Jutting out to
one of the most easterly locations in the United States is Cape Cod. As if hesitant of reaching out too far into
the Atlantic, the peninsula suddenly turns in an a northerly direction and then
points back slightly toward the Eastern Seaboard like it does not want to completely
forsake its motherland. Yet reach out
away from the continent it must.
The geography of
Cape Cod has been a formative factor in its character. At the very end of the Cape is Provincetown. The first white settlers, the Pilgrims from
England, arrived in 1620. Though they
were off-course, Provincetown Harbor proved to be further east and have calmer
waters than the mouth of the Hudson River.
Since the first white non-conformists arrived, it has been a Mecca of
non-conformity ever since (though the Native Americans there were ever non-conformists
on the world stage). The Pilgrims
eventually settled north of Cape Cod, but the Cape remains an important part of
American history.
Provincetown had
a vibrant whaling industry, and adventurous souls sailed from the harbor to
join the hunt. The whaling industry soon faded, and in the early twentieth
century, artistic souls began migrating to Provincetown. Arrivals of such notables as novelist Susan
Glaspell, Eugene O’Neill and others caused The Boston Globe in 1916 to declare
Provincetown, “The Biggest Art Colony in the World.” Visual artists and actors also settled in the
community.
In 1940,
Tennessee Williams arrived in town. In
more recent history, American Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz was an active member
of the literary community. I had the
privilege of meeting Mr. Kunitz in New York City; he was a true mentor for
poets. He was 100 years old when he died
and in his later years portrayed a kind of prophet-poet image—very rare for a
modern poet.
A discussion
about lively Provincetown would not be complete without mentioning how gay-friendly
it is. When I was there is the early
2000s, it was a sunny, beautiful, breezy day; I still see the many rainbow pride
flags blowing in the wind backlit by sunlight.
It was the only place I have been in the entire world where as a
heterosexual, I felt like I was the minority.
Provincetown remains an enclave of quiet, artistic rebellion and
acceptance—maybe more now than ever.
There is more to
Cape Cod than just Provincetown. The
island of Nantucket is a favorite getaway.
Refined and distinctive vacation homes abound. IVHE has
this classic luxury
exchange home in Nantucket sure to please the most discriminating of
vacationers.
One of the
wonderful things about Cape Cod is the variety of people. For some reason, New
York psychologists and psychiatrists flock there in the summer; this is
what in part inspired the comedy, “What about Bob?” Maybe I will go there in August the next time
I need to head shrunk (all too frequently I must confess). While New Yorkers and other vacationers flood
the Cape in the summer, there are salty, year-round residents who give the
place its character and are the backbone of the community.
Just as varied
as the people in Cape Cod are the restaurants.
You can get Cape Cod’s famous lobster in everything from fancy to casual
environments. I had lobster in a very
casual restaurant and it was tasty!
Come enjoy the
iconic beach houses and fences so indicative of this special place. View these IVHE luxury
vacation homes, and see how it
works.
Thanks to travel writer Sona Schmidt-Harris – Follow
her on Twitter @Sonag2000
great write up - I grew up in MA. Cape Cod is a such a special place
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