| Ten years ago, my friend Keith and I decided that we were going to plan a trip to Provincetown, the legendary gay mecca by the sea. A couple days before we were to actually make our booking however, Keith suddenly announced that he'd "met someone" and now self-righteously judged our anticipated guilty pleasures as inappropriate. So after being on my "to do list" for this lo...
Ten years ago, my friend Keith and I decided that we were going to plan a trip to Provincetown, the legendary gay mecca by the sea. A couple days before we were to actually make our booking however, Keith suddenly announced that he'd "met someone" and now self-righteously judged our anticipated guilty pleasures as inappropriate. So after being on my "to do list" for this long, I finally chose to take the trip alone....and decidedly dove in head first! I boldly booked my stay during Carnival Week, the peak time of the peak season. On top of that, I made reservations at the historic Gifford House, renowned for being in the center of everything.
American history teaches that in 1620, the pilgrims first dropped anchor on the tip of Cade Cod near present-day Provincetown. I knew that puritan vibe was now long-gone, but I had read so many conflicting reviews of Cape Cod vacations that I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was also the first time I had ever flown to a brand new destination not knowing a single soul, and with no plans to meet up with any friends or family. I was truly traveling alone, and was understandably nervous.
However, from the moment I arrived in Boston to catch the Provincetown Ferry, any fears or trepidations I may have had were immediately put to rest. The crew of the ferry which would take me across Cape Cod Bay were friendly and accommodating, knowing by heart that tourism is the lifeblood of their industry. Traveling over choppy waters on a ferry at top speed was also surprisingly enjoyable, something a prairie boy from Winnipeg does not experience every day. I watched the tip of Cape Cod slowly come into view, recognizing the stark landscape of one single lighthouse on the beach. These weren't the palm tree accented beaches of Miami, or the bright lights of Vegas, but the innocent charms of Cape Cod...New England...beautiful in its simplicity.
Coming around the back of McMillan Pier, I suddenly saw signs of life. Looking at the ancient fishing vessels and weathered shacks, stepping onto the docks felt like stepping back a hundred years in time. Even though this was a brand new destination to me, the architecture, Pilgrim monument in the background, and the beaches all seemed familiar thanks to hours spent perusing tourism websites and brochures.
Walking down Commercial Street, I remember thinking that I had never seen a street so full of pedestrians before, 99% of it undoubtedly tourist traffic. Winnipeg’s Corydon Avenue on a warm August evening paled in comparison. I was thoroughly entertained as I strolled along, watching drag queens, leather men, and shirtless jocks intermingled with heterosexual couples and even some families with baby strollers. This was a truly integrated little part of society.
Reaching my destination of Gifford House, I was again pleasantly surprised finding it to be extremely clean, unpretentious, and comfortable. The unparalleled efforts of the staff to be accommodating would become even more apparent to me as the week went on. In fact, by the end of my stay I had never felt compelled to tip so generously before. Gifford House is located in the centre of town, and unless one was expecting their accommodations to be the star attraction of their trip, the guest house provided a perfectly good pit-stop during the day and was a comfortable place to sleep at night.
The area's natural coastal beauty was such a refreshing change from life in the geographical centre of North America. Whether browsing Commercial Street, cycling to the beach and along the shorelines, visiting the Pilgrim monument, or attending the Carnival Week parade, P-town activities always seemed to provide endless photo opportunities.
But to a tourist, living life to the fullest is what P-town was all about. Locals and tourists alike gathered each day at the Boatslip Resort's popular afternoon "Tea Dance". Drawing crowds in the thousands, Tea would offer locals and visitors a chance to dance, drink, watch the sunset, and make plans for the night ahead. Even traveling solo did not put a damper on things as the laid-back unpretentious vibe of P-town made it remarkably easy to meet and make friends. I met Rocky at breakfast on my first day, and he almost immediately became my primary buddy to hang out with. He was also from Connecticut, and able to introduce me to new people at every turn. My new friends proved invaluable when checking out some of the vastly entertaining live shows and nightclubs. Some things are inexplicably more fun when done in groups!
For early evening entertainment, the hottest tickets in town were to the many popular drag performances. Rocky and I attended "The One and Many Voices of Jimmy James", featuring the famous voice impressionist. I was first exposed to Jimmy James on daytime TV talk shows in the mid-1980's when he was famous as the world's best Marilyn Monroe impersonator. These early appearances can now be seen on YouTube and personally still amaze me. I was somewhat star-struck when he posed with me for countless photos after the show and then gave me a handful of his CD's!
After the shows ended, night life would continue to heat up. My favourite club was P-town's largest nightclub, the Paramount, reliably drawing huge crowds of the buffed and beautiful ready to dance the night away. It was a bit of a New England culture shock when I discovered that everything closed at 1:00 a.m., but even when the clubs emptied out there was always one major stop left - Spiritus Pizza. These were warm summer nights in August when the streets would swell with hundreds of men, looking for that final "hot slice".
However, all good things must come to an end. Perfect weather, fun and relaxation regrettably only lasted for about 10 days, and once again I was heading back down the pier, luggage in hand. After traveling back across Cape Cod Bay, I spent the day in Boston before taking return flights home.
When will I return? Even though P-town can be said to be many things, cheap is unfortunately not one of them. So my personal finances will ultimately have the final say in when I schedule a return visit, although it would be nice to have a “week in P-town” as a permanent annual entry in my vacation calendar. |
