Cape Cod Dreaming

Provincetown beach

You can dream away an entire summer on Cape Cod. Sun, sea, salty air and all the charm you could want.

The Cape is actually a long, narrow island. You're never too far from water, not only the Atlantic Ocean, but also many ponds, bays, and marshes. Provincetown, shown on the left, is at the easternmost tip of the Cape.

What used to be a fishing village is now a tourist mecca, with a particular appeal to gays. The streets are narrow, the shops souvenir-ish, but the overall ambiance is fun.

Look at what's important to the residents of town - the library! Isn't that just a perfect library?

Provincetown library

Another town we visited is Wellfleet, also on the "outer Cape" meaning the easternmost part, which is less built up and less visited than the areas closer to Boston and New York. The outer Cape is also the home of the Cape Cod National Seashore, a long stretch of public beaches saved from commercial development by President John F. Kennedy.

All coastal towns in New England were originally working hubs for fishermen. Wellfleet still is, although it also attracts artists now as well. Here's the Wellfleet harbor, with a typical Cape mix of sand, rocks, boats, and gray-shingled houses.

Wellfleet Harbor

A Cape Cod house often looks like this one, with the unpainted boards or shingles (the salty beach air is hard on paint) and lots of flowers and low-lying plants.

Wellfleet house

 I wanted to add a few pictures for fun. Who knows what Cape Cod is known for?

This is just the cutest store (in Provincetown). The signs say: "Best Store Ever" and "Love and Happiness". Who could resist?

I have more pictures of Cape Cod on my Pinterest account.
http://www.pinterest.com/carlycarson/