An Afternoon at Captain Jack's Wharf

An artist paints the scene at Captain Jack's Wharf as kayakers prepare
for the launch into Provincetown Harbor from this popular Town Landing. 

Town Landings are found all along PTown's Commercial Street, providing public access to the beach on the edge of Provincetown Harbor. This spot is among the most popular of them all, at Captain Jack's Wharf in the West End of town.
Folks are often found here sunbathing or swimming on a summer's day, or picnicking at the edge of the water, or launching a kayak or raft and paddling out to Long Point. The kayaks of all the nearby neighbors are piled against the hedge, and on this day I found a couple of men dragging their little craft out of the heap and loading their gear into the hull, getting ready for an afternoon getaway into the harbor.
Meanwhile, a woman is painting one of PTown's most famous waterfront scenes. For years artists and photographers have been capturing a bit of the history of our early fishing fleet as well as that of one of our most illustrious summer visitors, who turned out to be one of the nations most well-known writers.
This little string of old fishing shacks and trap sheds has been a popular accommodation for visitors for years, operating these days as small condominiums rented out over the summer. One of these shacks was also rented long ago to Tennesse Williams, who spent many of the summers of the 1940s in Provincetown.
Although many disagree on exactly which of Williams' plays might have been written at various spots he occupied over those summers, we know that several parts of The Glass Menagerie, one of his best-known plays, were written, rewritten, and re-rewritten over a few of those summers, and many say that the play was finally finished during the summer he spent at Captain Jack's Wharf.

Beat the Heat of Warm Days Ahead with a Cooling Splash in Provincetown Harbor

Folks cool off at the West Vine Town Landing, next to Captain Jack's Wharf.

With this year's warmer-than-usual temperatures, it can be quite important to find ways to keep cool, like spending a little time in the water. The folks in this photo are cooling off at the Town Landing found at the foot of West Vine Street, next to Captain Jack's Wharf. Town Landings are found in spots all along Commercial Street, providing public access to the beaches on the edge of Provincetown's magnificent Harbor. There are footpaths and walkways leading to harbor beaches as well.
Each neighborhood has a Town Landing or a walkway to the harbor, and some areas have several. Use any of these to go for a walk on the beach (tide permitting) or to go for a swim, or to launch a canoe, kayak or raft. Town Landings can accommodate larger craft like rowboats and small motorboats, while the boat ramps at Flyer's and at the West End parking lot can accommodate bigger boats.
If you read my post on Earth Day, you may have already found some of these footpaths, walkways and Town Landings. Here's a list of current beach access points, eliminating the footpath next to the Ice House, where a "Private" sign has once again appeared, and I've added the new "beachwalk" next to 463 Commercial Street. It's a new clam shell footpath next to the newly remodeled home where the old Flagship restaurant and its famous bar made from an old fishing dory began welcoming diners back in 1930.  The remodeling job on the building and grounds included a new pathway to the harbor with a large sign that announces 24-hour access to the harbor via this beachwalk, as the sign calls it. So here's an updated list of PTown public beach access all along Commercial Street, beginning in the Far West End and working up the shoreline to the Far East End:

•West End Breakwater (climb down to the beach or walk out to Wood End or Long Point)

•West End Parking Lot (Town Landing and stairway to this tiny neighborhood beach)

•West Vine Street (Town Landing at Captain Jack's Wharf)

•Franklin Street (Town Landing on the west edge of U.S. Coast Guard grounds)

•Good Templar Place (Town Landing next to former Lorraine's, at Flyer's boatyard)

•Atlantic Avenue (Town Landing west of the Boatslip)

•Court Street (Town Landing east of Bubala's)

•Whalers Wharf walkway through the building (the footpath on the east side of the building is accessible 24 hours)

•Ryder Street (beach access between the kite shop and Fishermen's [Cabral's] Wharf)

•Freeman Street (Town Landing west of Lands End hardware store)

•Johnson Street (Town Landing at the back of the parking lot)

•Pearl Street (Town Landing)

•Between Law Street and Washington (Town Landing, next to Devon's)

•Near Bangs Street (Beachwalk on the west side of 463 Commercial Street)

•Saint Mary of the Harbor Episcopal Church (the stairway over the seawall at the back of the    church parking lot)

•Between Atkins Lane and Hancock Street (Town Landing)

•Fanizzi's (stairway at the back of the parking lot)

•East of Snail Road (stairway across from Harbor Hotel, 698 Commercial Street)

Last Saturday we hit 90 degrees in Provincetown, which is about 13 degrees higher than normal for this time of the year. Even at that, we were still a few degrees cooler than the folks in Boston. We've got a break in the heat for a couple of days with cloudy skies and some rain, which gave us a high today of 75 degrees at 8:45 this morning, an unusual time to mark the day's highest temperature. Tomorrow looks to be even a bit cooler, but temperatures will soon climb to the mid-80s again, and an over-all hot summer has been predicted, so make sure you keep yourself feeling well and healthy by cooling off a bit when the mercury rises, and be sure to drink an extra glass or two of water over the course of each warm day.

Taking in a movie is a great way to get out of the heat for a couple of hours. It's nice and cool in the Waters Edge Cinema,. at 237 Commercial Street, on the second floor of the Whalers Wharf. Besides two other films showing this week you'll find 20 Feet From Stardom playing for an extended run. This is the film that ran away with the Audience Award at this year's Provincetown International Film Festival a few weeks ago. Read my July 9th post about this terrific movie, watch the trailer for 20 FEET TO STARDOM, and check the blurb on the right-hand side of this page to find the updated schedule for the coming week, through July 18th.

One way or another, find a way to cool off and enjoy the exceptionally warm days ahead.

In Provincetown, Celebrate Earth Day With a Walk in Any Direction

A walk or ride through the dunes is a perfect way to celebrate Earth Day.

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with a walk in any direction, from any part of PTown? From the East End you can stroll out into the dunes from the tiny parking area on Route 6, across from Snail Road, for one of the most amazing walks on the planet. You could also get out into the dunes by taking Art's Dune Tours, which began operating a week ago, taking folks on an hour-long narrated tour of the dunes and its forested patches, with a drive along the edge of Race Point Beach if conditions allow. Call them at 508 487-1950 to arrange a tour.
From anywhere along Commercial Street you'll easily find your way down to the beach along the edge of the harbor. Just look for a Town Landing or other public walkway to the beach, like the path alongside the Whalers Wharf, or the walkway through the building. Along Commercial Street you'll find at least 18 Town Landings and public walkways or footpaths at the foot of many of the side streets that meet Commercial Street. These little thoroughfares lead down to the edge of the water, and when the tide is right you can walk along the beach from any of these spots:.
•West End Breakwater (climb down to the beach or walk out to Wood End or Long Point)
•West End Parking Lot (Town Landing and stairway to this tiny neighborhood beach)
•West Vine Street (Town Landing at Captain Jack's Wharf)
•Franklin Street (Town Landing on the west edge of U.S. Coast Guard grounds)
•Good Templar Place (Town Landing next to Lorraine's, at Flyer's boatyard)
•Atlantic Avenue ( Town Landing west of the Boatslip)
•Court Street (Town Landing east of Bubala's)
•Whalers Wharf walkway through the building (the footpath on the east side of the building is accessible 24 hours)
•Ryder Street (beach access between the kite shop and Fishermen's [Cabral's] Wharf0
•Freeman Street ( Town Landing west of Lands End hardware store)
•Johnson Street (Town Landing at the back of the parking lot)
•Pearl Street (Town Landing)
•Between Law Street and Washington (Town Landing, next to Devon's)
•Old Flagship (new footpath next to 463 Commercial Street, now a private home)
•Howland Street (there's a narrow, almost hidden footpath along the east edge of the Ice House parking lot. Every few years it seems to vacillate between private and public access, so look for signs)
•Saint Mary of the Harbor Episcopal Church (the stairway over the seawall at the back of the parking lot)
•Between Atkins Lane and Hancock Street (Town Landing)
•Fanizzi's (stairway at the back of the parking lot)
•East of Snail Road (stairway across from Harbor Hotel, 698 Commercial Street)

At one end of Snail Road you can walk out into the dunes, and at the other end of the road you can walk along the beach and the harbor, and halfway between these two points is the old railroad bed, leading you off Snail Road for a walk in the woods. At Howland Street, opposite Harry Kemp Way, there's another trail out into a wooded area. There are nearly 8 miles of bike trails leading out through the Cape Cod National Seashore, perfect for walking as well, and many other trails leading to ponds, conservation areas, Hatch's Harbor and other beautiful destinations. Of course, you can walk at Herring Cove or Race Point beaches. Take the stroll on the boardwalk that leads to the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station at Race Point Beach and spend a little time watching for whales off the shoreline.
Get out for a walk somewhere and celebrate Earth Day, whether you are able to do it today or over the next week. And if you tuck a plastic bag into your pocket, you're ready to pick up any bits of trash or treasure you might find along the way.
Happy Earth Day!