The Cultured Traveller - Fourth Anniversary Edition, September-November 2018 Issue 23

Canteen’s brussels sprouts and lobster rolls are not to be missed (www.thecanteenptwon.com). After dinner, piano bars, cabaret clubs and variety shows beckon, although a 1am closing time (for all venues) ensures that despite Provincetown’s colourful nightlife, nothing gets too out of hand.

Lodging options are generally small and charming bed and breakfast properties.

You won’t find a hotel chain in Ptown.

Welcoming guests since 1915 and with just eight keys, The Red Inn is arguably one of the best. Overlooking Provincetown Harbour and Cape Cod Bay, every guest room offers spectacular views and a waterfront balcony (http://theredinn.com). On the other side of town in the East End, award-winning White Porch Inn has nine bedrooms which combine modern luxury in a restored historic house with seductive views over the horizon towards the bay. Eben House (www.ebenhouse.com) and Salt House Inn (www.salthouseinn.com) are two newer boutique properties that offer more modern interpretations of the traditional bed and breakfast concept. Almost all run close to full during the summer months so booking well in advance is essential.

On paper Provincetown has it all. Its breathtaking natural setting surrounded by water on three sides, a national park and beaches combine with the charming qualities of a historic New England coastal village and a cultural scene that would be the envy of many small cities to create an utterly unique and colourful seaside hamlet. Yet in reality it is all this and much more, and it takes mere minutes after landing in Ptown to realise that “We are not in Kansas anymore”. Families with young children share the streets with all manner of street performers, artists with their easels recording the scene, transvestites in full diva drag and greeters in period Pilgrim costume ringing bells and giving out free tourist advice. Provincetown is a carefree enclave where everyone is welcome and encouraged to be themselves. There is truly is no place in the world like it.

Sep-Nov 2018 The Cultured Traveller 209