Gallery • 2 Photos

Photo by Abby Olsen

With the days becoming longer, there's ample time in the evening to enjoy a sunset at the beach.

Finding things to do on Cape Cod during February break was already hard enough, throw in an airborne global pandemic into the mix though and the possibilities become much more scarce. With hopes of having as fun of a February break as possible, here are some suggestions for a week worthwhile.

• Go for a walk

I understand that going on walks is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a great way to get some fresh air and have some nice scenery. Obviously this option is very dependent on weather and may not be your best option with the unreliable February weather, but usually bundling up will do the trick. Some of my favorite walks on Cape Cod are Long Beach in Centerville, Eagle Pond in Cotuit and the Knob in Falmouth.

• Go bowling

This option is entirely dependent on how safe you feel going out. The Lanes Bowl and Bistro in Mashpee Commons is doing their best to stay open amidst this pandemic and offers socially distanced lanes on top of other safety precautions. There is also Ten Pin, located in the Cape Cod Mall, that offers distanced bowling along with the opportunity to rent your own separate bowling room for yourself and 9 others for $99 per hour. I’ve always enjoyed bowling and it is such a fun activity.

• Go to Par-Tee Freeze (Steve and Sues) !!!

One of my favorite things about February break is that it marks the reopening of Par-Tee Freeze for the season! Par-Tee Freeze is a locally owned soft serve ice cream and yogurt shop located at 455 West Main Street, Hyannis (also offering food like hot dogs and lobster rolls). To celebrate their reopening, they are offering buy one sundae and get one free on Feb 13 and 14, leaving you no reason not to go.

• Bike rides

Going on bike rides are great for getting your blood moving and the fresh air that you get in itself is amazing. One of my favorite bike paths is the Shining Sea in Falmouth. This path has beautiful scenery throughout, taking you through trees, past the beach and ending in the lovely village of Woods Hole surrounded by water, shops, restaurants and the renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I also love biking or rollerblading on the Canal in Bourne. The path takes you right along the canal and the views are breathtaking.

http://www.wheelhousebike.com/rental-bikes

• Go see a sunset

One thing that doesn’t change on Cape Cod across the seasons are the breathtaking sunsets that are visible almost every night. Some of the best sunsets can be viewed from the beach, my favorite locations being Long beach in Centerville, Chapin Beach in Dennis, Cold Storage Beach in Dennis, and Gray’s Beach in Yarmouthport. If you’re an early riser, you could even go for a sunrise which are most visible on the upper Cape.

• Find a new hobby

I’m sure we all have some practice with this suggestion from last spring’s lockdown (queue intense banana bread making and tie-dying), so maybe it’s time to rekindle an old flame or start a new one altogether. Some February friendly hobbies are reading (you can read one of my book reviews here!), starting a new game, skateboarding, drawing and so much more.

• At home movie night

With the absence of open movie theaters or just not feeling safe enough to go to one, there is always the option to create your own theater at home. When I was younger, I always enjoyed spicing up movie nights in my living room by building a fort, giving family members “tickets” for the movie and making popcorn. While going to these measures now may seem rather juvenile, having a movie night at home can still be very fun… you might just have to take the fort building and fake tickets out of the equation.

• Go pond skating

If the weather continues at the frigid temperature that it has been the last couple of weeks, I can expect that there will be frozen ponds in our near future! If you are 100% sure that the pond that you intend to skate on is frozen, then skating on it is a very fun activity. A sure way to get your heart rate up and a relatively safe activity to do with a friend because of its location outside. Just because a pond or lake looks frozen, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. Always bring someone with you when you go skating, test the thickness of the ice by throwing a rock and if you hear a loud crack get off of the ice ASAP!

• Sledding/snowshoeing

I am fairly confident that we will continue to get flooded with snow this vacation, so sledding and snowshoeing are great activities to get some use out of the piles of snow on the ground. My favorite place to sled is the Wianno golf course in Osterville, but many people also like the Jail House in Barnstable Village. Snowshoeing can really be done anywhere, but I would suggest any of the conservation trails on Cape.

• Virtual video game night

Whether it be through a gaming console, computer or mobile app, there are plenty of opportunities to virtually connect with friends and have fun while doing it! Being able to play some of your favorite games with others while in the safety of your own home is easy, safe and enjoyable.

Student and Staff Suggestions

Senior Summer Megnia enjoys playing with her dog and bringing her for walks on the beach, and she suggests that you do the same!

Junior Zoe Booras suggests going skiing. Her favorite mountain is Loon Mountain in New Hampshire.

History teacher Kevin Hill loves Par-Tee Freeze and would suggest going there over break!

History teacher Tim Daley suggests taking a break in any way possible, whether it be going outside, getting away from the screen or safely seeing friends. He also plans on eating pizza, sleeping in and exercising to balance it all out.