Come to bathe in swirling colors of light.
Come to inspire your inner-artist, writer and photographer.
Come because Provincetown is a special place to breathe.
Provincetown. Or P-Town for short. On the tip of Cape Cod.
More than a place, Provincetown is a well-known artists and writers retreat steeped in natural beauty, and a reputation that includes famous literary residents like Mary Oliver, Michael Cunningham, Norman Mailer, and Eugene O'Neill.
And what I loved most, a tolerance for all lifestyles, including a vibrant gay community. Kayaking, sailing, whale watching, sand dune tours, and star-gazing round out what for me was close to vacation perfection.
Their slogan is apropos, "Provincetown -- the way the world should be."
So too Oscar Wilde's,
"Be yourself, everyone is already taken!"
You see, Provincetown's greatest charm is an unseen but felt welcome of acceptance.
No judgments or keeping up with whomever here.
Everyone is encouraged to let their hair down and just be.
Be whoever you want to be. No masks needed.
Unless you really want one.
Come to think of it, masks may work well, for throughout the summer Provincetown sponsors a...
Jazz Festival, International Film Festival, Portuguese Festival, Music Festival, Bear Week (when I arrived in July no bears but rather hairy men vying for each others attention) which leads me to tell you about Provincetown's colorful Gay Carnival in August. I'll guess it's like West Hollywood's gay parades back home, especially popular on Halloween, attracting straights and gays alike for colorful pizzazz and a spicy live and let live attitude.
Click to learn more about P-Town festivals or keep reading to learn about my Provincetown favorite activities and air quality.
Clean Air
Provincetown is located at the tip of Cape Cod on the Massachusetts peninsula. A strip of land that juts out between the Atlantic Ocean and Massachusetts Bay, ensuring a salty sea breeze lifts atop water and circulates health-giving negative ions.
On my sunset kayak tour, our guide noted that phytoplankton... tiny one cell plants that live on the ocean's surface... give off tons of oxygen and according to scientists half the planet's oxygen. Since Provincetown is surrounded by water, no wonder it felt so refreshing.
According to air quality specialist Glenn Keith with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, a few days out of the hot summertime, ozone may not be in attainment. And winds may sweep air pollution up from NY, Connecticut and Philadelphia.
But I can tell you that while I was in Provincetown during hot summer days, I only experienced very clean air that circulated easily throughout my lungs and body, making me feel more buoyant. And my brain felt sharp. (As opposed to sluggish after stuck in Los Angeles traffic surviving on diesel fumes.) So if you asked me, Provincetown air was clean...
And had no traffic on U.S. Route 6 to speak of despite I'd heard warnings about Cape Cod traffic during the busy summer months.
But Provincetown is luckily accessed by Boston fast ferries, which I highly recommend. Therefore, traffic is cut down. And for those driving to the Cape, Provincetown is furthest from the other fourteen towns.
Speaking of clean air, Cape Cod is interested in sustainability, which shows up in many ways, including city-wide recycling and a wind-farm under development up the Cape in Nantucket Sound.
Above photos of twins Gracie Keezer and Gloria Silver who take Boston Harbor Fast Ferry yearly for a dose of fun.
Recreational Activities
Thanks to JFK, nearly two-thirds of the P-town's land is the protected Cape Cod National Seashore. And next to its coastal beaches are rolling sand dunes and small ponds. On the other side, a protected bay, great for sailing and kayaking.
Check out the colors in the sky.
Absolutely glorious.
It's common to see artists with their easels at the side of the road, and, well, photographers, too.
Here I am at Race Point Beach considered one of the most beautiful beaches on Cape Cod.
A mere walk from my hotel or shuttle from downtown Provincetown. Also nearby is Herring Cove Beach. Some say the best sunsets on Cape Cod...
On Art's Dune Tour, I experienced Cape Cod sand dunes like a soft blanket against blue skies where artists "Dune Shacks", including Norman Mailer's situated in my photo, provided roots for inspiration. It's the place where Mailer wrote Tough Guys Don't Dance.
Water is all around.
Since I love kayaking, I chose the Naturalist 2-Hour Kayaking Tour 6-8 pm with Venture Athletics Kayak Shop.
I learned from my naturalist guide that P-Town was once home to thousands of whales and so crowded that during springtime it was hard for boats to maneuver through.
After the whale industry was created, whale numbers went way down.
But today Provincetown is noted to be the first whaling village in the world to outlaw whale killings and instead promotes whale conservation and tours.
I took an amazing whale watch tour with Dolphin Fleet. Here, I'll whet your whistle with my humpback whale photo!
We saw 25 whales playing in the Atlantic, close to shore!
Provincetown History
Provincetown is where freedom-seeking pilgrims first arrived to America and penned the Mayflower Compact precursor to our U.S. Constitution, prioritizing freedom for the individual.
And nowhere, but nowhere, have I seen more respect and acceptance for the individual in all his or her colors than in Provincetown. (Okay, I'm from San Francisco, we respect individual freedoms, too.)
While one could spend a lifetime exploring all of Provincetown--it's colorful shops, art galleries, dance halls, and history, there are nearby towns worth exploring, too!
Nearby Wellfleet and Eastham
In nearby Wellfleet, I found ponds warm enough for the swimmer, and secluded enough for the kayaker who relishes divine paddling without the disturbance of motorboats.
That would be me.
Philosopher Noam Chomsky lives in Wellfleet
If you can get to Cape Cod Indian Walks in Eastham, 30 minutes from P-Town, you'll learn about the Native Americans experience.
Always a welcomed perspective since Native Americans came first and are known to respect the environment.
Provincetown made me wonder...
In conclusion, I loved Provincetown, Cape Cod. And frankly, wondered why I loved it so much. I mean, I'm from beautiful and beachy California where we have oceans, bays, mountains, sand dunes, wildlife, and spring flowers.
Everything.
Could the fact that California has everything be part of my appreciation for the delicate balance of just the right ingredients around Provincetown that makes breathing and happiness come easily?
Or could it be that anything goes free-spirit, which was summed up beautifully when Jim a stocky real-estate appraiser from Boston walked up to me while dining at the Harbor Hotel blurting,
"Lose Weight, Get Laid, Find God was stacked next to Gone with the Wind in the library. Now I know I'm back in P-Town. Care if I join you?"
I do believe the openness is the number one element I love about P-Town and that natural beauty and clean air, sure doesn't hurt. I'll leave you with a few of the colorful people and scenes.
How To Get Here
First, if you're from California like I am, consider flying to Boston and enjoying a few days in this historical city before taking a fast (90 minute) ferry to Cape Cod on what for me was the calm Massachusetts Bay.
Boston Harbor Cruises - a high speed passenger ferry between Boston and Provincetown.
In Boston: One Long Wharf (877) 733-9425
In Provincetown: MacMillan Wharf. $49 one way. $79 roundtrip. Senior and children discounts available.
Cape Air - Provincetown Airport, Race Point Rd. Between Boston and Provincetown (866) 227-3247
Don't drive if you can avoid it.
How To Get Around
Cape Cod Public Transportation
Rich the friendly shuttle driver picked me up wherever I stood roughly near a bus stop.
All smiles.
Aways.
I just love P-Town!
Where To Stay
I loved staying at the newly renovated art deco Harbor Hotel! You can read my review here.
It's about a mile from the hub of P-town on a secluded bay. While you can easily walk or bike to the heart of P-town, a shuttle driver stopped every 30 minutes if I wanted a $2 lift. So I got the best of all worlds at the Harbor Hotel. Being that I'm from a big city, I appreciated the peace of Harbor Hotel and fact it was all-inclusive with breakfast included, lunch and dinners available, a library, movie night, bar, firepit, pool and more. But if you want to stay in the thick of P-town activity, click here to get ideas from the Provincetown tourist bureau.
P-town, a clean air destination. A boisterous alive town where anything and everything goes. An artists retreat steeped in nature.
I'll be back. :-)
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