Sunday, January 4, 2015

Enjoy Pilgrim Monument Holiday Lights Before They're Gone

Holiday lights on the Pilgrim Monument take on a
pinkish glow as the last of the sunset fades into twilight.
Folks say that on a good, clear night, you can see the lights of the Pilgrim Monument all the way from Boston, about 54 miles across open water, clear across Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay.
I can't swear to it, because I've never been on the shoreline of Boston for the holiday season. Maybe a reader in Boston could tell me. I do know that many people have said it is so, and it seems plausible…
We've got just a couple of days left to enjoy the sight of the Monument in strings of lights for the holidays, with more than 3,100 white lights glowing bright each night until Tuesday, the 6th of January. That's when these luminous strands will be turned off for the season, and a spotlight will once again light the Monument from below.

Here are a few of my favorite spots for a great view or photo of the Monument:
Near the southwest corner of Commercial and Ryder Streets, in just the right spot, you can capture the view without the power lines in your way.
•On Commercial Street, between The Red Store, The Canteen, and Seamens Bank, again, step around just a bit till you find the right spot to avoid having all of those power lines in your photo. You'll have the top of the Monument, the clock tower on Town Hall and the bell tower on the U.U. Church in your view.
•On Jerome Smith Road, just east of Winslow Street.
•Next to the little chapel at the top of the big hill in the cemetery.
•About halfway down Cemetery Road, all the power lines and wires disappear.
•On the far, far east end of Commercial Street (Route 6A) near Snail Road. The view from just in front of Bay Colony condos shows the lights of the Monument reflecting on Provincetown Harbor on a calm night.
•On Beach Point, in North Truro. The beachfront at condos and motels along Shore Road (Rout 6A) gives a nice, distant view of the Monument across Provincetown Harbor. Days' Cottages, for example, are closed for the winter, and at this time of year you can get away with parking there for a few minutes and stepping between the cottages for the view of Provincetown's shoreline.
Find yourself a spot and take a few moments to enjoy this Provincetown holiday tradition before it disappears for the season.

No comments:

Post a Comment