Road Trip To Provincetown

Back in April when the US was slowly opening back up, everyone and their mom was getting vaccinated (myself included, #pfizergang), and the delta variant was a distance fear we thought we’d may never really face, my boyfriend and I took our first road trip in awhile to the infamous Ptown.

If you’ve never heard of Provincetown, Massachusetts, it’s a small beach town at the the very tip of Cape Cod where the Mayflower first landed and what many would describe as a queer haven. Like Fire Island in terms of the sheer quantity of queer people, Ptown is one of those few places LGBTQ+ people can go and really feel like they’re amongst friends and family. But also like Fire Island, it’s more seasonal than not - with Memorial Day through Labor Day being the peak times (aka when you’ll be the most pressed to find an affordable Airbnb). So our while our trip at the end of April was definitely on the colder and calmer side, we still loved exploring everything that Ptown - and the cute New England stops along the way - had to offer.

Olde Mistick Village

Plymouth Rock… this is it…

The National Monument To The Forefathers

We kicked off the ~5 hour road trip from NYC with a stop in Mystic, Connecticut. We had stopped here briefly before on our way back from another trip, but this time we got to see Old Mistick Village - an old timey themed shopping center with restaurants, fun shops, and a lot of New England-style common areas (think gazeboes, a pond with a water wheel, that type of stuff). The whole village is only open until 8pm, so be mindful of that if you want to see it. We had delicious meal at Jealous Monk and then we hit the road again.

Two hours later, we arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts - home of Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower II, and the National Monument To The Forefathers, among a lot of other old stuff. Plymouth Rock itself was… underwhelming. The rock has eroded and is now pretty dinky, but it was still cool to be around and see the area that we learned so much about in school. The National Monument To The Forefathers was a lot more impressive and I even found members of a “Fuller” family who were on the Mayflower inscribed in the monument.

Another two hours later, after zipping straight up the Cape, we arrived in Provincetown. The drive in is incredible - sand dunes on either side make it look like you’re crossing into another world. We checked into our Airbnb, which was super conveniently located off Commercial St (the main street running alongside the coast), and set out for food. Being the off season, a little late, and still in a pandemilovato, we didn’t have a ton of options but we managed to grab some satisfying pizza slices at Spiritus.

Over the next two days, we hit the town. We walked basically all of Commercial Street, stopping in every shop that looked interesting - and there are a lot. Some stores aren’t open or have limited hours in the off season, but there's still tons to explore. Between the stores and the charming New England houses, it’s very easy to just get lost wandering around town. We also ventured out to Boy’s Beach (you can park at Herring Cove Beach and just walk down the coast to the left) and in April, it’s definitely empty and cold - but still beautiful.

Truro Winery

Of course, we also ate and drank our way through the trip. We got our much needed daily coffee at Kohi Coffee and Joe Coffee & Cafe, both of which hit the spot. One day we drove out to Truro Vineyard, which while technically outside of Provincetown, was a lovely and relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Their outdoor space has all these pairs of Adirondack chairs right along the vineyard so you can sit back, drink, and just chill.

Then there’s the food of Ptown - we obviously couldn’t eat everywhere, but imo The Canteen is must try. Their backyard is basically on the beach and faces the water and the food is delicious. On our last night, we treated ourselves to a ~fancier~ meal at Sal’s Place and holy cow. One of the best meals I had had in awhile. Classic Italian but done exceptionally well, plus the ambience is cozy, romantic, and somewhere you’ll just want to stay forever.

After a few days, we reluctantly headed back to the city. We stopped along the way down at a few places, but honestly none were worth writing home about. I might be alone in this, but Provincetown seems like a gem in a Cape Cod while the rest of it feels skippable. However, we did stop in South Norwalk, Connecticut (aka SoNo) which has apparently recently become this super cool neighborhood, as far as neighborhoods in Connecticut go :) we stopped for dinner at Mecha Noodle Bar and I’m still dreaming about those spare ribs.

Lunch at The Canteen

Dinner at Sal’s Place

If you take away anything from this post, know that Ptown in the office season is lovely but much more chill - if you’re expecting the busier, partier vibe (or just want to get down at the Dick Dock) then summertime is the time to go. But there’s still plenty to see, eat, and do, not just in Provincetown but all the way up from NYC.

We’ll be definitely be back!