I love this ride so much that I often drive from my home in Boston and do it as a day trip with the kids. In fact, I did just that last Thursday.  It's an hour and 45 minutes from the Boston area to Orleans Cycle where you can park your can and rent bikes if you need them. Download a Cape Cod Rail Trail map before you go. Head north or right on the rail trail towards Eastham and you'll cross over Route 6 and soon be seeing egrets in the salt marsh.  You'll pass several ponds that will have you dreaming about owning a cottage here. Take a right on Locust Avenue and cross Route 6 to reach the Salt Pond Visitors Center. This is the start of the Nauset Bike Trail, that sweeps up and down through the trees and marsh. The trail leaves you at Coast Guard Beach on the Cape Cod National Seashore.  But I often head uphill on Ocean View Drive and lock up the bikes at Nauset Light Beach. This is an exquisite spit of sand backed by large dunes, and the surf is popular with surfers and boogie boarders. When you're ready, bike on Cable Road past Three Sisters Lighhouses, taking a left on Nauset Road and a quick right onto Brackett Road. This will bring you back to the Cape Cod Rail Trail, where you turn left to reach the best lobster-in-the-rough joint on the Cape, Arnold’s. After devouring a lobster roll, clams, and a heaping mound of the tastiest onion rings you've ever tried, walk off lunch with a round of miniature golf next door. Then head south on the rail trail through a tunnel to find your car again. The whole ride is only about 12 miles, perfect for a day outing.  

To delve into the history of the Cape Cod Rail Trail, see my Boston Globe article.