The Captain Tom Lawrence House Inn on Cape Cod exudes a compelling maritime history. When Captain Tom Lawrence retired from a life spent mostly at sea, he wanted to drop anchor somewhere and drift into a life of leisure. So in 1861, one of Falmouth, Massachusetts' most successful and prosperous whalemen located on Locust Street under the shade of two ancient maple trees. By design, he built a home that caters to comfort as much as it does to elegance.

All these many years later, the captain's house still issues a comforting beacon to those seeking refuge from the tumultuous waves of everyday life. With its circular stairway, high ceilings, hardwood floors, and assorted antiques, this intimate bed and breakfast inn evokes a sense of history as rich as the New England village in which it sits.

The home houses guests with two options: guest rooms, each with private bath, and an apartment with fully equipped efficiency kitchen. All lodging accommodations feature four-poster queen- or king-sized beds, cable television, and refrigerators. The fully furnished apartment includes two twin beds along with its queen bed and is available as a weekly vacation rental.

The bed and breakfast inn's large antique-filled sitting room includes a collection of magazines and daily newspapers to keep guests abreast of all there is to do in the area. And the front porch extends an open-invitation to early-morning coffee drinkers.

Your hosts invite you to stay in their congenial home and experience the warmth and hospitality of this historic seaside village. Whatever the occasion -- honeymoon, anniversary, or weekend getaway -- the Captain Tom Lawrence House Inn is for you.

Your hosts prepare a gourmet breakfast that features such creative entrees as whole-wheat Belgian waffles served with seasonal fruit syrup. They also proudly serve fruit- and vegetable-filled crepes, omelets, and breakfast stratas, as well as coffee cakes, scones, and muffins baked fresh daily.

After breakfast, there's all of Cape Cod to explore, or you may want to spend at least one day checking out all the many restaurants, antique shops, and gift stores that line the main street in the historic village of Falmouth. And your trip to Cape Cod wouldn't be complete without taking the ferry over to the nearby islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.