############################################# Visiting Cape Cod [Illustration: (Postcard with “Greetings from Cape Cod”. Woman sitting on a sunny beach. Portrait of a bus driver. Artist painting a Cape Cod scene. Red maple leaf. Map of major highways into and on the Cape.))] Though Cape Cod has been known as Massachusetts’ major summer resort for many years, it is now attracting a number of travelers at all times of the year. Today more than 5 million people visit the Cape annually. Those wishing to avoid crowds may prefer to walk its windswept beaches and tour its historic sites between September and June, the off-season. That’s tip Number 1 in this handbook’s Guide and Adviser section, which focuses on that part of Cape Cod containing the National Seashore. This is the area, known as the Lower or Outer Cape, between Chatham and Provincetown. Some information also is provided to help you travel throughout the rest of Cape Cod and neighboring offshore islands. The first few pages deal with general travel tips and activities information. Then, 2-page spreads take closer looks at towns within or near the 27,000-acre National Seashore. They are followed by travel tips about nearby Cape Cod attractions and the islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Seasons The summer beach season in July and August attracts the most vacationers, especially families with children. But enough tourist facilities are open in the fall, winter, and spring to take care of lodging and food needs. In July and August daytime temperatures usually rise into the 80s°F. From September through November, temperatures gradually decline from the 70s to the 50s, or lower. Fall’s cool, brisk days make the Cape a favorite destination for some New Englanders on the Columbus Day and Thanksgiving holidays. Winters are generally cold and windy, with temperatures averaging in the 30s during the day and in the 20s at night. The Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cod Bay help to moderate the winter temperatures, so the Cape’s snowfall is considerably less than the mainland’s. As in all parts of New England, spring is short, arriving at the earliest in April and often not until June. Like the fall, however, spring can be one of the most pleasant times on Cape Cod because of the relative solitude. Transportation Major highways leading to Cape Cod are I-495 and Mass. 3 from the Boston area and I-195 from Providence, R.I., and Fall River, Mass. On the Cape itself U.S. 6 is the primary road to and through the National Seashore. Those wishing to travel through the Mid-Cape, or Upper Cape, towns and villages may use Mass. 6A on the north side or Mass. 28 on the south. In the summer, traffic moves slowly on most roads and highways. =Buses= Major bus lines serve Hyannis on the Cape from Boston, Providence, Fall River, and New Bedford. Additional routes run from Hyannis to Chatham and Provincetown.