2018 Annual Guide: Dennis

Dennis Village • Dennisport • East Dennis • South Dennis • West Dennis

Sesuit Harbor. Photo by Robert Manz

Photo Ops:

Sesuit Harbor is hard to beat for classic Cape scenes, with boats chugging out and folks casting lines from the jetty. To get a bird’s-eye view of the harbor and all of Cape Cod, visit the unique stone Scargo Tower, overlooking Scargo Lake. The lake itself is named for a Native American princess, whose sachem father, legend has it, created it for her.

Crowe’s Pasture. Photo by Kristen Poisson

Favorite Spots:

Crowe’s Pasture is an incredible treasure: 250 acres of meadow, woods, salt marsh and tidal flats crisscrossed with dirt roads and hiking trails. As a bonus, it’s dog friendly! Indian Lands Conservation Area in South Dennis is another favorite for its scenic trails with pretty views of Bass River.

Mom & Pops:

The Underground Bakery, tucked behind the post office in Dennis Village, has amazing food, from bakery items to hearty sandwiches, along with excellent cappuccinos. Chef-owners Ian and Laurie are proud to make just about everything they serve from scratch.

Don’t Miss!

Head to the Cape Cod Museum of Art for “Artfull Thursdays,” with fun programs all year. On Sundays, enjoy their “Music & More” series, featuring 12 great performances through March. End the summer season on a high note with the annual All American Town of Dennis Fireworks, complete with a bonfire and live music.

Chris Lambton. Photo by Paige Biviano

A day in the life of: Chris Lambton, landscaper and television personality

By Haley Cote

During an afternoon visit late last year to the Dennis home of Chris Lambton, it’s hard to ignore that the television is set to HGTV—“Fixer Upper” is on. As the star of several shows of his own on HGTV and its sister channel DIY Network, Lambton has spent the last seven years traveling all over the country to film—recently Philadelphia, where he taped episodes for his new DIY Network show, “Lawn and Order.”

Finding a balance between his hectic work schedule and life at home in Dennis with his wife Peyton, infant daughter Lyla, and their Swiss Mountain dog Summitt, can be challenging, but it’s given him a greater appreciation for his hometown.

“The great thing about going other places to tape is seeing that, for me, Cape Cod is still number one,” Lambton says. “The beaches in Dennis—like Mayflower and Corporation, I grew up on Howes Street Beach—are better than any other beaches I’ve ever been to. They’re just second to none. It’s definitely hard traveling a lot for work, but then I get to come home and enjoy being on the Cape, and that makes it all worthwhile.”

TV audiences were first introduced to Lambton—aka “Chris L.,” the charming Cape Cod landscaper—on season six of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” in 2010. Love wasn’t in the cards for Lambton on the show—he was the season’s runner up—but it lead him to meeting Peyton, a contestant on season 10 of “The Bachelor” to whom he was introduced by a fellow “Bachelorette” contestant.

“The Bachelorette” also paved the way for his career at HGTV, he says, after network execs saw him on the show. He hosts “Going Yard” with Peyton, an interior designer, and the two are working on a new design show called “Home United.” Lambton also hosts DIY’s “Yard Crashers” and has appeared in various DIY Network and HGTV specials. His filming schedule is often six days a week, with 12-hour days on set.

Photo by Paige Biviano

“TV work is way harder than real life working,” says Lambton, who works eight-hour days for the family landscaping business, E. Lambton Landscaping in Dennis, with his younger brother Erik and father Ed. On workdays he and Erik often grab coffee or a bite to eat at The Mercantile (aka The Merc), owned by Meagan Lambton, the wife of his youngest brother, Dennis Police Officer Mark Lambton. Whether it’s for a TV show or a home in Dennis, Lambton loves designing outdoor entertaining spaces. “I love teaching families and new homeowners the love of being outdoors,” he says. “That’s one of the great things about being a landscape designer—you can design a yard to get people outside and enjoying life.”

Growing up in Dennis, some of Lambton’s fondest moments were spent outdoors. “I remember in the summers my brothers and I riding our bikes to the beach,” he says. “My parents always brought us to the beach. My dad has sisters who live here, so we’d hang out on the beach with their kids, and we’d have a big family circle on the beach. For me, it was perfect—it was Norman Rockwell-ish.”

Today, Lambton enjoys such simple pleasures with his own family, taking walks and hanging out on Corporation Beach. “We go down to the beach a lot,” he says, adding, “Lyla sits on the porch and waves to people, and she goes to The Mercantile, so she gets to see that great atmosphere that is Dennis. I’m fortunate to raise my daughter here, it’s going to be fun.”

Haley Cote is the assistant editor for Cape Cod Life Publications.