Ok, I am going to start another thread..When you get around the nation as much as I do, you might as well bring up your destinations.

I'm going to p-town 7/3 to 7/7 and right now it looks like we are staying at the Howards Inn Bed and Breakfast. Anyone else ever been there?

We wanted to stay at the John Randall House
www.johnrandallhouse.com (http://www.johnrandallhouse.com) but they had a 7 day minimum.

There is a chance that we might only be able to spend three nights there if my friend can't get out of work early. I wondered if anyone had any other reviews of places they had stayed, etc that we could consider.

Further, we will be taking the very over from Boston, something I very much recommend. This is actually only my second trip to Ptown, and the first trip was only one night. (one seriously fun day at the beach).

Chris

Can I HIGHLY recommend the Oxford Guest House http://www.oxfordguesthouse.com/ or the Becon Light Guest House http://www.beaconlightguesthouse.com
The are both owned by the same couple (Stephen and Trevor) from the UK and the places are just superb! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/thumbsup.gif

They may have a minimum as well, but most guest houses do during the summer. Sometimes, if they have a cancellation, they can squeeze you in for less than the minimum.

We booked the Oxford last summer for this summer, that's how much we enjoyed it.

We've stayed at the John Randall House that is very nice as well.

The ferry is very enjoyable. In the summer there is the fast ferry and slow one. We did the slow one out and fast one back. Beautiful views back over the Boston skyline and it does make you feel as if you are going on more of an adventure than if you drive. Also, cars not needed in Ptown. Try P'Town bikes www.ptownbikes.com (http://www.ptownbikes.com) and pedal your way to the beach (as it is a bit of a hike from the town!).


[This message has been edited by LHR Tim (edited 03-20-2002).]

LHR Tim, that place is nice!

One challenge we had was finding good and moderately priced restaurants. We ate at a few places, but didn't think the food was all that wonderful. We also learned how important a cooler at the beach will be.

We are probably going to book the ferry in advance, but I wonder if it is "sold out" around the 4th.

I know that there are other flyertalkers other than I who have Summer homes in PVC. But I will do the honors of posting as the first flyertalk "wash-ashore." Wash-ashore is the term that the townies call those of us who reside in Provincetown anything less than three generations.

Anyhow, restaurants....

Chester -- fine dining. Waitstaff occasionally inconsistent

The Mews -- reliable and moderate

Gallerani's -- the old standby, and in my neck of the woods

Ross -- this newbie is quite nice

In terms of staying in PVC, what about renting a home by the week. You can get fabulous homes either in town or in Truro for 1000-2000 per week. And for a bit more you can get truly beautiful homes.

The best resource for anyone coming to our little corner of heaven is the local paper, the Provincetown Banner. And if you really want to stay in tune, you can subscribe from anywhere in the US for a song.

One additional comment: take the plane. Cape Air has constant service during the high season. They run sections for most flights, and the sections are staggered so that there is a plane leaving every half hour, or so it seems.

Much, much more convenient than any of the three ferry services. And if you are flying into Logan, you don't have to get to the wharf in Boston.

And now we even have a magnetometer at our little landing strip in the dunes. (New development to allow Terminal A at Logan to be secure.)

If we could only get Cape Air to start a true frequent flyer program! (They term their discount books a frequent flyer program, but it is simply a flat price for ten vouchers.)

Fastflyer,

What do they charge for their flights?

William

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by wharvey:
Fastflyer,

What do they charge for their flights?

William</font>

Has anyone flown capeair before? It seems like it would be expensive just for the short flight.

I've flown Cape Air from Boston to Martha's Vineyard - they're great! True, their current frequent flyer program is the 10 coupon flat rate discount that fastflyer mentions above, but all my flights were on time with friendly service. They fly 9-seater Cessnas with one pilot and they seat you by weight - I got to sit next to the pilot each time. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif They will also fly one pet per flight in the cabin for $10 each way, which is nice (FF's pets fly free). More info on Cape Air at:

http://www.flycapeair.com

This is only a 25 minute flight. I've been to Provincetown by car and it wasn't fun (well, the weekend part of the trip, at least - a massive traffic jam). I priced flights on itn.net for mid-June and came up with about $199 round trip. I wouldn't hesitate paying that in a second and renting a car once in Provincetown. I saw some promotions on another site that were as low as $99 BOS-PVC round trip and one fare with a major carrier from New York City through Boston to Provincetown for $198 round trip.

http://www.provincetown.com/plan/get_here/get_here_air

Note: If you plan just to hang out in Provincetown, you really don't need a car (as mentioned in a previous post). My favorite beaches were about 10 miles away in Truro (ocean side), though, and the rest of the Cape is beautiful to visit. If I did it again, I would find a house to rent in Truro and drive into Provincetown for restaurants and nightlife.

Is there anything to do off season (AKA this weekend).

I am staying at a friends house on the cape (orleans) for a relaxing out of city escape. I wondered what the bars did offpeak.

Take a look at this interesting article by Louise Rafkin which originally appeared in the SF Examiner:

P-Town Revisited: Taking An Off-Season Foray to A Cape Cod Arts Colony (http://www.gaywired.com/index.cfm?linkPage=/storydetail.cfm&Section=88&ID=2476)

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by blairvanhorn:
Take a look at this interesting article by Louise Rafkin which originally appeared in the SF Examiner:....
</font>

The resources available in FT never fail to amaze me. I think BlairVH has provided an excellent resource in response to the question about off-peak life in P-Town. It's a good read even for those of us who are not planning to venture there anytime soon.

wharvey, catwood,

I believe that Cape Air (9K is their code) is running a special right now for weekend roundtrips BOS-PVC or v.v. At least they had been advertising something in the Banner a few weeks ago along these lines.

Best bet is to give them a call and speak to a sales agent. 800/352-0714.

Last summer, the booklets were $780 for ten one-way vouchers. That works out to about $150 per weekend -- quite reasonable considering the convenience.

I was down there on Saturday for a board meeting of an arts group. I was surprised at the number of people in town. The off-season just keeps getting more and more popular. Next weekend should see the usual mix of townies, wash-ashores, and day-trippers. Some shops and bars are open. Pick up the Banner when you get to Orleans. Provincetown is about a 40 minute drive from there.

I investigated taking capeair a two years ago, but one-way off-peak was about $110 each -- That's a nice meal a Chesters!

The fast ferry runs in the summer and is about two hours - which by time you get to the airport, etc... It is also about the driving time (which as BVH points out is boring!)

My vote is that if an hour or so isn't of the essence and the weather is nice, get a jump on your tan and fast ferry it!

I want to think outloud this morning and get some feedback. I went on itn.net and priced a PHL-PVC ticket, it came out on USAIR PHL-BOS-PVC for $263, July 2nd to 7th. This seems like a great fare for a couple of reasons.

1. A typical PHL-BOS Fare is about $160
2. R/T on the fast ferry is $50
3. Taking the T and cab to the terminal $15

This works out to only $38 more to take the cape air connection. What is interesting is that if you price the capeair part by itself (BOS-PVC) it is about $200 r/t.

Just my observations, sorta screwy if you ask me.

Chris

Cape Air definitely has special fares when combined with other carriers. They used to run a PVC-BOS-EWR fare with CO for less than $200 RT.

If you are flying to Logan, always check the through fares to PVC. Since you are already at Logan, you save the trouble of taking a taxi to the wharf for one of the ferries. (I have taken the ferries occasionally; I really find flying to be far more convenient).

The flight takes 20 minutes. The ferry takes two hours plus for the fastest jet-cat.

Takes about 10 minutes to drive out to PVC from town. MacMillan wharf is in the center of town. I really value the total (1.5 hours) time advantage when you are connecting at Logan -- I have commuted to and from PVC from customers all over the country during the Summer months, and the time savings by flying is significant.

How do you get from PVC to town?

Chris

A cab. It is, if I recall, about $10-15, if that. No need for a car, unless you are going futher afield when there. Rent a bike on arrival at your hotel/guest house.

The taxi fare from the airport into town and v.v. is $5 per passenger (not per taxi). Taxis are communal in Provincetown.

I suppose a bicycle would work without luggage. The dunes bike path is right at the entrance drive to the airport. A bit round-about, however. You will end up in the Herring Cove parking lot down at the far West End.

Anyone have a "Cape Air" trip report? I'd certainly be interested.

This topic has really given me some great ideas and I will probably fly to Ptown. LHR will you be there around the 4th?

Chris

No. We're going in August for Carnival http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/biggrin.gif

I wanted to bump this back up to the top b/c it looks like I might be going to P-town after all for the 4th. Can anyone recommend a good realtor for Ptown/North Truro area? There's a group of about 8-10 of us coming from BOS, and we're looking for a house rental for the week (hopefully even with a pool! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif ).

It's our preference to actually stay in North Truro instead of P-town. If anyone can offer advice on a realtor, or if you have stayed in a particularly nice property before and would like to share your experience, I'd appreciate it! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif

Ryan

[This message has been edited by RChavez (edited 04-18-2002).]

I saw this snippet in the NY Post today. Perhaps some suggested reading just in time for the summer holidays?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">A TELL-ALL book about hard-partying Provincetown has publisher Scribner combing the text for potential libel. Ptown: Art, Sex and Money on the Outer Cape features stories about celebrities from Norman Mailer to John Waters, and details the recent grisly murder of ex-New York writer Christa Worthington. Longtime Provincetown resident Peter Manso lifts the lid on the fishing village turned bohemian enclave and gay resort, which he says boasts "two fully equipped dungeons." The behind-the-dunes potboiler alleges that the wife of a local doctor procured psychedelic drugs for Mailer. Messy Judy Garland is recalled for her public drunkenness. And the book chronicles the gay abandon of randy playwright Tennessee Williams. Manso previously penned a shocking biography of Hollywood heavyweight Marlon Brando and a life of Mailer. "Ptown" will be published July 1.</font>

http://www.nypost.com/gossip/pagesix.htm

Ryan: did you find any information on rental properties? I found the web site below which lists 4-5 bedroom vacation rentals by owners in Truro - might be a good way to find some leads.

http://www2.cyberRentals.com/MATRUR/TRUR4to9.html

Great blurb. Having returned from Puerto Rico this past week I am reading to move onto planning my 4th. I can't wait to get up to Ptown during this time. I remain sirprised that the police aren't tighter there and they let a lot slide, however maybe it's just good for business.

It turns out this fare with USAIR and Cape Air at $263 from philly seems pretty fixed, I wonder how long I can wait until buying it, does anyone have any experience on these joint type fares with cape air?

Chris

The joint fares are the way to go. $263 sounds about right.

BTW, the writer of that book that talks of Christa Worthington and Norman Mailer is not highly respected in town. For example, he has threatened the Abercrombie & Fitch owners (new washashores) over planting trees in their own yard because they would "encroach" on his view.

Bumping to the top...no pun intended...it looks like I am going alone to Ptown now, due to a boy divorce. Can anyone give me the scoop on some of the other bars around town? I've only ever been to Paramount.

What's a guy all alone supposed to do? Eat all alone at Spritus pizza?

Chris

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">What's a guy all alone supposed to do?</font>

Walk, bike, run, swim, eat, sleep, read, drink, think, talk, laugh ...

The options are limitless - have fun!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by catwood:
Bumping to the top...no pun intended...it looks like I am going alone to Ptown now, due to a boy divorce.

Chris

</font>

Sorry about the divorce http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/frown.gif

This weekend is the Provincetown International Film Festival. Opening party tonight courtesy of Spiritus. It's a block party. I'm flying in on the 7:30 on Cape Air. Hope we see lots of visitors. Gus van Sant is our guest of honor for the weekend.

oops not a boy divorce for me..my friend...i'm in still in search with a boy with FF Status.

Does Cape Air ever do specials?

Speaking of the Cape. Is the only thing gay on Martha's Vineyard Gay Head? I'm headed to P-town in July and some friends are going to be staying on Martha's during the same time and we are trying to decide if we want to drive down for the day or no.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by catwood:
oops not a boy divorce for me..my friend...i'm in still in search with a boy with FF Status.

</font>

lol

I'm sure we all judge our men (and women) by the size of the FFP balance! ;-)