Florida Agenda

By ROBERT ELIAS DEATON

Last week, we introduced you to that picturesque tip of Cape Cod known as Provincetown, a speck of history and tolerance celebrated as much for its Portugese bakeries as it is for its large permanent lesbian and gay populations. This town of 3,500 soars in the warmer months to 10,000 people, including tourists, transvestites, and Tea Party candidates searching for the last holdouts of liberal indifference.

If you arrive by ferryboat from Boston, have your camera ready. There’s an instant photo opportunity waiting night or day at MacMillan Wharf—home to the town’s fishing fleet, ferries, yachts, and assorted pelicans hoping for easy fast food. Most likely your bed and breakfast is a short walk from the pier, or the local taxi services (we recommend Black & White Cab—508-487-7800) will take you to any destination from the pier for $8.00 per person, including two bags of luggage. For your first dining-by-the-bay experience, book at Fanizzi’s by the Sea (539 Commercial St., 508-487-1964). Situated on the east end of Provincetown, the restaurant is so close to the water that high tide literally flows under the stilted frame of the building. Our favorite from the menu has always been the Baked Cod Stuffed with Crab Meat and served with a Newburg Sauce ($24.99), but the choices range from a simple burger ($9.99) on up.

Right in the center of town, look for the Portuguese Bakery (299 Commercial St., 508-487-1803), where the specialty is Malacadas—Portuguese Sugar Doughnuts that are rather addicting. While it’s true the bakery is a tourist trap, it’s equally as accurate to announce that they have the best stuffed sandwiches in town. We like them so much, that we’ve often waited in the no-itnever- gets-any-shorter line for a to-go lunch.

Herring Cove Beach is one mile from town at the end of Route 6. Follow the signs as you merge on to Province Lands Road, where you’ll discover two parking lots servicing the white sand. Since this beach is officially managed by Cape Cod National Seashore, there is a $10 parking fee. When you reach the water, turn to the left and discover the best gay beach in P-town. Continue a little beyond that point, and you’ll find sunbathers shedding their clothes to remove any trace of the Great Northeast tan line.

The Provincetown Public Library (356 Commercial St.) is a fun place to people watch, and check your email via the free public use computers. The ½ scale model of the schooner Rose Dorothea pays tribute to the town’s fisherman legacy, and is the showcase of the second-floor children’s section.

Mussel Beach Health Club (35 Bradford St., 508-487- 0001) is the cleanest, most u p – t o – d a t e facility for working your muscles to a fine tune. Free weights combine with elliptical crosstrainers and stairmasters in this popular gym that sells a week-pass for $90.

The A-House (6 Masonic Pl.) is the bar where twinks, bears, leather men, and muscle boys share the space. Actually three bars in one, the place includes the Little Bar with its cruisy men and a jukebox for sound, the upstairs Macho Bar where naughty is nice, and the large dance floor and patio called the Big Room—all open ‘til 1 a.m. There is no end of fun in this town of plenty, where a simple walk down Commercial Street is a kaleidoscope of gays, straights, lesbians, and the occasional fisherman—all living the dream on Cape Cod Bay.

Read Part 1 : TRAVEL: PROVINCETOWN- If the Pilgrims Could See Us Now

By ROBERT ELIAS DEATON

In 1620, the Mayflower, carrying 100 separatists from England and Holland, landed on the tip of Cape Cod and anchored just off the shore of what is now Provincetown. It was a brutal November day, as Novembers can be in P-Town. Within the week, the Pilgrims decided that the place was a little too rough and exposed for their needs, and they continued on to Plymouth Rock, directly across Cape Cod Bay on the mainland. Before they left the tiny tip of Cape Cod, however, they signed the Mayflower Compact, which established the laws that governed this group of religious extremists who formed the backbone of America’s original colonies.

The village of Provincetown was eventually taken over by Portuguese fisherman, who found the harbor a perfect launch point for their daily fishing runs. And so it remained until the mid-30s, when artists and writers discovered this remote spot, and began its rise into one of the gayest spots in America. You arrive in Provincetown through Boston International Airport, connecting to P-Town on Cape Air (866-CAPE-AIR), or via high-speed ferries (carrying people, pets and bicycles, but no cars). Book a seat on Bay State Cruises (877-PTFERRY), or the slightly slower and cheaper Boston Harbor Cruises (877-SEE-WHALE) with transportation provided at the airport in Boston to either ferry via water taxi.

From P-Town airport, taxis or shuttles make the quick five-minute haul into the center of the village, where you will find a choice of luxurious guest houses, family motels, or the famous Gifford House Inn (9 Carver St., 800-434-0130)—the original hotel which was the final stop of the stagecoach in 1858, and is still in business today. Run by Jim Fosse, The Gifford House provides straightforward rooms on three floors reached via the original stairs. While all the rooms have private baths, ask about A/C—some rooms have it, some do not-though that poses no problem, since the hotel was positioned on a crest overlooking the harbor, and receives cooling bay breezes year-round.

Rates start under $100 a night. The CastAways restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch, with the Lobby Piano Bar open nightly at 10 p.m. The Purgatory Leather Dance Bar is in the cellar and appropriately dark and nasty, particularly on Sunday nights when there’s always a line for admission. For the ultimate in luxury and she-sheindulgence, just across the street is the Crowne Pointe Historic Inn & Spa (82 Bradford St., 877-276-9631) where the innkeepers provide working fireplaces, p i l l o w – t o p p e d beds, homecooked breakfasts, and a heated pool complete with towel boys and drink service.

The Bistro at Crowne Point is a highly- recommended gourmet restaurant, where the views are nearly as splendid as the cuisine. Dress up and act the part. For longer stays, contact the legendary girls at Pied Piper Real Estate (199 Commercial St., # 8, 508-487-1528). Our favorites Betty Newman and Phoebe Otis are privy to all the choice rentals for a week, month, or throughout the whole season. Personalized treatment is the hallmark here, and you will end up recommending these gals to your friends.

They will be the first to tell you that a bike is the most you’ll ever need to get around, while much of the town’s action can be reached on foot, walking down the packed main throughfare, Commercial Street. Next week, we’ll fill you in on all the restaurants, clothing stores, clubs, galleries, cruise spots, and gyms—plus the oh-so-special public library, which is a must-visit on anyone’s vacation schedule. Like many things Provincetown, it’s old, it’s colorful, and oh-so-gay.

Provincetown, Cape Cod – Part 2