which means more delectables for the SigO to not have to share.)

​My final favorite spot in Osterville is the Osterville Library. Renovated in 2012, and being the only one on Cape to have year long Sunday hours, this quiet oasis is a great place to camp out with a good book or magazine, or write up a post to share with all of my #WithSmiles peeps.

If you happen to be in Osterville before the middle of August 2015, keep a look out for this little blogger enjoying a fine Cape day in a beautiful Cape town. I promise to greet you....with smiles...