One Man's Survival Guide for Winter in Provincetown

This week, a quick blog entry to address the question… “What the heck do you do here in the winter?” I had the shallow experience in August of speaking to a gym boy who asked me if anyone really lives in Provincetown off season. Then he popped his gum.

We townies get creative and take advantage of the lull. We “get the town back” so to say. It’s a time to set in motion the plans for the new year. It is also a time to catch up on socializing. Many of us work full time and living here is like living anywhere else. We work, go to the gym and hang out with friends and have a regular routine. There is never shortage of things to do; take in the natural beauty, movie nights at friends’ homes, dinners, gatherings at one of the local bars that stay open, plays at the Provincetown Theatre and vacations.

Vacations? Yes. The key to happiness here is to go away once per month, budget wisely and act. Whether it’s a quick trip to Boston or New York, or a fabulous sun filled time Fort Lauderdale, absence makes the heart grow fonder for Provincetown.

The funny thing about living here is that once you go away, after a vacation, you want to come home. While your travel companions are lamenting a return to their lives and jobs, you’ll be thinking of driving over that last hill in North Truro, seeing the Pilgrim Monument and letting out a sigh of relief that you are home.

I decided to put together the typical winter schedule if you are contemplating a move to Provincetown and are wondering, “What the heck am I going to do off season?” I’ll address January and February this week and March and April in two weeks.

January- The holidays are now a distant memory and in order to get over the shock of a “dead’ town, book a trip, one or two weeks long, to somewhere sunny for mid February. Check for cheap airline ticket websites and just do it. This will give you something to look forward to and will make the cold, dark January weeks go by quicker.

Don’t wait to leave “the island” until February though, go away for a quick weekend. Boston is a short drive away and offers museums, theatre and friends. This is a time when the folks that stay with you over the summer, need to return the favor. Alternatives to Beantown include New York City, Providence, and Portland, Maine.

Invite a friend to visit for a long weekend. This past weekend was perfect considering the MLK holiday on Monday.

Before you know it, January will be over. But you need to take the initiative.

February- Put on the tanning lotion, a ridiculously loud shirt and hop the next flight to Fort Lauderdale. That vacation you planned in January is here! This south Florida fun town is our sister community and you will find that many of our Ptown brethren head here for the winter. Whether they are vacationing or working at restaurants, cafes or retail shops, you’ll see a townie on your trip. Also, you’ll find many men from around the country sunning themselves on the gay beach or by the pool at one of many gay guesthouses. You’ll find that it is nice to be a tourist and let loose, meet new friends and be bad.

All kidding aside, Fort Lauderdale is a cost effective option for a one to two week vacation, especially if rooming with friends.

Next week, Pia steals the blog again. I’ll cover March and April in two weeks and offer some ideas as to how you can make those dreary months fly by while living here in Provincetown off season.