Located at the tip of Cape Cod, P-town is an outpost for the seeker, the sailor, the pilgrim, the artist, the individualist, the loner and the flamboyant. It has some of the most interesting art galleries and assuredly the most diversified and interesting street scenes on the Cape.
And it makes a great destination for a long weekend in the summer or at almost any time of the year. I will never tire of the thrill of coming over that last big hill on Route 6, the Cape's major artery, as daylight wanes. Sunset throws a magical, mystical light over the land, the huge Cape Cod Bay to the left and the little white cottages of Provincetown along its edge.
At this point I slow down. P-town is a walker's town, particularly in the summer: Streets are narrow, and everyone walks or bikes in the middle. Public parking lots near Pilgrim Monument or MacMillan Wharf at town center are the best bets when things are busy.
Provincetown has essentially two streets, each three miles long: bustling Commercial Street (one-way westbound), and quieter Bradford (two-way, easier to drive), parallel and one block north. Short little lanes, many made of crushed shells, connect the two main drags.
The pilgrims stopped here in 1620 before proceeding to Plymouth Rock. Before they arrived, American Indians of the Wampanoag tribes summered here. Later, English settlers, Portuguese fishermen and Nova Scotians arrived. Influences of these cultures remain in hearty stews and seafood dinners and in the architecture, galleries and museums around town.
Early this century, P-town was cited as the world's largest art colony, and it has continued to foster painters, writers, playwrights and actors ever since. Over the past few decades, it has also come to be called home or home-away-from-home by a large segment of the gay community. The atmosphere is one of conviviality and open-mindedness, and everyone is made to feel welcome and comfortable.
