Gettin’ down in P-town

Mom came in town for a few days last week, so I took it as an opportunity to continue my Northeast small town tour. One afternoon we decided to take the ferry to Provincetown to see her friend Frankie. Provincetown is at the furthest point of the Cape, which curls up towards Boston, so it’s only a 90 minute ferry ride from Beantown. This was my first trip out there, so I had no idea what to expect. However, I had previously been told by a friend in San Francisco that Ptown is a mecca for the gay community; that even homos from California make the cross country pilgrimage in search of a gay ol’ time. I imagined feather boas, tighty-whities, drag queens and lots of rainbows. That wasn’t far from reality…

We arrived to this:

Our day trip aligned perfectly with Family Pride Week, so spirits were high. On the ferry ride over, we even made friends with a little boy and his two dads, which turned out to be a fairly common sight once we docked in Ptown.

Before meeting Frankie, mom and I walked down the main strip of town. A few things worth noting: a man standing outside a restaurant wearing only a mini toga (I guess he was trying to entice customers), a guy painted from head-to-toe in gold body paint, and two old men holding hands, wearing purple feather boas and makeup. Great people watching! Besides homosexuals, Ptown is also known as a gathering place for artists, so there were dozens of little local art galleries to peep into. And once you get away from the town center (shown above), you start to notice the beautiful Cape Cod style houses for which this area is known.

Frankie and his brand new fiancé, Marc, had rented an apartment on historic Captain Jack’s Wharf, which is a pier converted into tiny little studio/loft style cabins surrounded on two sides by water. They are incredibly quaint. I was so impressed, and now think that every beach town should follow suit with this type of development. Frankie and Marc’s place had a small kitchen, sitting area and lofted bed-space. Cozy, efficient, beach front: Perfect. Frankie kept calling it “special.” I couldn’t agree more. When we arrived, the doors and windows were all open, allowing for the most pleasant sea breeze to blow through the cabin. Cheese and wine and fruit salad and a homemade zucchini appetizer awaited us when we got there (Frankie and Marc are such great hosts!)

Here’s a group photo in front of the Wharf:

and one of Frankie, mom and I in their cabin:

This was the first time I’d met Frankie, and I have to say, what a breath of fresh air he is!? He and Marc were giddy with excitement over their recent engagement, and I couldn’t help but be affected by their happiness. It really made me wonder how anyone could oppose such pure joy…

Anywho.. we ate and chatted and enjoyed the sound of the ocean, then headed down the street to dinner at The Red Inn, a 200 year old Inn located right on the water. This is their favorite restaurant in Ptown, and just so happens to be where Frankie recently proposed to Marc. They delighted in telling us the story of how they met and how the special night, a few days earlier, had panned out: Frankie making prior arrangements with the restaurant, changing into his sweatsuit for “old time sake,” the rings not fitting, champagne glasses flying across the room, etc. We nibbled on food (although I was full from snacking on the wharf), sipped wine and gazed out over the calm cape water. Such a delightful evening.

But then it came time to leave…. I really wish we would’ve planned better and maybe stayed for the night, because as we were on our way out of town, Frankie and Marc were on their way to a drag show… bummer.

We knew we’d be too late for the last ferry back to Boston, so I had arranged to rent a car and drive back. Unfortunately, Enterprise didn’t offer one-way rentals during the high season, EXCEPT for utility vans… you know, the ones with two front seats and a big open area in the back? Like a church van with no back seats.. Yeah, so mom and I loaded up in the utility van with a goody bag of Frankie’s homemade meatballs and water, which he insisted on sending along with us for the ride, and drove into the night.