Day Trip: Route 6A – Old King’s Highway

Next stop on our Day Trip series: yesteryear.

A drive down Old King’s Highway, more commonly known as US Route 6A, is not only charming and pleasant in all its bucolic splendor, but educational and informative as well. The winding road which traverses through seven separate and distinct hamlets of Cape Cod, offers a relatively unchanged vista from that of days before. Established as a historic district in 1973, it is the largest such district in the country, spanning 35 miles of tree lined, quaint villages.

Sagamore, a village of the sprawling town of Bourne, is the first enclave as it sits along the banks of the Cape Cod Canal and is witness to the endless marine traffic that passes through one of the busiest waterways in this part of the world.

The recently renovated Sagamore Inn has been a favorite of visitors and locals since the 1930s. The restaurant serves family favorites like local seafood, signature steak tips, Northern Italian specialties and flatbread pizzas, both in the cozy restaurant and lounge as well as al fresco on the patio or under their newly installed tented pavilion. Weddings and other special occasions are deftly handled by their catering staff that makes sure every event is memorable. Only steps away from the Canal’s walkway, the shady oasis of the Inn is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner.

A short distance away, where the east end of the Canal meets Cape Cod Bay, sits the Sandwich Marina and the U.S. Coast Guard Cape Cod Canal Station, a bustling area with several restaurants, a brewery and parking for cyclists and walkers of the Canal. Seafood Sam’s, a family favorite since 1974 serves fresh local seafood, sandwiches, salads, and soups including the ubiquitous clam chowder as well as an award-winning lobster…