Provincetown, Massachusetts– also called P-town– is a great place to visit, especially for the LGBT community. It is located on the extreme tip of Cape Cod. Provincetown is the site of the Mayflower’s landing in 1620, and it is commemorated by the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum. Traveling from Baltimore to Provincetown for a weekend trip is easy: fly into Boston, take the Sliver Line bus to the World Trade Center stop, and about two blocks away, is the ferry terminal. The Bay State Cruises Company offers round trip tickets for about $90. Although getting there is easy, focusing on what to do is difficult because there is so much happening. It has a thriving arts community, a scenic area unlike any other in New England, a place for dedicated whale watchers, and a very large LGBT community with several LGBT owned businesses and LGBT bars.

Provincetown is known as an artist-friendly town. It offers several venues for local artists to display their work and to enhance their skills through workshops and classes. The Provincetown Art Association and Museum, founded in 1914, was established to build a collection of works by Cape Cod artists. The Fine Arts Work Center, founded in 1968, is a converted lumber yard that offers a place for artists to live at a discounted rate while they develop their work. The Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill holds exhibitions, lectures, forums, and other activities in order to promote interaction between artists and the public.

Today, many artists sell their art on or near Commercial Street, where most tourists stray. Commercial Street has many great restaurants, art galleries (many artists will negotiate prices after Labor Day), ice cream parlors, coffee shops, nightclubs, and specialty shops. Many of the artists will only accept cash, and there are few bank owned ATMs, so expect to pay a fee if you use an ATM.

Provincetown has beautiful places to wander. Herring Cove and Race Point beaches offer peaceful, pleasant, and relaxing environments where you can witness a beautiful sunset or, if lucky, whale watch without binoculars. The Cape Cod Provinceland Trail is a hilly loop that is about five miles. There are minor trail extensions to Herring Cove and Race Point beaches and Bennett Pond. The trail offers a great way to tour the vast dune system in the Province Lands area and the shady Beech Forest.

Provincetown is also an excellent place to whale watch. It is ranked as one of the world’s top whale watching destinations. It is the seasonal home to Humpback, Finback, Minke whales, and several dolphin species.

The LGBT community should feel very comfortable visiting this town because there are several gay owned and gay friendly bed and breakfasts.  Some of them include the Somerset House Inn (www.somersethouseinn.com), Benchmark Inn (www.benchmarkinn.com), The Gaslamp Bed and Breakfast (www.thegaslampptown.com), Christopher’s by the Bay (www.christophersbythebay.com), White Porch Inn (www.whiteporchinn.com), Carl’s Guest House (www.carlsguesthouse.com), Surfside Hotel and Suites (www.surfsideinn.com), Bayberry Accommodations (www.bayberryaccommodations.com), Carpe Diem (www.carpediemguesthouse.com), Aerie Guesthouse (www.aeriehouse.com), Brass Key Guesthouse (www.brasskey.com), Crew’s Quarters (www.crewsquartersptown.com), West End Inn (www.westendinn.com), Harbor Hill at Provincetown (www.harborhillptown.com), Cape Colony Inn (www.capecolonyinn.com), Inn at the Moors (www.innatthemoors.com), Roux (www.rouxprovincetown.com), Snug Cottage (www.snugcottage.com), Gifford House Inn (www.giffordhouse.com), Watership Inn (www.watershipinn.com), Revere Guest House (www.reverehouse.com), Provincetown Hotel at Gabriel’s (www.provincetownhotel.com), Tucker Inn (www.thetuckerinn.com), Inn at 7 Central (www.innat7central.com), Admiral’s Landing (www.admiralslanding.com), Bradford Carves House (www.bradfordcarver.com), Sunset Inn (www.sunsetinnptown.com), Aerie Beach Club (www.aeriehouse.com), White Wind Inn (www.whitewindinn.com), Crowne Pointe Historic Inn and Spa (www.crownepointe.com), Prince Albert Guest House (www.princealbertguesthouse.com), Rose and Crown Guest House (www.roseandcrownptown.com), and 8 Dyer Hotel (www.8dyer.com).

There are several LGBT night spots. The Atlantic House is a popular gay club with a dance floor and two bars. The service is great and the bartenders are friendly. The Vault is a small bar where some of the guests wear leather. The Pied Bar is a gay bar with a dance club and a spacious beachside deck. Many like to just hang out on the deck with a cocktail. The Purgatory Gilford House is a gay dance club with various theme nights. It is a great place to meet summer residents. The Monkey Bar is a popular place to socialize and relax. The Aqua Bar is a great place to eat – many love the lobster rolls and the fish tacos.

With Provincetown having such a large LGBT presence and it being so easy to travel to, it should be on anyone’s list of destinations for 2018. If you would like more information on Provincetown or any upcoming LGBT events, please visit the Ptown LGBT Center’s website at Ptown.org or contact the Ptown LGBT Center at info@ptown.org.