If someone from the late 1970s were magically transported to present day Provincetown, they would notice that not much has changed. Except for the occasional person talking on a cellphone or men's short hairstyles, they might not believe that they were in the future at all. The quaint shops on Commercial Street look pretty much the same and most of the gay bars are the same, including the Atlantic House, which dates back to 1798.
The town on the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has fiercely protected its picturesque architecture and rich history. And Provincetown is gearing up for a big historic anniversary. The Pilgrims first arrived in Ptown on November 11, 1620 and tourism boosters hope to capitalize on the coming 400-year anniversary to remind the world that the Pilgrims' first stop was Provincetown, not Plymouth Rock.
Those early pioneers wound up eventually settling in Plymouth, about 20 miles across Massachusetts Bay, primarily because of better farming conditions. But before they left Provincetown, they signed the Mayflower Compact, the cornerstone of the freedom and democracy that we enjoy today.
As part of the campaign to raise awareness of the historical import of Provincetown, the city has adopted the slogan "America's first destination." For many LGBTs, Ptown has long been a first and favorite gay getaway. The town welcomed gay tourists long before it became fashionable for destinations to market to LGBTs.
Whaling first put Provincetown on the map in the 1800s as the early Portuguese immigrants capitalized on the big market for whale oil. Artists also flocked to Ptown for the solitude, lighting, and affordable bohemian lifestyle. And where there is an established artistic community, a gay welcoming environment is often second nature.
Not surprisingly, gay couples have gravitated to Ptown as a place to put down roots. Based on the 2010 census data that counts same-sex couples, Provincetown is the gayest town in America. About a third of its year-round population of 3,000 is made up of same-sex couples.
While few people call Ptown home, many more call it their second home, as they return regularly for summer vacation. Provincetown's population swells to about 60,000 this time of year. And if you can wait, locals say September is one of the best times to visit because it's still warm but the crowds are smaller and, consequently, hotel rates are lower. October is a good time to go if you want to check out the fall foliage.
But if you enjoy being part of the crowd, Ptown is the place to be in the summer. While the Internet has dramatically changed the gay nightlife scene in other parts of the country, it has not impacted Ptown much. People on vacation would rather go out than stare at their smartphones.
For the uninitiated, Ptown's main drag is Commercial Street. The town is a mile wide and three miles long, with Town Hall in the center. All the town's gay nightlife and most of the gay inns are clustered along Commercial Street or a block or so away from it. A car is more trouble than it is worth in Ptown. Most of the small inns don't have parking, but if you stay close to downtown, you can walk to everything. Bicycling is very big in Ptown, so if you want to venture off, pedal power is a good way to go.
Daytime attractions
Provincetown's greatest asset is that it has it all. From a more urban experience of art galleries, restaurants, live theater, nightlife and culture to some of the most pristine untouched natural beauty you will find anywhere. Summer is the season for whale watching and a number of companies offer tours, which generally last three to four hours. Several companies offer open-air trolley bus tours. The tours are generally less than $20 and provide a good lay of the land for first-timers and interesting history that even some locals would find informative.
When it comes to beaches, you have plenty from which to choose. If you want to stay downtown, the Town Beach is easy. It is sheltered from the ocean, so there aren't many waves, making it easier on kids and inexperienced swimmers. On the ocean side, Herring Cove Beach is the city's most popular. It is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore and is managed by the federal government. It has a paid parking lot but the best way to get there is by bicycle.
The area where the parking lot is situated is oriented more to families with a men's and women's changing area, showers, and a refreshment concession. The southern end of Herring Cove Beach is the unofficial gay clothing-optional beach. The best way to get there is by bicycle. Go to the western end of Commercial Street and turn right on Highway 6A. Keep heading in that direction away from downtown past Bradford Street and you will see a wooden fence on the left. Chain your bike to that fence with the other bikes and follow the crowd for about a 20-minute walk to the beach.
The Pilgrim Monument is the symbol of Provincetown and is also a good way to get your bearings. If you want to know which direction is downtown, just look up for the monument. The tower is the tallest granite structure in the U.S., standing 252 feet, or nearly 24 stories, on a hill above downtown. If you are in reasonably good shape, you can walk to the top in about 10 minutes. It opened in 1910. Construction took three years. The tower offers sweeping views of the town, and on a clear day, you can see Boston, about 50 miles away. Be sure and take in the museum at the foot of the tower that chronicles the history of Ptown.
Using a bicycle will also allow you to have access to some beautiful bike trails through the Cape Cod National Seashore parkland. Ptown bikes (http://www.ptownbikes.com) and Gale Force Bikes (http://www.galeforcebikes.com) are excellent companies that rent bikes by the hour, day, or week. They can also provide you with some good advice on exploring the town's best bike trails.
Provincetown's famed dunes used to be open to all cars but they suffered from being trampled to death. Now, the dirt roadway through the dunes is only open to a tour company and to vehicles with permits. You can also hike on your own through the dunes but that can be a challenge, especially on hot days. Art's Dune Tours (http://www.artsdunetours.org) is a great way to see the dunes. The guides explain the changing landscape of the dunes since the first Europeans arrived 400 years ago. Don't be alarmed if the tires on the tour vehicles look like they are going flat. They need to partially deflate the tires to give them more traction on the sand.
Provincetown boasts America's oldest continuous art colony, which has been going strong since 1899. The Provincetown Art Association and Museum (www.paam.org) first opened in 1914 and the original building is still there next to the modern addition that opened in 2006. The museum features more than 3,000 works by over 700 artists, many of who call Cape Cod home. The Cape is known for its unique scenery, light, and shadows that artists love. You can take a stroll past a number of the more than 60 art galleries in a walk between downtown and the museum.
Commercial Street is a destination to itself. It is lined with colorful shops and restaurants. Most are locally owned; you won't see any chain stores there. Many of the city's charming 80-plus guesthouses are on or near Commercial Street and most are beautiful old buildings that are kept up in pristine condition.
Nightlife
Atlantic House, aka A-House (http://www.ahouse.com), boasts that it is America's oldest gay bar. That title is a subject of debate. Several other gay bars also claim to be the oldest, including our own White Horse Bar in Berkeley. But there is no disputing that the A-House has been continuously in operation for over 200 years. It has been overtly a gay bar for about 50 years and discreetly gay since as back as the late 1800s. The "oldest" destination depends on how you define "overtly" and "discreetly" and since gay bars were illegal back in the day, no one officially called themselves a gay bar in those early days. The original A-House bar is cozy, with a fireplace in its main bar and the leather "macho" bar upstairs. The larger space is next door and includes a dance floor and back patio.
The Crown and Anchor (http://www.onlyatthecrown.com) in the heart of downtown has it all. A restaurant, piano bar, video bar, poolside bar, Vault leather bar, and a cabaret space for live entertainment. Hotel rooms are on the upper floors. The venue has the space to host large circuit party events.
The Boatslip (www.boatslipresort.com) tea dance from 4 to 7 p.m. throughout the summer is a Provincetown gay tradition that shows no sign of slowing down. Hundreds of mostly gay men pack the resort's poolside/beachfront deck and indoor disco. By the way, the nightlife is early in Ptown. Bars close at 1 a.m. but you can more than make up for it getting the party started in the early afternoon.
The Pied bar (http://www.piedbar.net) gets busy as the crowd migrates there after the tea dance. There are no lesbian bars in Ptown but Pied is lesbian-owned and hosts "Bogie on the Bay" disco nights on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 1 am. that attracts a lot of women.
Purgatory Dance Club is on the ground floor of the Gifford House Guesthouse (http://www.giffordhouse.com). Its low wood-beam ceilings give the bar a cozy, intimate feel. It is connected through a back staircase to a small piano bar upstairs and the Porchside Lounge.
The Shipwreck Lounge (http://www.ptownlounge.com) is a modern upscale lounge bar at the Brass Key Hotel. The outdoor patio features a large fire pit and fountain.
After the bars close, Spiritus Pizza is where people migrate for a late night snack or just to hang out.
Accommodations
The lesbian-owned 19-room Sage Inn (http://www.sageinnptown.com/) is one of Ptown's most modern hotels. It used to be the Pilgrim House resort but had to be rebuilt after fire gutted it in 1990. The Sage Restaurant in front serves dinner and an excellent continental breakfast for guests. By the way, the Sage is one of nine inns that are part of the Women Innkeepers of Provincetown (http://womeninnkeepers.com/). The site is also a great resource for lesbian activities and events in Ptown. The Women Innkeepers are organizing this year to support the True Colors Foundation, the organization co-founded by singer Cyndi Lauper to help homeless LGBT youth. The business group held a benefit online auction earlier this week and plans a number of activities during Women's Week in support of True Colors.
Romeo's Holiday (http://www.romeosholiday.com) may be the gayest hotel in town. It is known for a collection of Barbie dolls that line the decorative fountain out front. The inn has a very friendly vibe and caters to gay men but everyone is welcome. The property includes a clothing-optional hot tub. The couple who own the property live on site and they serve a continental breakfast and snacks during the day.
Special events
Memorial Day weekend kicks off the high season in Ptown. The following week, starting June 4, the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival gets underway with headliner actor Brian Dennehy, followed by the Provincetown Film Festival June 15-19. The busy July 4 weekend always draws a huge crowd but the biggest gay event follows with Bear Week July 9-17. The LGBT-focused Family Week is July 23-30. The 38th annual Carnival 2016 features a number of special events and parade and runs August 13-19. Carnival will have a back to the 1980s theme this year. The aforementioned Women's Week is October 10-16.
Eating out
Ptown is known for its casual but world class dining at its more than 60 eateries. Most of the smaller inns include at least a continental breakfast but the town is not lacking in breakfast spots.
The gay-owned Happy Camper on Commercial Street is a great place to stop for decadent homemade doughnuts and coffee and also be sure to stop by for dessert to try its homemade ice cream with some very unique flavors and combinations.
Its sister restaurant Canteen (http://www.thecanteenptown.com) is open for lunch and dinner and is a great and inexpensive place to stop for a bite. You wait in line to order, take a number, and wait staff bring your food when it is ready. They are famous for their lobster rolls.
The gay-owned Patio American Grill and Cocktail Bar (http://www.ptownpatio.com) always and deservedly draws a crowd. Centrally located on Commercial Street, it serves up delicious food on the front patio �" ideal for people watching.
The Lobster Pot (http://www.ptownlobsterpot.com) is one of Ptown's landmark businesses. You can't miss the corner seafood restaurant with its neon lobster sign.
The gay-owned Far Land Provisions (www.farlandprovisions.com) serves up fab comfort food on Bradford Street and it also runs the Far Land on the Beach concession, on Herring Cove Beach, greatly upping the quality of food that you might expect at a typical beach concession stand.
Getting there and Boston
A number of airlines fly direct to Boston from the Bay Area. Through its association with Cape Air, JetBlue makes the process seamless. You can fly directly to Logan Airport then transfer for a 17-minute flight to Ptown.
A great way to get to Ptown is by way of the Bay State Cruise Company (http://www.baystatecruisecompany.com) high-speed ferry. It takes just 90 minutes to get to Ptown and the cruise through Boston Harbor and Cape Cod bay is enjoyable. You can ride the MBTA's Silver Line from Boston's Logan Airport for free right to the dock. The Silver Line makes several stops in downtown Boston, so you can combine a few hours in Boston with the ferry.
The high-speed ferry makes it very easy to combine a Ptown trip with a sightseeing trip to Boston. Unlike Ptown, Boston has changed dramatically since the 1970s and mostly for the better. The gayest part of the city is the once run-down South End neighborhood, a couple of miles south of the ferry terminal. The Back Bay and Copley Plaza areas are also very gay-popular. New England's tallest building is the 200 Claredon, in Back Bay. Up until last year, it was the John Hancock Tower and most people still call it that. The building's flat reflective glass reflects the Boston skyline. The tower's observatory sadly closed over security concerns after the 9/11 terrorist attacks but the neighboring and older Prudential Tower provides a view that is almost as good. Boston artfully blends the old and new. If you only have a short time in Boston, be sure to check out the 2.5 mile Freedom Trail (http://www.thefreedomtrail.org), that guides visitors through 16 historically significant locations, including the Old North Church and the site of the Boston Massacre.
For more information check out http://www.provincetowntourismoffice.org.