Day 5 of our Va-cape-tion: Provincetown!

We started out our day meeting up for lunch with our Colorado friends at a cute and wonderful restaurant/bookstore in Hyannis called Bread + Roses. Then we hopped in the car and began our adventure up to the northernmost area of the Cape (in the fist of the arm, as locals call it), to the little town of Provincetown.

Along the way we decided to stop at a spot on the Cape Cod National Seashore and do a little hike around The Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail. Thankfully, the beginning of trail was more sandy than swampy, and it led through a quiet, thick forest of pine and oak trees, eventually turning into a boardwalk that lead over the swampy areas. A little walk from the end of the trail led us to cliffside views a quintessential Cape Cod beach. It was a quick and easy one-mile hike and definitely worth stopping for!

Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail

Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail

The view from the cliffs near the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail

Traveling further along the road, we made another stop at Nauset Light Beach where we saw quite a few seals swimming parallel to the shore and even a whale in the distance! Unfortunately, as soon as you see them, it’s too late and they disappear before you can get a picture, so you’ll have to take our word for it!

Finally we arrived in Provincetown. Provincetown (aka P-town) is the site of where the Mayflower first landed in 1620 before deciding to settle in Plymouth. Here you can see the unmissable Pilgrim Monument tower and Provincetown Museum where you can learn more about the indigenous people of the area, its whaling history, and the evolution of Provincetown into what it is today. P-town has a rich history in art and culture and is also known as a popular vacation destination for the LGBTQ+ community.

Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum

Commercial street is a three mile stretch with an abundance of cute shops and restaurants, and we spent some time wandering around there. We enjoyed having dinner next to the beach, and of course had to pop into one of the many ice cream shops for more ice cream! We also walked along MacMilIlan Pier to take in the views from the harbor. While walking around Commercial Street, we stumbled upon the Provincetown Library, which was housed inside what was originally the Center Methodist Episcopal church built in 1860. We decided to check it out inside, and we were surprised to see a full-sized replica of the Rose Dorothea Schooner, a fishing boat which won the famous Lipton Cup race in the early 1900’s!

View from MacMillan Pier

Provincetown Library

The Rose Dorothea Schooner inside the Provincetown Library

After catching a gorgeous sunset from the beach, we headed over to Crown & Anchor, a fun entertainment complex, in the hopes of seeing a drag show, but unfortunately there were no shows going on that evening so we decided to head back south. Along the way back to our car we caught a glimpse of the Town Hall lit up in rainbow lights, which was neat to see. Missing the chance to see a show was a bummer, but we made the best of it by finishing up our day enjoying a drink on the beach at our friends’ hotel in South Yarmouth. We didn’t stay out too late because we had to get up early to catch a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. Stay tuned!

Provincetown sunset

Provincetown sunset

Provincetown Town Hall lit up at night