Provincetown, Cape Cod - Pirates, Witches and the Mayflower, Oh My!

 Any Port in a Storm - Even though Provincetown Harbor is considered one of the best harbors along the coast, Nor'easters can still break boats free from moorings and wash them up on the beach. This fishing boat is pretty well totalled. The Pilgrim Monument (1910) is in the background, modeled after the Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy.

 Sailing Cape Cod Bay - There are lots of shallows, sandbars and whales to watch out for. Cape Cod ranks as one of the top 10 whale watching destinations in the world. Humpback, finback, Minke and right whales frequent the area, feeding on mackerel, herring, krill and schooling fish that breed in the nutrient rich waters. Prime months for whale watching run from April to October, as whales migrate north in the spring, and then back south to warmer waters in the fall to mate and give birth. 

 Located on the extreme end of Cape Cod, the area was originally settled by the Nauset tribe, who utilized the rich fishing grounds. In 1654 the Governor of Plymouth Colony purchased the land with axes, knives, kettles, coats and hoes from the chief of the Nausets. Oh, how property values have skyrocketed - average home price today, half a million. Ouch. 

 In 1620 the Mayflower arrived in Provincetown harbor, carrying Separatists fleeing religious persecution in England. While in the harbor they drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact, which in part stated that they "would use their own liberty; for none had power to command them . . .". I like their thinking. While the Mayflower was in the harbor, Peregrine White was born, the first white child (barring any Viking births) to be born in North America. 

 The architecture of Ptown is rich, ornate and storied. In 1825 there were no roads in town, and only a single horse, the parsons old white nag. A real one horse town. In 1827, due to deforestation, there were only three trees in town, all willows grown from cuttings brought by a whaling captain from Napoleon Bonaparte's grave at St Helena, where he was exiled during the final years of his life. So much for conquering the world. Even his fickle wife, Josephine, would not return his love letters. Maybe she would have sent him a text, but honestly, I think she was busy 'texting' other people. 

 A church that looks like a wedding cake! Who's hungry? A fall day in Provincetown is well spent eating seafood, drinking gin and tonics, gallery hopping, beach walking and gawking at the tourist wildlife. And the wildlife here is particularly wild and unusual. Please don't feed them, they may bite. Or more likely, they will slobber on your hand. 

 Piers over the water - Once used to build docks, fishing shanties and summer cottages. In 1835 the first wharf was constructed, and huge tree stumps had to be hauled from the water, evidence of the mature forests that once lined the shore. These forests were cleared by early settlers for building and pasture, and today there are only stunted forests - the dwarf forests of Ptown. Walking through them makes me feel like a giant!

 Getting into the Provincetown Spirit. What trip to Ptown would be complete without a bit of dressing up oddly? Those sunglasses are killer, and only $10. Probably the cheapest thing in town. I'll take 'em. The Captain needs some new shades. 

 The docks and piers of the fishing fleet. After the American Revolution, the town had a boom in fishing and whaling. Portuguese fishermen made up a good portion of the population, many having sailed in from the Azores. Year round residents may only number 3,000, but in the summer the population can sore to 60,000! Parking is scarce, unless you are on a boat, in which case the harbor has plenty of anchoring room. 

 Pirates and the Cape Cod National Seashore - 8,500 acres of the Cape are owned by the park service, encompassing dunes, long undeveloped beaches, stunted pine forests and small ponds. Local legend holds that in 1717 the pirate "Black Sam" Bellamy was sailing his ship Whydah for Provincetown, so that he could visit his love, Maria Hallett, the "Witch of Wellfleet". A pirate and a witch? What a colorful couple. Wouldn't you love to have them over for dinner? Fog and a gale force storm wrecked the ship, and 143 crew drowned, with only two survivors. The ship is thought to have held 4.1 tonnes of gold and silver, of which only a small portion has been recovered. So when you walk the beach, keep a lookout for the glint of precious metals in the sand. 

 By the 1890's the town's picturesque setting and end-of-the-road appeal started attracting artists, writers and tourists. Notable residents have included the playwright Tennessee Williams, writer Norman Mailer, and the painters Jackson Pollack and Willem de Kooning. The area continues to attract the seasonal influx of writers, painters and free spirits. Hopefully they have a couch to crash on (couchsurfing.org) or a sizable wallet. Axes are no longer taken in trade for housing. Sorry for the inconvenience. We DO accept bars of gold or silver, however.