I've been going to Cape Cod during the summer for 22 years - these are the things I tell my friends to do

Vacation isn't cheap.

But when you've been going to the same place for a long time, you start to find the freebies, the bargains, and the things worth spending money on.

My family has been going to Cape Cod, a popular East Coast vacation spot, since 1952, when my great-great-grandmother Lyla Flagler retired on Thomas Lane in Falmouth. She was the town's oldest citizen when she died at 101, and it was her hope that my family would continue coming out to the Cape.

We've been doing just that, spending summertime in Cotuit, Massachusetts, since before I can remember.

I rounded up 13 affordable places on the Cape that I think are must-see's. This is not a comprehensive list, just a starting point based on the 22 summers I've spent there.