By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The fifth annual Birdhouse Project and Auction takes place May 27 at Wellfleet Preservation Hall, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., a project that started with the idea of recycling some of the old materials from the hall itself as part of a green-building project, said Anne Suggs, WPH founding board member. Building habitat for their nearest neighbors -- the birds -- inspired "a lot of creativity in the community, the birdhouses become little pieces of history from the hall," she said.

The event happens in the garden behind the hall, at 335 Main St., Wellfleet. Birdhouses will be on display at the hall starting May 15, and a preview and silent auction will happen prior to the live auction. Tickets are $15, which includes brunch. For info, visit www.wellfleetpreservationhall.org, or call 508-349-1800.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

They were the literal beacons of hope in the dead of night or fury of storm. Lighthouse keepers and their loved ones, are the theme of this year's exhibit, "Guiding Lights: Nantucket's Lighthouses, Keepers & their Families," at the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum from May 24-Oct. 8. The exhibit celebrates those who helped guide mariners through Nantucket's dangerous shoals for centuries before modern technology, a time when families manned the lighthouses, through stories and photographs of their daily lives. The museum houses a collection of more than 5,000 objects in all, including surfboats, beach carts, vintage photos and unique items such as a silver medal awarded to Marcus W. Dunham for his role in several rescues during the Great Gale of 1879; the incorporation of oral histories into the "Madeket Millie" retrospective; an interactive shipwreck map; and a whimsical Newfoundland dog chair created by island artist Clara Urbahn.

The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is located at 158 Polpis Road, about four miles from Nantucket Town. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children ages five through 12, and includes admission to the museum and the historic Coffin School at 4 Winter St. For information, visit www.nantucketshipwreck.org or call 508-228-1885.

What does National Geographic consider the best island in the world? Tahiti? Capri, Italy? Lord Howe Island, Australia?

Nope. According to its recent book, "The 10 Best of Everything," it's actually Nantucket, which takes the coveted spot in the ten best islands category. 

Nantucket?

No disrespect to the Massachusetts hotspot, but it seems a bit of an odd choice on a list that doesn't even include Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, or the Bahamas. Travel writer Leslie Thomas came up with the list for National Geographic and had the following to say about Nantucket:

Nantucket was once one of the richest places in America, built on the profits of the whale oil industry. Even today in the delectable old town there are fine brick houses with silver mailboxes. Old-time sailors used to call Nantucket "The Little Grey Lady of the Sea." On the misty morning I first arrived there, I could understand why. A woman was riding a horse along the beach to the utter delight of her family aboard my ferry, and she bore a banner that said "Crazy Aunt Rides Again." It is a unique place."

You can see more of the excerpts here, as well as other categories which include golf course, wines, and steak houses. 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

A variety of unusual and familiar events await wine and food lovers at the 16th annual Nantucket Wine Festival May 16-20. Former CBS newsman Bill Kurtis is scheduled to be on hand touting the virtues of Tallgrass Beef, why it's healthier than regular beef and more environmentally responsible and more humanely raised than other grass-fed beef. Verve Clicquot will be back this year offering champagne during the festival, and winemakers from that champagne house will conduct special seminars throughout.

The festival's signature event, "The Grand Tasting," will be held at the historic Nantucket Yacht Club, and back for that this year, after a one-year hiatus, will be fare from Duxbury's Island Creek Oysters.

In all, more than 200 wineries from the world over will attend the event, each represented by the winemaker or vineyard owner. Celeb chefs from Boston, Nantucket, Providence, Newport, New Jersey and New York. The festival's popular symposia, which organizers say is the equivalent of a graduate course in advanced wine philosophy, features hour-long tastings and discussions followed by lunch, paired with wines produced by participating vignerons.

The White Elephant hotel serves as the festival's home base and hosts many of the events, including the Harbor Gala and celebrity chef and winemaker auction dinners, along with most of the wine and food seminars.

For a complete description of events, prices, lodging and more, check out www.nantucketwinefestival.com, or call 508-228-1128.

Nantucket's not an inexpensive place to be, but getting there is a little cheaper by ferry. the Steamship Authority's high-speed ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket has a discounted fare this year: $50, round-trip, for same-day travel, Monday through Thursday ($25 for kids five to 12). Wayne Lamson, general manager of the Steamship Authority, said the special midweek fare is for those travelers with the flexibility to travel at less-busy times. The fare is $17 less than usual, and will be in place through the rest of the year. If you do go and bring your car, plan ahead: Lamson said this year, car reservations are about six percent higher than last year and he expects that to continue all summer.

for information, visit www.steamshipauthority.com or call 508-477-8600.

BOS to ACK. The new JetBlue promotion works just the way it sounds:Buy two round-trips or 4 one-way flights between Boston and Nantucket for travel between May 17 and July 9, and complete your travel between May 17-July 9. Around July 13, the carrier will e-mail you two travel certificates, good for a round-trip or two one-way flights between Boston and Nantucket. you must book and travel July 16-Aug. 30 -- Friday or Sunday travel excluded.

Here are all the details.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

By Patricia Harris & David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

If Black Friday has come and gone and you haven't finished all your holiday shopping, we suggest books--especially books about New England. Plenty of good reads about the region were published in 2011 that should engage active and armchair travelers alike. We'll be highlighting a few in the coming weeks, and here's the first one: Cape Cod Noir (ed. David L. Ulin, Akashic Books, New York, $15.95).

New York-based Akashic Books started publishing anthologies of original noir short stories set in specific locales in 2004. In 2011, the editors turned their attention to Cape Cod to produce a collection almost devoid of Kennedys, prepsters, steamed clams, topsiders, whale watchers, and kite-flyers. Instead, it's a book full of cries in the dark, heavy drinking in the thin gray light of winter, and other dark poses. In other words, the stories sneak in the back screen door of those summer cottages after Labor Day, after all the tourists have gone home and Cape Codders of the authors' imagination drop their masks and their guards. It's a fun read, a little like tracing the shoreline of a not-quite-familiar coast.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The White Elephant Hotel and the White Elephant Hotel Residences both have a "Hot Dates, Cool Rates" promotion going on this fall, which includes free chauffeured use of the latest model of BMW hybrids, the ActiveHybrid 750Li. Drivers on staff at both properties will drop off and pick up guests in town in the cars, to and from wherever they wish to go in town. The cars are available through Nov. 30, from 6-10 p.m. daily. The fall rates here start at $195 at the White Elephant Hotel and $350 at the White Elephant Hotel Residences. For information, visit the property websites or call 508-325-1000.

At the historic Century House, which became a boarding house in the early 1870s and has undergone extensive renovations and improvements in recent years, is running a special on superior rooms for $225 a night, and deluxe rooms for $325, with two-night minimum, available from Sept. 5-Oct. 7. For information, visit the inn's website or call 508-228-0530.

A couple of cool things coming up out this fall on the island include the annual Nantucket Arts Festival Sept. 30-Oct. 9, and Nantucket Restaurant Week, Sept. 26-Oct. 2). For more information on other events, visit http://www.nantucketchamber.org/visitor/events.html

By Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

As we wrote back on June 5, Aug. 7 marks the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's signature on legislation that brought the Cape Cod National Seashore into being.

Every day on this nearly 70-square-mile environment of beach and dunes and forest and marsh is special. But the National Park Service rangers have an array of celebratory activities planned for Aug, 7. Stop by either visitor center at 11:30 a.m. for musical performances and cake and return between 2:30 and 4 p.m. to create something to place in a time capsule.

In addition, noted authors will read from their writings about Cape Cod (with refreshments), rangers will lead walks through some of the Cape's varied landscapes, and the Highland Light Scottish Pipe Band will perform at a wreath-laying ceremony at Highland Light (cake will be served). There's much, much more. For a full schedule, see the Cape Cod National Seashore web site.

Photo courtesy of the Cape Cod National Seashore

By Patricia Harris & David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

When we wrote in praise of graveyards for the Memorial Day weekend travel section, we mentioned that you meet the nicest people in those gardens of stone. Perhaps we were unclear – that assessment was meant to include the quick as well as the dead. Among the folks we heard from were The Gravestone Girls, a trio of cemetery educators who give talks and conduct graveyard visits all around New England. You can read a lot more about them and see a calendar of upcoming events at www.GravestoneGirls.com, but suffice it to say they've been at this work for more than 10 years and still have a sense of humor.

At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5, they're giving a 90-minute free virtual tour of Truro's 14 graveyards at the Truro Public Library at 7 Standish Way. Gravestone Girl Brenda Sullivan explains that the session will chart the development of cemeteries and gravestones from the time that Truro was founded in 1709 right up into the 21st century.

Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe

Dr. Beach, aka Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, released his annual list of the top 10 U.S. beaches today, and Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Fla. has come out on top.

"Siesta Beach in Sarasota boasts that it has the finest and whitest sand in the world, and I cannot argue with this claim; the powdery sand is nearly pure quartz crystal," Leatherman said. "The beautiful blue-colored water is clean and clear, making it so inviting to bathers and swimmers. The beach is hundreds of yards wide, attracting volleyball players and beachcombers as well as those who just want to find their place in the sun."

Cape Cod's Coast Guard Beach once again made the list, falling a spot to No. 8.

"Coast Guard Beach, accessible by bicycle or via shuttle bus from the Salt Pond Visitor?s Center, was formed where a sand spit attached to the eroding glacial cliffs," Leatherman said. "The sand is fairly coarse, so the beach slopes steeply into the water. The picturesque old Coast Guard station still sits atop the glacial bluffs, allowing for a spectacular view down upon the Nauset Spit barrier system and bay. During the summer, beach-goers take quick, refreshing dips in the ocean, as water temperatures only reach 60-70 degrees."

Check out the full list here.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Enter Hostelling International USA’s Bike the Cape contest and you and a friend or two may win a trip to explore the Cape and Islands by bike. Winners receive one free overnight stay at each of the region’s five hostels between June 17-24, a $300 food stipend per group, and ferry vouchers; hostels are located in Hyannis, Eastham, Truro, West Tisbury (Martha’s Vineyard), and near Surf Side Beach (Nantucket). Submit an application by June 1 with a brief video explaining why you want to bike the region and the route you plan to take. You must provide your own bike and gear.

617-718-7990, ext. 15, www.capecodhostels.org/whatsnew.php

Photo: National Geographic

By David Lyon, Globe Correspondent

Two dozen restaurants and 29 galleries are set to participate in the culinary and artistic kick-off to summer in the third annual Provincetown Restaurant Week and Gallery Stroll, May 20-26. Participating eateries run the gamut of Outer Cape cooking, from traditional Yankee seafood at the Lobster Pot to the cutting-edge light Italian fare of Dalla Cucina. Each of the 24 restaurants will offer a three-course dinner at a fixed price of either $25 or $35. On Friday night, May 20, the art galleries throw their doors open for artists' receptions 6-8 p.m. If you need another excuse for an early-season visit to Provincetown, the Town-Wide Monumental Yard Sale takes place May 21-23. For more information, see the Provincetown Tourism Office web site.

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Cape Cod LIFE, a lifestyle magazine covering the Cape and Islands, has released an app for iPad users, which is available for free through iTunes. You can download a digital version of each issue, the Cape Cod GARDENS and Cape Cod Art special sections, and bonus features such as videos, audio clips, photos, and recipes.

508-419-7381, www.capecodlife.com/ipad

JetBlue will make it easier for customers trying to book flights on some of its partner airlines to Europe, Asia, and South America and places in the Northeast, like Cape Cod. The New York carrier, the largest at Logan, says that its website will now offer connections to flights run by American Airlines, Aer Lingus and Cape Air.

In the past couple of years, JetBlue has cut agreements with various airlines to offer customers the convenience of arranging for connecting flights to destinations the airline doesn't serve. For instance a pact with American lets JetBlue customers connect to American flights to Europe, Asia and South America; one with Aer Lingus gives travelers access through Boston or New York's JFK to Ireland; and a third with Cape Air links passengers to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Provincetown and Hyannis, Mass.

Besides those three carriers, JetBlue also has agreements with EL AL Israel Airlines, Emirates, LAN Airlines, Lufthansa, South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways and it hopes to add those partners to its website, some as soon as this year.

You know it’s a sure sign of impending spring when deals for stays on Nantucket start popping up. They’re having a couple at Century House, reportedly the oldest continually operating guesthouse on the island, one that’s been a lodging establishment since 1833.

Nantucket in a Bucket” runs from May 19-June 19, where you get a deluxe room for $295 a night or superior room for $225, both Sunday-Thursday only. It includes lodging, breakfast and a bottle of champagne and box of chocolates in your room.

“Nantucket Festive Fantasy: Bicycle Built for Two” gets you a tandem bike to use to peddle around the miles of the island’s bike trails, lodging and breakfast. Rates are the same as in the first deal. Deadline to book for both is March 20, and both require a two-night minimum stay. Prices do not include taxes and fees.

The average daily temperature in Nantucket for that time is about 65 degrees. Not exactly summer but given the winter we’ve had, we’ll take it.

For more information, visit www.centuryhouse.com

By Patricia Harris & David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

A friend introduced us to Ruggie's Breakfast & Lunch, which opened March 18, 2010, and has swiftly become a mid-Cape mainstay for its cheery service, great breakfast grill food, and deep menu of sandwiches. With its long counter, big windows, and often crowded tables, it looks like an institution. Ruggie's covers the breakfast basics (pancakes, eggs and bacon, omelets) but also pulls off some inventive offerings like the breakfast lasagna of ''omelet-style eggs layered with sausage, ricotta cheese, spinach, homemade marinara sauce & provolone cheese.'' We're waiting to see someone order ''The Duke.'' Consume the monster meal of two waffles, six eggs, a quarter pound each of cheddar and American cheese, hash browns, sausage gravy, two buttermilk pancakes, six bacon strips, three sausage patties, and two pieces of boneless ''country style'' fried chicken in 30 minutes with just one eight-ounce glass of juice, and it's on the house. (And your picture goes on the wall.) According to owner Bob Rocco, Ruggie's just got its wine and beer license. He hopes to start serving dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at the beginning of April. Last year, Ruggie's was a secret for the locals. If the dinner fare is as good as the breakfast and lunch food, they'll be fighting off customers come tourist season.

707 Main Street, Harwich. 508-432-0625. Currently open Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m.-2 p.m., Sun. 6 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Patricia Harris & David Lyon also write about food and travel at HungryTravelers.com.

Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe

While plenty of other hotels in the U.S. received accolades, the SeaCoast Inn in Hyannis was the only American hotel to take a top honor in worldwide competition in TripAdvisor's annual Traveler's Choice awards, which are determined by compiling reviews from the site's 20 million users.

The awards are presented in various categories and narrowed down between worldwide and U.S. hotels. The SeaCoast Inn was determined to be the best bargain in the world. Profile Motel & Cottages and the Mt. Coolidge Motel, both in Lincoln N.H., also made the U.S. list for best bargain. Only three U.S. hotels made the Top 25 hotels overall, headlined by the Golden Well in Prague.

The Seacoast Inn is located in downtown Hyannis and operates May-October only. Rates begin at $78 during spring and fall, $118 during the summer.

Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe.

You might want to make your hotel and restaurant reservations now for Sept. 24-26 on Cape Cod. That's the weekend of Cape Land and Sea Harvest 2010 and it promises to be a busy three days. From clams to honey, if it's harvested on Cape Cod, it's on the menu for this fifth annual celebration of Cape bounty. You might even get to help with the grape crush at Cape Cod Winery (weather permitting). At this point, some 34 activities are already scheduled from bog tours to cheese-making workshops to a pickle-making class, and more are expected to be added. The weekend is also the culmination of Eat Local Week, as at least 19 restaurants feature seasonal local dishes. Go light with tapas-style tastings or splurge on five-course dinners with wine pairings. Many of the events are free … but not dinner. For full details, see the web site www.ediblecommunities.com/clash/.

Posted by David Lyon

The Cape Cod Museum of Art is holding its highly anticipated art auction this Saturday, Aug. 21, from 5:30-9 p.m. at the museum in Dennis.

This year's silent auction will offer works by up-and-coming Cape Cod artist as well as artful experiences. The artwork is on view at the museum.

This year's special works include a handcrafted table by Matt Emory, a scrimshaw piece made of fossil walrus tusk by Michael Vienneau, a stunning oil painting by Robert Douglas Hunter, and a Medieval Castle Bird Feeder by Kevin Nolan -- see them all online.

Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be available during the silent auction, and a catered dinner will follow the live auction. Tickets for cocktails and the silent auction are $80 per person; $150 for cocktails, both auctions, and dinner.

For information and reservations, please call 508-385-4477 ext. 7.

Watercolor Painting by Robert Mesrop

Summer's quickly drawing to an end, and if you want to get to Nantucket, consider the weekend of Aug. 21 during the island's 37th Annual Sandcastle and Sculpture Day. Over 50 sculptures will emerge from the fine grains of sand as families and teams vie for this year's top honors. This isn't the kind of contest where you're quietly watching the pros turn sand into the Statue of Liberty. This is the greatest kind of contest, where anyone can enter and win. The only rule to follow is to be creative. Sculptors need to bring their own tools and decorations, but organizers urge any ornamentation to be biodegradable.

Contestants may enter in one of four categories: Family Team, Adult Team, 11-16 Year Olds, and 10 & Under. The nonrefundable entry fee is $10 per person. Judging is based on creativity, concept, and design. Previous years' entries have included everything from Nantucket Lightship Baskets to VW Bugs. This event is fun for both participants and admirers of sandcastle sculpting (free admission for spectators).

 A visit to Jetties Beach to watch the sculpting in action or view the finished sculptures at sunset is well worth the trip. For more information, please call the Nantucket Chamber of Commerce at 508-228-1700.

Photo courtesy Nantucket Chamber of Commerce

Gifts from the sea. Photo by Patricia Harris for the Boston Globe.

I’ve always considered picking up pieces of sea glass to be a casual pastime – really just an excuse to take a nice long walk on the beach. But apparently some folks take it much more seriously. The North American Sea Glass Association has selected Hyannis for its annual Sea Glass Festival. It’s coming up on October 9 and 10, so scour your favorite glass-hunting places now before hordes of collectors hit town. Who knows? You might even find a contender for the “Shard of the Year” contest. Top prize, by the way, is $1,000. And $100 prizes will also be awarded in 10 categories including “Most Unusual,” “Historical,” and “Art Glass.” To increase your chances, look for pieces with rare colors such as red or turquoise and bubbles or identifiable text. Festival organizers guarantee that a security guard will be on duty to protect the precious shards.
Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis, 35 Scudder Avenue. October 9 10 a.m.-6 p.m., October 10 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 daily admission includes one entry in the Shard of the Year contest. Three additional entries $5.

When you think of Martha's Vineyard, perhaps the first thoughts that come to mind are of beaches, quaint walking villages, and maybe "Jaws.'' I'm sure you're like me and hardly think of the agricultural side of the island, which is quite vibrant and in full swing for the Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Society Fair that will run Aug. 19-22.

The society was established in 1859 to promote the pursuit of agriculture, horticulture, land conservation, and youth activities, and encourages the raising and improving of plant and animal stock, as well as the sale of island-grown produce and flowers at local farmers' markets.

The free fair has traditional rides, games, horse pulls, and fiddle contests, but it stands alone with its skillet toss, woodsmen competition, and pig races. The fair begins Thursday and runs for four days from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the fairgrounds in West Tisbury.

On Tuesday, July 27, the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis is the venue for the 1st ever Cape Cod Irish Summerfest. The afternoon will be full of Irish music, traditional Irish dancers, and fare from the Emerald Isle. There will also be local arts and craft vendors. The day ends under the lights with Irish music. Cost is $25, or $10 for the day with no concert. Call 508-775-5630 for more information.

Profits from the annual Wellfleet Oysterfest support scholarships for graduating seniors of Nauset Regional High School (along with some additional small grants). To raise additional funds, the organization behind the Oysterfest is launching its first Summer Fine Arts & Crafts Fair on Eastham's Windmill Green on Route 6 on July 24-25, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. The fair will feature 50 local and regional artists and artisans who work in pottery, jewelry, glass, wood, and other media. Keeping in mind the organization’s central mission, local shellfishermen will offer raw bars. OysterFest merchandise will be on sale and local non-profits such as Mass Audubon will demonstrate their work on the Cape. For details on the participants, see wellfleetoysterfest.org.