Snaking a circuitous route along Cape Cod Bay, the Old King’s Highway – Route 6A – is alive with culture, architecture, entertainment and natural beauty. It is also the largest contiguous historic district in the nation. Starting from the Cape Cod Canal and running 34 glorious miles to Orleans, travelers and cyclists will be enthralled the entire route. Glide by 8,000-acre Great Marsh and the magnificent barrier beach, Sandy Neck Beach, with
its dramatic dunes in Barnstable. View four centuries of architecture in Yarmouth Port and climb Scargo Tower in Dennis – from here you can view the entire Cape on clear days. In Brewster, the "sea captains’ town," stunning vistas of Cape Cod Bay and the intervening marsh are visible. Along the route, there are ancient cemeteries and stone walls, wonderful antiques shops, specialty shops, galleries and dining establishments of every ilk, from clam bars to Michelin-rated restaurants. Old King’s Highway ends at the Orleans Rotary. Along its curving roadways, antique lovers will delight to a windfall of antiques shops of all sizes, carrying all manner of treasures. In a 20-mile stretch of highway between Barnstable and Brewster, antique lovers will find more than 50 antiques shops. All of the towns along Route 6A have public beaches. Cape Cod Bay's calm water is warm enough to provide comfortable swimming well into October. Route 6A is a museum filled to overflowing with classic New England architecture: Cape Cod cottages with weathered shingles and rose-strewn fences, saltboxes, grand Federal houses once home to sea captains, Greek Revivals, Victorian farm house and French Second Empire.

   Sandwich, the Cape’s oldest town, was settled in 1637. It was a world-famous glassmaking center in the 19th Century. Places to see are Hoxie House (believed to be the Cape’s oldest house), Dexter’s Grist Mill, Nye Homestead, Wing Fort House, Thornton W. Burgess Museum, Heritage Museums and Gardens and Sandwich Glass Museum.
   Barnstable, the largest of the Cape’s 15 towns, is also home to the county seat. Along Route 6A are the Old County Courthouse, Sturgis Library, Trayser Memorial Museum and the Old Jail.
   Along a two-mile stretch in Yarmouth Port, there is an eclectic array of structures --private residences, bed & breakfast inns, antique shops, museums, restaurants and galleries--not one of which was built in this century.
   Shipbuilding made the town of Dennis famous during the “Golden Age of Sail.” Its many saltworks were vital to America’s survival during the Revolutionary War. Visitors should visit the Cape Playhouse, the oldest summer theater in the United States, Scargo Hill Tower and the Indian Burial Ground near Scargo Lake.
   Settled in 1656, the town of Brewster was named for Elder William Brewster, a Mayflower Pilgrim. Brewster sea captains sailed the world and the town’s expansive residences reflect the affluence of their era. Many of these homes are now gracious bed & breakfast inns which maintain the traditions of warmth and hospitality.
   Orleans is the "gateway" to the lower and outer Cape, home to famous Nauset Beach, and a town with a lot of local color and charm. It is a bustling seaside village with friendly natives and several magnificent harbors and beaches, including Rock Harbor and Skaket Beach. The Old King’s Highway has so much to see, we recommend that, at the Orleans Rotary, you simply go round the Rotary and then come back driving in the opposite direction. You won't be disappointed!