Road Trip... PTown!
Thought I'd try a little something different... That is, perhaps give you a feeling for a Cape Cod treasure - Provincetown (aka "PTown"). Yeah, there will be a reference to birds, but only once. This time I'm going to shoot for a bit of variety.
And "variety" might be the perfect word for PTown. But I'm jumping the gun. First, here's a map of the end of Cape Cod to give you some bearing. Note the compass rose.
Yup, Provincetown is the end of the salty, sandy, and scrub pine-lined roadway known as Rt. 6. If nothing else the little village boasts creativity, diversity, and uhhh... Historically speaking, the scan above speaks volumes, but it's the culture and concomitant architecture and physical layout of the place that provides real insight. The next photograph should help us gain access to a better view of the entire scene. This is the PTown Monument, all 250 feet of her. (350' if you count High Pole Hill upon which the monument perches.)
Next is a pic taken out the back of the base of the monument. That neat spire in the background is the top of the town hall.
Alrighty then, take a look or two from the top of the monolith...
That town hall is right below and just out of sight. You can see MacMillan Wharf on the left. Notice anything else? Kinda tight digs ain't it? Here's another view...
And this last snapshot says a lot too...
Put bluntly, Provincetown isn't for everybody. If the sight of same-sex couples holding hands or the smell of smoldering ganja mixed with grilled hot dogs puts you on edge, PTown ain't for you. But if you can keep your values to yourself, and leave your agenda at the door, the place looks pretty good. If you're polite and civilized, you might just be at home on those turbulently crowded streets.
Yesterday, as we started back to Harwich, we saw half-scattered flocks of grackles coming off Pilgrim Lake in a gray and windy sky, and their angle and our speed was such that they seemed to just rest beside us. That's Provincetown Massachusetts.
Some day, maybe just some day, I'll realize my last dream and become a PTown High School teacher amidst the static, scrape, and bird songs. Yeah... to teach Algebra and Calculus, Physics and Phys Ed. in a small school... that would be a good thing. To build small boats for sale, and quahog for a few extra bucks... All watched over by a village of loving if sometimes ignoble grace. (H/T Brautigan...)
Waiting by the feeders,
CapeCodAlan
Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding
Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding
Comments
Some very good writing, fine ideas, excellent pictures and a very confusing map all add up to a terrific post!
Posted by: Josie | July 19, 2009 7:07 PM