April Fool's Contest, 2017 - Souvenirs That Got PTown History Wrong

This souvenir plate likely sold quite well in the early 1900s,
but it got a bit of Provincetown's history wrong.

Many and various sorts of Provincetown souvenirs have been produced over the years, and many of these items depict our colorful history in one way or another, but a number of them have gotten several little bits of our history wrong.
This lovely plate, likely produced around the 1920s, shows several vignettes of well-known Provincetown sights of the day, such as the Pilgrim Monument, the steamship Dorothy Bradford arriving from Boston, and the building thought by many to be the  oldest remaining house in Provincetown. It's found at 72 Commercial Street.
In about 1746 the house was built by ship's carpenter Seth Nickerson, mainly using timbers and planks he had recovered from shipwrecks over the years. The beehive-shaped brick oven at the rear of the main fireplace dates this house before 1750. More "oldest house" claims are argued for other buildings, but this one was promoted as such, and was opened to the public by its resident owners somewhere in the early 1900s.
This souvenir plate was manufactured by W. Adams & Sons, Tunstall, England, and imported for F. H. Dearborn, who owned a shop near the center of town, selling souvenirs, newspapers and periodicals at 277 Commercial Street. The points of interest depicted on the plate seem to be from photos of well-known Provincetown landmarks, including the "Oldest House."

This image is definitely not the home known as the oldest house in Provincetown.

But look closer…
What's wrong with this picture?
A photo erroneously labeled as the oldest house was used in several postcards over a period of years, and also made its way onto this souvenir plate.

"Details" have been painted into the original black-and-white photograph
of this house, long ago mistakenly labeled as PTown's oldest house.

Here are two versions of this photo, each made into a popular postcard, with a number of artistic embellishments, such as the slightly-too-perfect clouds added in the photo to the left. The flower garden was also painted in.

In this incarnation, the artist "improved" the photo by trimming the trees and
shrubs a little, refurbishing the roof, and giving the house a red brick chimney.

This edition featured an embossed version of the photo, again enhanced by an artist, and pressed into the card leaving the image slightly raised. It made a lovely postcard, but the description was still wrong.
Several things in this photo tell us that this is not the West End building known as the oldest remaining house in town. Whoever can name the most clues to this mistaken identity will win a great Provincetown prize. Just point out as many discrepancies as you can find between this house and 72 Commercial Street.
Click on any photo above to enlarge it for more detail, and list every reason you can spot why this can't be the oldest house. E-mail your list to theyearrounder@gmail.com, or text your answers to 424•237•8696 (that's 424•23P•TOWN, if that's easier to remember, to leave your answers by voice mail, but by entering that way you'll lose a minute-and-a-half of your life listening to my message about my fabulous guided tour of Provincetown before you can leave your answers.)
You can also enter by good old US mail. Send entries to TheYearRounder (all one word,) at P O Box 1632, Provincetown, MA 02657.
Entries must be in my hand, or cell phone, or e-mail, by 12' O'clock Noon on April 28th, 2017. In case of a tie for greatest number of reasons why this photo is not Provincetown's "Oldest House," or for any other dispute, a panel of three level-headed citizens, as determined by ME, will resolve the issue by coin toss, random selection, prettiest handwriting, sexiest telephone voice, or any other senseless criteria they may choose, and by entering, we all agree that their ruling is infallible and FINAL.
And, as usual, I reserve the right to award an extra prize or two for no reason whatsoever, to one or more entries chosen at random from all entries received by the deadline. So, you don't even have to be right to win a prize, but you do have to enter.
Good luck, and happy April Fool's Day to one and all. And for a good giggle, click this link to see my all time favorite April Fools prank, perpetrated a few years back by the BBC.

The Herons Are Back in PTown's Wetlands

This striking heron stands motionless amidst reeds and grasses turning golden in the autumn season.

A month ago I wrote about the dearth of birds in and around the Provincetown wetlands, since hardly any had been spotted, except for the eastern great egret, sometimes called the white heron. That bird was seen regularly for a few weeks, but various night herons and others weren't appearing as they had in years past.
Now, for the last couple of weeks it seems that a couple of pairs of great blue herons have been making regular appearances among the little rivulets that raise and lower with the tides in the wetlands of the Far West End, to the west of the breakwater. Look for these stately birds when the little salt water creeks they fish in are at about half tide. That means a bit before or after the actual half tide in the harbor, since it takes a while for the tidal flow to seep through the breakwater and change the depth of the water circulating amongst the grasses and reeds.
These two couples are particularly handsome. They each seem to be very large, sleek, well marked examples of this lovely species, with the dark patches at the shoulders and thighs easily visible. A bit of your time spent patiently watching for them is quite likely to be rewarded with some remarkable sightings, and a chance for photos.

Artists Are Found Throughout Provincetown, And You Can Join Them

A painter captures the light on a Commercial Street home on the harbor.

Artists with their easels, brushes, palette knives or sketchbooks can be found all over Provincetown streets, out in the dunes and forests, or anywhere at all, really.
You'll find them in tiny alleyways capturing the perfect light on the edge of the harbor, or on a hill looking out over the rooftops of the neighborhood below. They're amongst the trees at the visitor center painting the majestic Pilgrim Monument on the distant hillside.
It isn't unusual at all to see artists working outdoors in, even in the dead of winter. We are the oldest continuous artist colony in the nation.
It all started in 1899 when the painter Charles Webster Hawthorne founded his Cape Cod School of Art, right here in Provincetown, of course. Within several years there were half-a-dozen bustling art schools here, and these days we have well over 80 art galleries, scattered all throughout the town.

Even if you've never held a paintbrush, by the end of the day you can
create a finished painting of the historic Red Inn and its glorious garden.

In Provincetown you can take a series of classes in drawing, sculpting, or in painting with oils or watercolors. You can also spend just a morning, painting in the garden of the Red Inn, even if you're an absolute beginner.
There's an artist ready to help and encourage you, and everything you'll need is supplied.
Or maybe you're an old hand at painting, but have come to town without your easel, paints, canvas and brushes. You'll find them available at this one-day art class, which is ongoing throughout the summer. And what better topic for your masterpiece than the lovely, historic Red Inn, this summer celebrating their hundredth anniversary as an inn. Spend a day in their lovely garden, and give your soul the glow that comes with the awakening of your creative side.

Provincetown Inn's Early Bird Dinner Special Garners a Best Bite Award

Provincetown Inn's Barbecue Braised Pork is one of their four great
Early Bird dinner specials, each one well prepared, and a terrific value.

One of the greatest dinner deals in PTown is the Early Bird special at the Provincetown Inn, at 1 Commercial Street. From Sunday through Thursday, 5 PM to 7 PM, they are serving your choice of four terrific three-course dinners for just $15.95.
Dinner starts with your choice of a hearty New England clam chowder or a small salad of mixed greens accented with cucumber, tomato and onion, along with a basket of warm dinner rolls.
The dinner pictured above is the Barbecue Braised Pork with Southern Comfort barbecue sauce. It's served over mashed potatoes, with mixed vegetables. Other choices include a Teriyaki Glazed Grilled Salmon, a Chicken Marsala, or a Baked Lasagna served with garlic bread. All four dishes are very good.
Dessert choices include the Chocolate Blackout Layer Cake, an authentic New York cheesecake, or a great bread pudding drizzled with the chef's secret sauce, which is a little different each time it's served. That one is my favorite.
Dinner is served in a large, airy dining room looking out over the beach and Provincetown Harbor, with the view taking on that pinkish sort of golden glow as the sun gets low in the sky. Most nights the windows are open for the breeze coming off the water. There are other menu choices available as well, with prices that are very reasonable, and your meal is served by a thoughtful waitstaff eager to please.
For the quality of the food and the outstanding price, along with that beachfront view, TheYearRounder names the Provincetown Inn's Early Bird Dinner as a Best Bite.
Order your dinner before 7 PM, have a leisurely meal looking out over the harbor, and then simply walk across the hall for great entertainment in the Mayflower Room. Forever Blonde is a concert style musical dance review updated for its third season on the Provincetown Inn stage, featuring a wonderful, high energy dance troupe and the live vocals of Darlene Van Alstyne.
That show is followed by Salcetera, a Latin dance review, at 9:30 PM, now in their second season here. It highlights eight very athletic, energetic dancers in numbers ranging from the tango to salsa to the classic paso doble. Both shows feature lively dancing in many styles, stunning acrobatics, lots of costume changes and great music. Stay for both great shows and get a discount on your admission. Enjoy the Provincetown Inn's free parking while dining or seeing the shows as well.

Provincetown's Radient Fall Foliage Just Won't Quit

Trees on this tiny dune slowly turn from red to rusty colors.

Autumn colors are still blazing in the bits of forest surrounding Provincetown. The pond at the edge of Provincelands Road catches the reflection of the trees when the wind is low and the water is high, making for a glassy mirror image of the trees now turning brilliant gold and orange colors, with just a few real reds remaining in this gorgeous foliage season. Even though many trees have lost their glorious leaves to the wind, there are still plenty of fronds clinging to their branches as the colors turn predominantly to shades of bronze and russet.
I don't remember a foliage season that has lasted this long, with so many trees keeping their leaves through several subtle changes in their colors. Stroll, bike or drive down to the Far West End and Province Lands Road. Just where the trail leads off to the southern end of Herring Cove Beach, this resplendent sight lies right across the road. I took this photo late yesterday afternoon, as the sun was getting low, and the water was fairly high and calm. Take your camera with you.

Now for the High Tides...

This tide easily exceeds the average high tide line, and it's still rolling in.

My last post showed an extremely low tide that allowed folks to walk across the tidal flats all the way out to the spit of sand that becomes Long Point. This photo shows the voluminous high tide the next afternoon, and there were more to follow.
In fact, from now through September, we're likely to have many more  of these tremendous high tides during the full moon as it continues to orbit 31,000 miles closer to the earth than at any other time of the year. I've studied up a bit on all this moon and tide stuff in the last couple of days…
It seems that the moon orbits the earth in a kind of ellipse rather than a perfect circle, with the earth situated slightly off center, just a bit closer to one side of that giant oval shape the moon makes as it travels around us. That means that the moon is actually orbiting closer to the earth from July through September than it does at any other time of the year. It's called the perigee, when the moon is in the part of its orbit that brings it closest to the earth. That's why the moon looks so much larger right now than it does during the winter, when it's at its farthest from the earth, during its apogee phase.
I made it to the Far West End of Provincetown Harbor for this photo a bit before the real peak of the high tide this day, so the water actually rose a bit higher than shown in this photo. Read my June 16th, 2012 blog about hiking the breakwater to the Wood End Light, where you'll find links to a tide chart and a bit of information about the lighthouse, as well as the American Lighthouse Foundation. Unfortunately, the VISA card program cited there, benefitting the ALF, has ended, so that link is no longer valid. But you'll find info on getting to the Far West End and tips to keep you safe on your hike, as this trip can be a little tricky in spots, and may be rather strenuous for most of us.
One day soon I'll write about hiking out to the Long Point Light, at the very tip of Cape Cod. After all, I can't write about this area every day (although I actually could write about it every day, for at least two weeks or more…)
Enjoy your hike, and please, be careful. Or you could simply sit on the benches and watch the water change colors all afternoon, or watch the artists who flock to this spot nearly every summer day to paint the wetlands before they disappear beneath the high tides.

Very Low Tides Make for a Great Walk on the West End Tidal Flats

With the full moon comes not only a few days of quite high tides, but also some exceptionally low tides as well. I don't pretend to know how all that moon and tide stuff works, but I've noticed that a very low tide and a very high tide seem to go hand in hand. Whenever I see a very low tide it seems to be pretty well guaranteed to be followed by a high tide that exceeds the average high tide mark, that dark strip that runs the length of the breakwater in the West End.
When the tide is this low you can easily walk across the tidal flats along the left side of the breakwater all the way out to that little spit of sand that leads out to Long Point, the very tip of Cape Cod. It's a little less strenuous, perhaps, than walking out on the breakwater, where you sometimes end up having to hop from one rock to the next, although you'll use a different set of muscles walking barefoot in the wet sand that squishes up between your toes. It's a good idea to do a few gentle stretches of your legs and feet before and after you take this walk, and again before you go to bed, particularly if you're not used to this sort of walking. And you might want to take a small pail along for interesting shells and other treasures you'll likely find along the way.

Couples Day on the Breakwater?

Provincetown's breakwater offers couples a romantic stroll across
the west end of this spectacular harbor, and perhaps a picnic along the way.

On one of these glorious spring days we've had recently (although the date on the calendar insists that it's now summer) it almost looked like couples day out on the west end breakwater.
With calm waters near high tide, and the charm of the Wood End Light in the distance, the stroll out onto the granite breakwater can have a certain romance to it, especially for those who are taking in this breathtaking sight for the first time. On this particular afternoon, everyone I could spot out on the breakwater was paired up in a couple of one sort or another, and that gave me a smile.

PTown Snow Brought Dramatic Photo Ops

A crusty blanket of snow made for tough walking on the Breakwater in Provincetown's Far West End,
but gave us a great photo opportunity while this bit of nature's frozen art work refused to melt. 

While having snow two or three times a week along with bitter cold is definitely an ordeal in many ways, it turns out there were also a few rewards waiting for those who ventured out during these recent trying times. Photographers call it "golden hour"… that time early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is near the horizon, giving a pinkish sort of golden glow to anything in its path.
I happened onto great luck one day in the Far West End when I visited the breakwater on a rare afternoon out of the house and into the bitter cold that afflicted so much of the east coast for a good bit of the month of February. For three weeks or so Provincetown had been having snow storms big and small at least two or three times a week, with both high and low temperatures in the teens and twenties most days. Each time it got warm or sunny enough for the snow to begin to thaw a bit, we plunged back into frigid days and nights, refreezing snow that had begun to soften.
On this particular day the temperature rose a few degrees and I was able to summon the spirit to wedge myself out the door when the winds of 30 miles per hour slowed just a bit.
I made it to the breakwater just in time to shoot this photo before the light changed, just a few minutes later.

A West End Valentine

This charming valentine is found on the ground at 88 Commercial Street, at Valentine's Guesthouse.

Works of art of all kinds can be found around Provincetown, and in spots where you'd least expect to find them. I first spied this one several months ago when I just happened to step out of a taxi right in front of it. This charming piece of stained glass art has been embedded in a patch of concrete just back from the edge of the sidewalk in front of the path that leads to Valentine's Guesthouse, at 88 Commercial Street. I recently talked with family matriarch Helen Valentine to learn the story of this enchanting piece of art within the view of pedestrians strolling in Provincetown's Far West End.
It's just a bit past the bend in the road where Commercial Street passes the Coast Guard Station, embedded in the concrete next to the sidewalk. In the summertime you'll be drawn to this neighborhood by the aromas of Italian delicacies being served to guests at Sal's Place, right across the street. Helen tells me this sidewalk "valentine" is the most photographed spot in the West End, and here's how it came to be…
A number of years ago the Lobster Pot restaurant held a fish dinner as a fundraiser for the  high school, so the Valentine family was there to support the cause, having dinner and buying raffle tickets for prizes donated by local artists and merchants. Helen's son-in-law, Fred Long, won a beautiful stained glass piece by Truro artist Anne Kane, depicting a footpath leading to a cozy cottage with a welcoming wisp of smoke billowing from the chimney, and bearing a resemblance to the yard and the home that made up Valentine's Guesthouse. The scene was done in the shape of a heart, as well, so it seemed to Fred that this piece of art belonged with the Valentines, and he made it a gift to Helen. It adorned the back yard of the guest house for quite some time.
When someone got the idea to put this lovely work of art in a spot where more people would see it, Jeff Holway set it into cement near the edge of the sidewalk. It now ushers guests through the arched gateway leading up the path to the guest house.
The Valentines first opened the doors of their home to summer visitors in 1910, making this spot one of PTown's longest-running family operated accommodations. Make a point of looking for this charming, whimsical bit of public art the next time you're out for a walk in the Far West End.

PTown's Recent Spate of Very High Tides Makes Breakwater Walk a Bit Tricky

A cormorant bobs on an exceptionally high tide at the West End Breakwater.

Unusually deep tides have edged higher and higher along the length of the West End Breakwater recently. Over the last several weeks I've seen the tide rise well above the average high tide mark on many, many days. Part of the reason may well be because of the full moon, and I don't pretend to know how all that moon and tide stuff works, but we had tides of ten-and-a-half feet during the last full moon and during the time of the very slightest sliver, so it isn't all about the phases of the moon. Tides have risen above 11 feet several times recently.
Last week, amongst a group of people, I wondered out loud if these seemingly higher tides could have some relation to the melting polar ice caps. A murmur of assent spread through a good bit of the crowd as many people nodded and began conversations with those around them, with one marked exception: a man who quietly turned slightly red in the face as his jaw clenched and he began aggressively shaking his head from side to side, conveying an angry but silent "No way, you idiots" message to the rest of us. His wife turned her head up and away from the crowd, looking over her shoulder as though there were suddenly something compelling to watch going on behind her. It was plain that she knew better than to have an opinion on this topic.
Why are these folks who insist there is no such thing as "climate change" so angry? They can't all have stocks in the oil companies and auto industry, can they? I nearly ended up in a fistfight with my sister a few years ago, before she retired from her lofty position in the accounting department of the Porsche automobile company, when I innocently muttered something about the world being better off if we all drove cars that got better gas mileage. It was strictly the company line coming out of her mouth as she went off like a rocket about global warming being the most vile and insidious lie ever perpetrated on the American people. Some folks still cling tenaciously to the opinion that it doesn't matter one iota how much energy we use in our quest for more and fancier "stuff."

The great blue heron is usually seen in the wetlands, in deeper water.

At any rate, the tides have been noticeably high here recently, whatever the reasons might be, with the water splashing right over the top of the breakwater a bit on windy days that bring whitecaps into the harbor, so be a little cautious when you go out for a walk to Long Point or to Wood End. And keep an eye out for the herons in the marsh to the right of the breakwater. One was found on the tidal flats just a couple of feet from the rocks at low tide the other day, which was a pretty unusual sighting.

Big Fish at the Breakwater

There's a beautiful, big fish in that bucket.

Seen today as an exceptionally high tide rolled in at the breakwater in Provincetown's Far West End, this man was fishing in the first 15 feet of water to the left of the breakwater, right  next to the shoreline, which I thought made no sense, but notice the tail of the fish sticking up out of his bucket! This fish was about 30 inches long, still kicking, as the woman plopped it headfirst into the bucket. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough to capture the photo of this beautiful fish as she held it up. It was at least two-and-a-half feet, maybe a little longer, and looked to be a nice, sleek, striped bass, the prize fish of these waters.
You can try your hand at fishing by picking up a rod and lures at either of the local hardware stores or at Nelson's Bait and Tackle on Race Point Road, and stroll out onto the breakwater yourself, or you can fish along the beach at Herring Cove. Remember to get your fishing permit, which you can do online at the public library by googling "Mass recreational saltwater fishing permit" (and print it out there as well) for about $12 total, charged to a credit card. Or get your permit right now if you're reading this from a computer that's hooked to a printer by clicking this link to get your saltwater fishing permit. If you're over the age of 60 it's free, though they zing you a couple of bucks for the processing fee if you get it over the Internet, and if you're under the age of 16 you don't need the permit at all. If you're going out on a fishing charter you've hired, their permit covers you at no cost. Get out for a little fishing in this beautiful weather we're having.

The West End Breakwater is One of PTown's Greatest Recreation Areas

Kayaking, picnics and sunbathing are popular activities at the breakwater.

The breakwater in the Far West End is a great spot for all kinds of recreation. You can fish for striped bass off the left side, casting toward the Long Point Lighthouse. You can picnic on the edge of the breakwater, or you can walk out to the lighthouse at Wood End and have a picnic there, along with a swim and a little sunbathing in a spot where you aren't likely to have many people around you. You can practically have your own private beach, especially if you're willing to walk a bit farther once you get out to that little spit of sand across the harbor.
You can launch a kayak or a canoe or an inflatable raft and paddle out to Long Point, the very tip of Cape Cod, where you can also fish, swim, sunbathe and picnic to your heart's content, with hardly anyone around you. Folks I talked to last week rented a kayak and paddled out to the far side of Long point, on the edge of Cape Cod Bay, and found seals all along the beach there.

During a very high tide you can swim through the wetlands.

A lot of people will go swimming off the right side of the breakwater, out into the wetlands if the tide is high enough, or just paddle around within a few feet of the shoreline at the head of the breakwater, never getting more than a few feet from the shoreline. Others will try their hand at snorkeling in this area as well. And as the water recedes as the tide goes out, the tidal flats that are revealed yield shells, bits of sea glass, hermit crabs and all kinds of treasures for beachcombers. Families with small children can be spotted carrying nets and buckets to scoop things out of little tidal pools that form at ebb tide.
You can also catch the shuttle boat to get out to Long Point. The Long Point shuttle leaves MacMillan Pier on the hour all day long in the summertime, and it leaves Flyer's boatyard at 10 minutes past the hour, traveling out to the area near the Long Point Lighthouse and back again several times during the day. There is no dock out there, so you'll take off your shoes, roll up your pants legs and hop off the boat in knee-deep water. You can take beach chairs, a small cooler or whatever else you need for the day, but be considerate of others taking the shuttle, too. Don't expect to take the 80 gallon cooler, the barbecue and a side of beef on the shuttle boat. For that kind of party you want to check into renting or chartering a boat of your own.
With this glorious weather we've had recently, there are dozens of ways to use this area we call the breakwater. A lot of folks will simply take a walk out on this enormous granite barrier that forms a walkway from the land at the west end of Commercial Street out to the spit of sand that stretches into Long Point and the tip of the Cape. However you may choose to use this spot, it is one of Provincetown's greatest recreation areas. Be careful, be safe and have fun!

Bear Week Menus Like 5 Course Prix Fixe at Sal's Place are Great Values for All

Sal's roasted duck with cranberry marsala glaze is one of my favorite meals.

Bears (and the rest of us, too) are flocking to the Far West End of Provincetown for dinner at Sal's Place, at 99 Commercial Street. This charming waterfront restaurant is perched on the old Union Wharf, dating back to the height of Provincetown's early fishing and whaling days, around 1830 or so. Sal's Place serves homemade Italian food in a vintage, historic building with a water view from the air-conditioned dining room, and there is also outdoor seating on the old wharf, with a stunning, panoramic view of Provincetown's magnificent harbor.
To celebrate Bear Week, Sal's offers a five-course meal with a choice of minestrone or kale soup, followed by a mesclun salad, and your choice of a meaty pasta dish, stuffed flounder or roasted duck. An extra side dish of pasta or fresh vegetables is also included, along with a choice of three desserts. This very robust Bear meal is only $39, and there's also a three-course Cub meal for just $29.
I chose my dinner from the Cub menu, which starts out with a bowl of minestrone soup. I ordered the roasted duck, served with a cranberry marsala glaze, and accompanied this night by multi-colored peppers and green beans. This perfectly roasted duck happens to be one of my favorite entrées on Sal's menu.

Sal's Gelato Bear is a delightful, very chocolaty dessert.

For dessert, I just had to order the Gelato Bear, which is specially made for Bear Week. It is a big scoop of a rich, dense, really chocolaty Italian ice cream decorated with white and dark chocolates molded to make the face and ears of the bear. Chocolate drizzles and fresh strawberries completed this dessert, which was deeply flavored and very satisfying.
Wonderful food, the cooling breeze on the edge of the water, and the splendid view of the harbor, make dinner at Sal's Place a memorable event. Phone Sal's Place at 508 487-1279 for reservations, or you can visit their website at salsplaceofprovincetown.com 24 hours in advance to reserve by e-mail.
A number of restaurants have specials for Bear Week, so watch for these bargains.

Learn More About Provincetown's Remarkable Natural World

Learn about the tidal flats surrounding the West End breakwater.

Outdoor activities (like walking out on the breakwater in the West End) can lead us to discover a number of plaques that can give us insight and all kinds of information about the area around us. The Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies and the National Park Service have each provided a number of these educational displays throughout Provincetown and the surrounding area, and these can can give visitors a look into a great many things that are easily spotted on the surface, as well as the unseen workings of the natural world around us.
When the tide goes out, acres of sand are exposed on either side of the breakwater. Twice a day, as the water recedes, the tidal flats become visible, attracting many people who will go out exploring, walking between tidal pools looking for shells and other treasures. These beachcombers will come across birds, mollusks, hermit crabs and many other creatures they they may know little about.
This plaque, found near the head of the breakwater in the Far West End of Provincetown, teaches us about several species of shore birds commonly seen on the tidal flats, as well as other animal life that can be found here at low tide, and also about microscopic life in the sand and the water, keeping this fragile ecosystem healthy. Read these plaques as you find them along the shoreline, at the Provincelands Visitor Center, and at the head of MacMillan Pier, and learn more about the workings of the amazing natural world in this beautiful jewel we call Provincetown.
We are grateful to the Provincetown Inn for restoring this plaque after many seasons of exposure to the elements had damaged it beyond readability. Now we can once again learn about the incredible variety of creatures inhabiting the area, in the sky, in the water, on the sand, and even below the surface of these remarkable tidal flats.

Sal's Place Opening Party - What a Spread!

Nate and Anthony offer us a traditional sweet Italian sausage in a homemade
tomato sauce, and crostini featuring tender beef on crispy, toasted bread. 

Sal's Place, on the edge of the Harbor at 99 Commercial Street, held their annual party for the official opening of the 2013 summer season last week. The entire town is always invited to enjoy this lovely waterfront deck looking out over the absolute majesty of Provincetown Harbor while the waitstaff circulates through the crowd offering tastes from Sal's menu.
At the same time, guests make their way around a huge banquet table of crusty breads, cheeses, cold cuts, exotic tomato varieties, smoked salmon and all kinds of delectables.

Folks served themselves from the bountiful buffet of hot foods. 

Still more food was found in a buffet of hot dishes that included the vibrant colors of fresh green beans and peppers, followed by several delicious pasta dishes, mussels simmered in wine and herbs, and a stuffed flounder that people are still talking about. Mushroom caps stuffed with a mixture of parmigiana cheese, breadcrumbs and herbs were also a big hit with the crowd.
A number of revelers made themselves comfortable in Sal's Tuscany Wine Room, a cozy space dedicated to the celebration of wines, with some two-dozen choices to be sampled by the glass. Beer and cocktails are served as well. There's also a special menu of lighter fare available, and wine bar manager John Foley will be happy to suggest wines to pair with different dishes. This is also a great spot to sit and enjoy an espresso with friends, although you may not be able to resist the lure of the fresh cannoli with your coffee, nor Lora's legendary chocolate mousse pie, made with a Callebaut chocolate cookie crust and filled with what might well be the best chocolate mousse you'll ever taste. Other sweet treats are served at Sal's as well. Outside of the imported Italian gelato and sorbettto., just about everything else you'll find here is made from scratch, right on the premises.

Trampolina was on hand to welcome Townies to the celebration.

This year marks the 51st anniversary of this wonderful waterfront restaurant, now owned by Lora and Alexander Papetsas, with Alexander running the kitchen, and Lora ready to welcome you on arrival. General Manager Tony Zampella is on hand as well to help keep things running smoothly in this very popular restaurant in PTown's quiet West End. The wine bar and espresso lounge open at 4:30 PM, and dinner is served from 5:30 till 10 PM nightly. Reserve a table by visiting Sal's Place online 24 hours in advance, or phone them at 508 487-1279. We welcome back this wonderful neighborhood restaurant for the 2013 summer season in Provincetown.

From the Red Inn to The Red Shack, PTown Restaurants Reopen for 2013

The Red Inn remains one of the Cape's most charming restaurants.

These last couple of weeks there have been opening days at a number of restaurants all over town, and at many of these, opening parties with hors d'oeuvres and tidbits, and samples from their menus. I call it hors d'oeuvre season. It's a great time to wander the town and taste signature dishes or new offerings for the coming season in some of our favorite restaurants, or to become familiar with a new spot as the doors open for the first time ever. Watch for upcoming posts about the new Brazilian flavors at the Aquarium Marketplace, as well as the great new coffee shop right next to Town Hall, both mentioned briefly below. 
Each year, one of the town's most anticipated "opening" parties is held at the Red Inn, found at 15 Commercial Street, in the Far West End of Provincetown. The deck that runs the length of the inn looks out over spectacular Provincetown Harbor, which creates the perfect backdrop for the traditional spring gathering at this charming, romantic inn on the edge of the beach. At these opening events we all get a chance to converse with old friends we haven't seen since the end of the last season, we sample some remarkable food, and at the Red Inn's party there's always music and the chance to spin around the dance floor with friends old and new.
As usual, well-wishers were wowed by the constant cavalcade of comestibles coming out of the kitchen all evening. The waitstaff deftly swirled through the crowd with tidbits, appetizers, platters of oysters on the half-shell, filet mignon, and other favorites such as the Red Inn's famous herbed lamb chops. One of the best tastes of the evening was the mascarpone grits topped with Cajun crawfish. This luscious, creamy, slightly spicy side dish will be on the dinner menu this summer, served alongside a lightly blackened rainbow trout. It's sure to be a Townie Favorite.
Further along Commercial Street, at number 99, Sal's Place has reopened for their 51st season, serving Italian food (the real thing,) dreamy desserts (including homemade selections from Lora's own recipes) and there's a wine bar with varieties from around the world, many of them available by the glass, and some special menu items and bargains as well. All this and more, and that fabulous view, right on the edge of the harbor. Always a great opening party, with a stunning spread served banquet style for the whole community. It's coming up on May 22nd. See you there.

As always for a party in Provincetown, some folks wore casual
attire to Saki's opening and some dressed up for the occasion.

Another happening spot this week on Commercial Street was Saki, in the center of town, serving up trays of sushi and other Asian delights to a throng of elated Townies. Skewers of beef satay, morsels of their candied chicken, and the stellar sweet potato roll (my favorite, seasoned perfectly and rolled up with crispy tempura crumb) were just a few of the tasty offerings at their opening.
Also now open for the 2013 season are a number of casual spots near the center of town, some with walk-up counters, some that are sit-down restaurants, and all are favorites in one way or another. I've written recently about The Coffee Pot and their ever-growing menu of homemade specialties, and the Portuguese Bakery, home of the best fried dough in town, hands down. Read about one of my all-time favorite meals, at Native Cape Cod Seafood, now open in the Aquarium Marketplace. The Fortune Cookie is open, and I can't wait to have the scallion pancakes, the Thai chicken wings and other favorites we've missed so much over the winter. Connie's Bakery is open, too, with some big changes, but I think you're going to like them. More about that excitement soon, along with an update on Uma Loucura, the new Brazillian spot serving a great stew of black beans and turkey sausage, and other flavors new to PTown. The Aqua Bar has reopened, with Dante and Ronna serving cold beers and specialty cocktails on the deck at the edge of the harbor.
I had my first steamers for the season the other night at the Mayflower Café, and if you click the link you'll find the post I wrote about them last September. I visited John's Footlong for their terrific fish sandwich, still one of the best deals in town. Click this link to read my October post about John's lobster roll.
I stopped by Blondie's new digs at 214 Commercial Street last week as they were putting the finishing touches on their new dining room (YAY!) and they promised their same menu would be available, but now with a full bar as well. I'll write about them as soon as I can get there for a meal.
When the new P'town Café opened with hors d'oeuvres the other night, at 258 Commercial Street,
I tasted their fabulous herbed pork, and can't wait to try the sandwich that will feature it. Fresh baked goods and excellent coffee there as well. More on this spot soon.
Of course, the Lobster Pot is open, and you can read the post I wrote about them on April 16th, or click this link to read about another favorite PTown meal of mine that's served there, posted last September. You can also type any key words (like lobster) into the search box above to find past articles on specific topics. Go ahead, try it out and see where it will take you...

The Red Shack is back, and the neighborhood rejoices!

And that brings us to The Red Shack, across from the Chamber of Commerce at Lopes Square. Lunch and supper for now, but soon breakfast, too, and hours will go longer into the evening. They serve a little of everything: pizza, sandwiches, soups, dogs, and lobster rolls served half-a-dozen different ways. All are served with a quarter-pound of fresh lobster. The Mexican adds cilantro, lettuce, tomato and salsa. Try the Moroccan, with curry, mint, pineapple and a touch of mayo. The Californian adds lettuce, tomato, bacon and avocado. All of these are served on a Portuguese roll, and all of their breads are baked fresh each morning at the Portuguese Bakery, right around the corner. You can't get any fresher than that.
Mylan and Pamela will be whipping up some daily specials as well. My mouth still waters when I think about the roast pork sandwich they made me last autumn. Mylan spent time working as a personal chef while living in California, and cooked for various country clubs as well, and it shows in the quality and imagination in the food served at The Red Shack.
We welcome back all of these great PTown eateries, with more to come in the weeks ahead.

The Great Blue Heron Makes Its Annual Appearance in Provincetown's Wetlands

Provincetown seems to be on a kind of migratory fly-over path for nearly 500 species of migrating birds, so at any time of the year we'll find several different types of birds winging in to spend a bit of time here. Some of these birds come just for a day or two to eat things that are "in season" for a very short time.  Out in the dunes I've seen swarms of hundreds of birds descend on some of the bushes on the sandy hillsides, gorging for a few moments and then taking to the air again, swooping up and down until the leader, whoever that is, decides it's time to land again. Some of those bushes will turn almost black for a few moments at a time with several dozen birds perched on each of the branches of a handful of bushes within a few yards of each other, and then the whole colony will take flight again, darkening a patch of the summer sky as they swoop left and right together with an almost military precision like hundreds of soldiers on a parade march, all making the methodical left-face in the same instant. These bushes are on the hillsides, away from the trail. and I've never walked closer to see whether they are eating berries or fruits of some sort, or maybe bugs, or caterpillars that can appear in the dunes in great numbers for a few days at a time.
Flocks of Baltimore Orioles swoop into Provincetown in the spring, and the American Goldfinch arrives in sizable numbers, and will often spend a good bit of the summer here flitting through the trees, especially out near the Provincelands Visitor Center. But every year, like clockwork, just a few of my favorites begin to arrive within what seems like seconds after that moment when the temperature begins to drop a bit, and the summer starts to wind down...
The Great Blue Heron can be found at this time of the of year out in the wetlands near the Moors Motel, in the Far West End of town. They are most often found standing at the edges of the little rivulets of water that snake through the tall reeds and grasses beyond Provincelands Road, standing motionless as tiny fish and other small edibles pass by in these shallow waters. They are found here most often as the tide is going out, usually at less than half tide, when their long legs will keep their bodies out of the water as they strike a pose and watch for whatever might swim by and become their lunch. They feed on small fish, aquatic insects, frogs and other delicacies that happen by, spearing them with their long, sharply pointed bills. Rarely they can be seen wading from one spot to another, but are usually found standing motionless at the very edge of the water, just behind a few reeds and  grasses where they are trying to hide from potential prey, which is what makes it a bit difficult for us to spot them as well.
Your best chance to look for this stately bird seems to be during the time when the tide is fairly low during the morning hours, while the tide is receding. Look for herons on the far edge of the little salt pond that rises and lowers with the tides, where the water flows beneath the road near the "bike rack" in that little bit of forest on Provincelands Road, where these birds are sometimes spotted knee-deep in the middle of the pond as well. You'll find them more often, though, by looking very sharply out over the wetlands, or the moors, as they are sometimes called, to the right of the Wood End Light, and sometimes quite close to the road. You'll likely see only one at a time, because they fish alone, but a pair of binoculars might help you find a few of them fishing in different parts of the marsh, far from the road. And of course you'll want to take your camera with you in search of this big, magnificent bird.

Hike The West End Breakwater to Wood End Light

Don't forget to check the tide chart before you set out to walk to Wood End Light. It is a fairly strenuous walk of about a mile-and-a-quarter over sometimes rather jagged chunks of granite, in some spots hopping from rock to rock, and then a fair distance walking in soft sand. So you'll need good sturdy shoes. And a water bottle. And a Lunch. And a light jacket at this time of year. And don't forget the sunscreen, because you may be walking for a bit longer than you might think. You might want a camera, too. So now it's turning into quite an expedition. But it'll be worth it. All this gear can fit into a small backpack, and the walk really is beautiful.
Remember, the tide can rise quickly, and it can rise above the average high tide mark, the dark strip you see along the length of the jetty. Best to take your walk on the breakwater as the tide is on its way out, or at least check the tide chart before you head out. It doesn't take long at all for the water to rise a good couple of feet, and it looks to me like we've had some pretty high tides this past week or so. Just be careful, be safe, and you'll have a great walk.
The breakwater is at the far west end of Commercial Street. There's a little bit of parking, or you can bike down, or walk, or take the shuttle bus to the Provincetown Inn. The shuttle starts its full-time summer schedule today. They try to leave the bus plaza near the Chamber of Commerce on the hour and on the half hour. But there are three different routes, so make sure you get on the right bus.
And If you're a fan of lighthouses, you may consider making a contribution to the American Lighthouse Foundation, working for the preservation of lighthouses around the country. You can also make a sizable, ongoing contribution to the foundation without ever writing a check. When you get this Capital One VISA card, the ALF will receive a $50 donation after your first purchase, plus a percentage of every purchase you make with the card.
Enjoy your hike out to Wood End Light, and watch for upcoming posts about the three lighthouses surrounding Provincetown.