Note: This post is a Travel Tuesday re-share. In light of my upcoming trip to Provincetown for Labor Day, I wanted to bring this post to light again, for those who may not have seen it, to share my excitement for the trip, and to give an idea for a great travel location this summer. This blog post was originally shared September 20, 2016.
Over Labor Day, my husband and I decided to get away to take in the last few days of summer. After debating on where to go, we decided on Cape Cod for two reasons- one, it was drive-able (a long drive, but still drive-able); and two, I had very fond childhood memories of Cape Cod from spending summers with my parents there on annual vacation. I hadn't been back in over 17 years and David had never been at all, so we picked Provincetown (aka Ptown), Cape Cod as our retreat.
We chose to stay in Provincetown for the lively crowds and unlimited dining, shopping, and things to do. While there are other areas of Cape Cod that are also beautiful, we wanted to have everything at our fingertips without having to go far since we were only going to be there 2 days. Provincetown is a small town, but packed with beautiful surroundings and architecture, and as mentioned above- things to do. It is a hub of unique art galleries and home furnishing stores galore, waterside dining, and best of all- rosé. Everywhere we went, rosé was a feature item on the menu and being thoroughly enjoyed by the masses in bars. This town loves rosé so much, they have even come up with Frozé, a frozen rosé slushy drink. If you know me at all, you'll know the way to my heart is through art, shopping, and wine, so Provincetown definitely found its place in my heart again, after 17 years of memories.
Below is a snapshot of my experience in Provincetown, featuring highlights from our trip. I hope you find these pictures and words inspiring enough to make a visit to Provincetown for yourself, as this charming town will always be at the top of my travel list.
The Cape Cod Sunrise
From DC, Provincetown is a 9 hour drive without traffic. We drove through the night to avoid traffic and timed our arrival with the sunrise. I had done some research before the trip and saw that Cahoon Hollow Beach in Wellfleet was listed as one of the best places to catch the sunrise. After the long drive, we made our way to the beach both a little foggy and tired from being awake all night. We parked at the beach and were instantly gratified as soon as we stepped out of the car. The sky was radiant with sun beams and cotton candy clouds, and I tried to think of the last time I really watched the sunrise. Watching the sunrise was a powerful and moving experience, and I recommend anyone to make time for a sunrise viewing (whether in Cape Cod, or anywhere else), sometime very soon.
The Ptown Experience
The thing I love about Provincetown is its flamboyance and quirkiness. The streets are small, yet speak volumes when it comes to the varying art galleries and decor shops in historic houses that line Commercial St. No gallery is the same and each one has its own character. The home decor shops are the same- small shops filled with unlimited treasures made by local artists. The streets are lively and colorful and the converted historic homes that are now shops and restaurants is visually stimulating. A walk down Commerical St. is the perfect retreat of creativity, people watching, inspiration, and shopping. Provincetown is also a popular spot for the LGBT community and I was enthralled with the inclusiveness and love that you instantly feel in the atmosphere.
When we arrived in Ptown after the sunrise, it was 7am on a Saturday morning. The streets were empty except for a handful of people out exercising or waking up with a cup of coffee. In my opinion, arriving at this time was the best as we got to see the town waking up, before the masses of tourists lined Commercial St. just a few hours later. It was a quiet sanctuary where I felt like I was with the town one-on-one, able to drink in its charm. David and I strolled the streets at our own pace, stopping when we wanted, looking at what we wanted, and taking it all in, which is hard to do once the crowds set in. Here, magic lurks in every street and around every corner, whether its someones home decoration or yard that catches your eye (for me, a house pictured below that had a merry-go-round horse statue in an amethyst stone as part of their fence), a funny sign on a store (or a small dinghy boat called 'Cupcake', also pictured below), or details of a structure or whimsical piece of art that is on display.
I left Ptown after our short 2 days sad. I was sad that I had to go back to reality from this gem of a town, but happy knowing that it will be calling my name until next summer when I can visit this storybook town again.
The Cape Cod Cottage
Although Ptown caters to tourists, there are a limited number of hotels and B&B's in the area. The options available are also on the more costly side, so I searched Airbnb for a place to stay in the heart of Ptown. I came across this cottage, which admittedly was more than we had budgeted to spend, but we decided to splurge a little and rent it, since it was in a great location and would be an experience staying in a cottage.
The cottage was by far the cutest thing ever and made our stay so much more enjoyable. Not only was the place adorable, well decorated, and the perfect size for 2 people, but it was in the heart of town and just steps from many restaurants, galleries, the beach, and just a short 5-10 minute walk to the main area of town. For more information on this rental, check out the listing on Airbnb.
XOXO
Blonde in the District