Seniors Flock To Wellfleet

Seniors have you spent any time on Cape Cod? If not, say…not yet. It is one area to put on your travel bucket list. With a population of only 3,500, Wellfleet is a highly popular area on Cape Cod Bay and part of the Cape Cod National Seashore on Route 6.

Wellfleet was encountered by Europeans as early as 1606, when the French explorer Samuel de Champlain explored and named it “Port Aux Huitres” (Oyster Port) for the bountiful oyster population resident to the area.

The town is home to the Cape Cod National Seashore Headquarters and for senior birders, the 1,000 acre Massachusetts Audubon Society Wildlife Sanctuary is nearby. Some of Cape Cod’s finest ocean surf casting, fresh water pond and Cape Cod Bay boat fishing possibilities are found in Wellfleet. The town is well known for its plentiful supply of shellfish, including the famous “Wellfleet Oysters”.

Seniors Find Great Scenery and Hospitality

Wellfleet abounds in scenery and the hospitality is legendary as is the beach landscape. Punch some buttons here and senior travelers will learn that the town is located some forty-five miles out into the Atlantic Ocean on the upper end of Cape Cod.

The town offers an abundance of quaint rural seaside character and charm and spectacular natural resources. It is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the west by Cape Cod Bay.

During the summer, the population swells from 3,500 year-round residents to an estimated 17,000 visitors. Senior visitors can enjoy the town’s miles of ocean and bay-side beaches; numerous beautiful, clear, spring-fed, ponds; many fine art galleries, shops and restaurants.

And then there is the magnificent Wellfleet Harbor offering a constantly changing panorama of sail boats, motor yachts, sport fishing boats and trawlers.

Seniors Plan To Visit During the Wellfleet OysterFest

The fifteenth annual Wellfleet OysterFest will take place the weekend after Columbus Day, Saturday and Sunday, October 17 & 18.

This two-day family festival celebrates the town’s famous oysters, clams and shellfishing traditions bringing together folks from all ages for a weekend full of hometown flavor and big time fun.

There is something for everyone: local cuisine, arts and crafts, educational programs, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, walking tours, live music, a road race, and the annual Oyster Shuck-Off competition.

So set your GPS for Wellfleet, shuck some oysters, eat a few  and enjoy the ambiance that Wellfleet offers.

Incidentally, the name “Wellfleet” is disputed; some argue that it comes from “Whale Fleet”, after the burgeoning whaling industry in the town, while some say it comes from a brand of oyster popular in England at the time, in order to help sales.

You choose. Either way, you can’t go wrong with Wellfleet. -jeb