Aisha and I spent a couple nights in Provincetown, MA on the Cape as our first mini-getaway since being quarantined in March. Due to the pandemic, we were able to book an Airbnb at a good rate and in pretty short notice. Neither of us had been to Provincetown, MA before.
As expected, we didn’t get the full “P-Town” experience. But we did get to relax plenty at the small beach that was private to our Airbnb’s condo group. We walked up to the Pilgrim Monument, though it was closed, and down a mostly vacant MacMillan Pier, to look at the boats.
For the most part, everyone was practicing social distancing and wearing face masks. Our rental was conveniently located on Commercial Street, the main drag of P-Town, and lots of restaurants were open with take-out options and outdoor seating.
One morning we walked Commercial Street all the way down to the Provincetown Causeway—a strip of rocks connecting mainland Provincetown to Wood End, where there’s a lighthouse and a beach. We didn’t walk the full way (too hot!) but it was one of my favorite sights.
Provincetown is well-known as a gay haven, so it was fun to see the rainbow flags and merchandise all over the place. However, as described in this New York Times article about Provincetown in 2020:
“The strange, skewed thing about Provincetown this summer… is how disproportionately heterosexual the day-tripping visitors are.”
So many heterosexual folks, namely couples with young children. And with no nightclubs open, nor as many drag shows or queens out and about, the vibe of Provincetown was less queer and more “quirky-coastal-New-England.” For our purposes this strange summer, that was totally fine. But I’d love to go back some time in the future when we’re not in a global pandemic (even though I can see the town getting much, much busier)!