“Yet far from being out of the way, Provincetown is directly in the way of the navigator, and he is lucky who does not run afoul of it in the dark. It is situated on one of the highways of commerce and men from all parts of the globe touch there in the course of a year.” – Henry David Thoreau
We hopped on the Fast Ferry in Boston for the 1 1/2 hour ride to the very tip of Cape Cod. Provincetown was our destination. The little village that is part tourist mecca, part artist community, and part small town fishing village. This is where the pilgrims really landed.
We arrived at the wharf and were greeted by our driver, Peter, that took us for the short ride to our charming Bed and Breakfast, Admirals Landing which he owns with his partner Chuck. After settling into our really cute room a little, we walked down to pickup our bicycles. Bikes are big in ptown for those staying there for a few days or a week as everything is just few minutes ride from anywhere else and you don’t have to deal with parking or avoiding the many tourists on foot while driving.
Our yearly trek there has come to be about just experiencing the ambience of the place. There are many galleries full of new and wonderful art. The restaurants like the Lobster Pot and the Red Inn are world class eateries. There are long stretches of peaceful, protected beaches of the Cape Cod National Seashore . Biking trails wind through the forest and sand dunes providing a wealth of options for those anting to get out and “do something” or just relaxing by the water or visiting the attractions in town. One of the best ways to experience Provincetown is just to be at the beach and hit your stack of summer reading.
In the twenty plus years I have been visiting ptown it hasn’t changed much. That’s a good thing. You won’t find a McDonalds or a Starbucks but, you will find the famous Spriritus Pizza (home of the best white pizza on earth) or the aforementioned Lobster Pot, home to world’s best fried clams and baked stuffed lobster(go ahead and order the 2 pound size!). YUM! If you get up early enough and amble down to the wharf you’ll see the fishermen readying their boats to head out in the fog to get the day’s catch. Later that night you can catch a drag show at one of the cabarets or just stroll down Commercial Street with the crowd perusing the many shops.
The galleries there are first rate. Of course there is a wide selection of Cape Cod Art as well as remarkable new work by really amazing emerging artists. Provincetown is home to PAAM, the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, of which I just became a member. They have a wonderful permanent collection and an exciting new gallery space and facility.
We did have a thunder storm sweep through one night when we were there, which I just love to experience. It’s nice to be someplace where they actually have weather versus Sandy Eggo, not that I’m complaining!
We ended our trip as we started it, back on the ferry (maybe a few pounds heavier due to the lobster just dripping butter!). Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Provincetown feels a “world apart” to me. Isolated by the water out in the distance and possessing all the spirit and life to make it seem it’s own world.
Visit Considering Provincetown to see my fine art landscape images of Provincetown.
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