Short P'Town Itinerary Review
 

Will have 1.5 days/2 nights in P'Town mid-August for the following:

Arrive Monday at 2:30
Check into Secret Garden Inn
Stroll Commercial Street
Pilgrim's Monument
Dinner at Mews
Atlantic House Bar
Spiritus if up that late?

Tuesday:
Race Point Beach (how to get there ... is there like a taxi or pedicab service or something)
Something else?
Dinner Mayflower

Any advice for how to use time Tuesday, or any other bars/gay bars/restaurants I should visit? I am hoping this will be the "down-time" part of my trip in between Providence and Boston.

There are touristy type things you can do such as Whale Watching and Dune tours, but the best thing you can do is to rent a bike. You can use it to go to Race Point and get around town, but more importantly, to take a ride on the bike trails in the National Seashore. Check with your Inn, they may even have them or can arrange one for you.

Rather than Race Point, I'd recommend Herring Cove for the beach. I don't think the pedicabs go out that far, and while you could be dropped off by a regular taxi, getting back might be a problem (you can call, but I'm not sure about the pick-up issues there. What everyone does is to bike down to the dunes near Herring Cove, park their bikes, and walk through to the beach, so I second SusieQQ's recommendation. Get a bike for the full day. You can't miss the parking spot at the beach because there will be a hundred bikes there.

There aren't exactly a lot of "sights", but there are some interesting, albeit horribly overpriced, galleries to visit and lots of beautiful gardens. Take time to explore them.

There are a lot of good restaurants in Provincetown. I like Cafe Edwidge, Bubbala's by the Bay if the weather is nice (but I don't think they take reservations, and there can be relatively long waits ... so lunch could be a better option), Victor's (which is up on Bradford beyond the western end of Commercial Street), Front Street, and even the Lobster Pot (if you are looking for local seafood). I've never eaten at Mayflower.

And for breakfast, Relish has great baked goods, egg sandwiches, and coffee, but it's take-out only. It's down on the Commercial Street extension.

I suspect it's going to be fairly quiet on a Monday and Tuesday. Most of the nighttime entertainment won't be running, so town may feel fairly quiet. Still, make reservations for dinner if you can, even if just that day.

So I've found out there is a shuttle from the main pier to/from both beaches every half hou. Good to know!

I do have dinner reservations for both nights.

You'll love P'town! Make sure you allow some time to sit on a bench in front of City Hall to just watch the world parade on by.

If you've not done one before, now is a good time to do a whale watch.

Café Edwidge is fine, Mews is better imo.

The words 'itinerary' and 'Provincetown' don't really go together. Provincetown is a place to chill and relax in, just go with it!

Thanks all!

I realize that whale-watching is a tourist sport, but in P-Town it pays off! We'd tried it several other places, but there, we had at least 30 - yes thirty - sightings!

Don't have a clue whether we had several from one whale, but when you're there looking, and the whales are so close you could touch them, it's absolutely amazing. I'm a big advocate :)

If you do a whale watching cruise, The Dolphin Fleet is the best.

Joe, glad you found the shuttle information. I saw it today but you found it before I could post. Enjoy your trip.

I think dolphin fleet is the only show in town these days having bought out the other whale watcher boats

Thanks!

Given that the A-House is on your list I'm going to make a leap of faith....here's the daily "routine":
up by 9:30
Change for breakfast
breakfast at Post Office cafe
Change for boat, pool or beach
Walk/bike to beach (or taxi for $7 each)
Back by 3:30
Nap
Change for T-dance (do not miss T-dance)
T-dance at about 4:30
Change for Dinner
Late dinner (skip Mayflower...not very good)
Change for going out
Start at Wave bar then head to A-house by 11:00
1:00 a slice at Spiritus
In bed by 2:00

Do it every day each summer and after 20 years or so you may start to get tired of the routine......or not...I'm not

Seriously though, try to squeeze in a whae watch or Art's dune tour.... or as suggested just hang out at Town hall on a bench....P-town is an amazing corner of the world!

Thanks for the tips! Don't think I'm that much of a night owl, sadly, even at my relatively young age. I will check out some fo your recommendations.

Can I ask a dumb question: Is there a place to put luggage on the P'Town ferry? I'll be taking a suitcase and my backpack.

If you are as hot as I suspect you are you do NOT need to change clothes every time you turn around, Stud.

Agree about the Mayflower. It's a tourist trap.
What kind of food do you like?

Ok will reconsider. French or seafood usually. Would like to stay around $20 entree.

Hmmm, 20. an entree isn't easy in PTown.
Bayside Betsy's, Pepe's or Bubalas. All fun places for decent food and drink. All on Commercial.

You are getting great advice from folks, including a local.

I know that if I were there for your time frame, I'd eat at Bubalah's (always on the patio watching the folks walk by on Commercial) and at the Lobster Pot. Breakfast at the Post Office is great, especially to see the performers you saw the night before out of drag. When you are at Spiritus, look up at the building across the street. We used to stay at the condo at the top of the building every year - with an incredible deck overlooking the water and the Pied. It took me years to go on Art's Dune Tours but I highly recommend. We always went to Herring Cove Beach so I can't compare with other beaches. I would wander down Commercial and shop (and people watch) for a bit and then go in and buy yet another red D. Flax classic Provincetown shirt (I am currently one from many years ago, full of holes and soft as a cloud). That's exactly what I would do. :-)

The one thing I would add is to go see David "Scarbie" Mitchell's show. One of my favorite shows ever - and he and his partner are great people. He's been having a good summer - selling out very often this summer. Go see him and laugh a lot.

http://www.bubalas.com/menu.html
http://www.ptownlobsterpot.com/
http://dflax.com/peaceShop.php

http://www.flickr.com/photos/6179098...th/5963301312/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61790982@N02/5963301312/
https://www.facebook.com/david.s.mitchell.1

Enjoy the tea dances!
Oh, and nap on the beach!

Lobster Pot=Tourist Trap but Bubala's is really good.