Ahoy, Matey, It's Provincetown! - Part 1

On Columbus Day weekend, the Capital Pride Singers chorus made its annual trip to perform in beautiful, historic - and very unique Provincetown, Massachusetts. I made arrangements to leave all 6 of my pooches at the vet's. They looked like they were in jail, forlorn and abandoned. Only Wren panicked, bracing her feet against entering the kennel area and peeing all over their floor. The good news is that my dogs naturally break up into 3 pairs of buddies. Here's Winky and Wren, feeling heartbroken:

Casey and Wally seem mostly confused:

But the 2 pups, Seamus and Fergus, are hoping that this may yet prove to be a great adventure and opportunity to play:

I've been traveling to Provincetown since I was in my 20s, working in Connecticut. I used to bring my dog with me back then. I loved the place, its oceans and history. I had no idea it was a gay mecca. Years later, I took both my boys and our pack of dogs to Provincetown a couple of times in the autumn, when the main tourist season was over. We camped at the state park there and ignored the "No Dogs Allowed" signs at the beaches.

For this trip I had a room reserved at this bed and breakfast, where I stayed on the top floor in a room with a ceiling so sloped that I bonked my head every time I got up out of bed:

Once I'd parked and unpacked, I walked down to Commercial Street to view the sights, both the businesses and the people:

Provincetown is one of my favorite places on earth. It's got all the maritime charm of a real harbor town plus all the weirdness of the tourists who come there to let it all hang out:

This woman dressed as an apple tree from "The Wizard Of Oz" was trying to drum up business for something, I didn't even find out what. But seeing her struck me as completely typical of Provincetown. One might encounter people of darn near any ilk and costume. A walking apple tree is just a normal sight:

And inside the Army-Navy store where one can buy almost anything the mind can imagine:

Many unique restaurants, bars, art shops, souvenir shops and generally quirky places:

Classic Provincetown architecture. The stone monument in the distance is a big attraction. People go up to the top of it where they can see for miles. It's the Pilgrim Monument:

As I walked down Commercial Street, I heard my name called from above. At the Crown And Anchor hotel, a group of chorus people were partying on the balcony. They beckoned me up there and I got a good view of the scene below:

In quieter moments, people looked thoughtfully out into the bay which is adjacent to Commercial Street:

And I pose for a photo with the beach behind me: