Category Archives: Writing

Boston boat to Provincetown a vacation experience

Steamer dockingThe above postcard was mailed in 1912, over 100 years ago, and shows the steamship the Dorothy May Bradford, pulling up to the dock in Provincetown harbor on the tip of Cape Cod. At the begiinning of the 20th century, taking what was referred to as the “Boston Boat” was the most efficient way to get from Boston to Provincetown and from Provincetown to Boston during the summer months. Back in those days the journey took a good half of the day, but today the Provincetown Fast Ferry makes the trip back and forth two and three times a day in 90 minutes.  While the Dorothy Bradford was named after one of the first Pilgrim travelers who traveled across the ocean on the Mayflower and then drowned in Provincetown Harbor after she slipped and fell off the boat, the newest Provincetown Fast Ferry Salacia, is named after the Neptune’s wife and goddess of the sea. Salacia’s name, derived from the  Latin word for salt, was thought to personify the calm and expansiveness of the sea. A beautiful sea nymph who bore three sons with Neptune, including Triton, she is usually personified in sculptures as having a crown of seaweed and driving alongside Neptune in a shell chariot drawn by dolphins.  Certainly the sleek and fast Salacia looks quite different in contour and shape from the more stalwart Dorothy Bradford. But different time periods in history call for different experiences. If you like postcards, you may want to enter the Boston Harbor Cruise “Design Your Own Postcard Contest” 
If reading a book during your vacation is more your idea of fun while relaxing on the beach, pick up a copy of Remaining in Provincetown, the new murder mystery everyone’s talking about. Now available at bookstores and online in trade paperback and ebook. Buy your copy today at Amazon .com or purchase a signed copy at the Provincetown bookshop while supplies last.  Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Remaining in Provincetown By S.N.Cook. Truro Works. 306 pages $12.95 Trade Paperback

Remaining in Provincetown
By S.N.Cook.
Truro Works. 306 pages
$12.95 Trade Paperback

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Provincetown artists and vacation time

ArtistsWhile many folks spend their vacations on Cape Cod, sunbathing on the beach, hiking across the sand dunes, surfing the ocean’s waves, and enjoying the fine restaurants,shops, and inns that are so abundant in Provincetown; aspiring artists come to take classes. This early 20th century postcard shows a large class of artists painting from life on a Provincetown beach at low tide, when there was enough sand to accommodate all those students! Artists and art galleries are a big part of Provincetown on a year-round basis. Collecting art was one of Sonny Carreiro’s many pleasures, as a successful entrepreneur o the Lower Cape. Maybe it was a weakness.  Could something related to a particular Provincetown artist help solve the mystery in the new novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook? Copies of this popular new mystery are now available in bookstores and online. Visiting Provincetown this summer? A limited number of signed copies are at the Provincetown Bookshop on Commercial Street. Also available at Amazon in trade paperback and kindle. Like us on Facebook. Keep the conversation going.

Remaining in Provincetown By S.N.Cook. Truro Works. 306 pages $12.95 Trade Paperback

Remaining in Provincetown
By S.N.Cook.
Truro Works. 306 pages
$12.95 Trade Paperback

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Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

Blessing of the Fleet a Provincetown Tradition

Ptown4The Blessing of the Fleet in Provincetown, that takes place each year on the last Sunday in June, is a tradition that originated in Mediterranean fishing communities. With its large Portuguese community of fishermen who were the economic backbone of the community during the late 19th and 20th century, it”s surprising that it wasn’t”t until 1948 that the. Blessing of the Fleet tradition was brought to Provincetown. A Catholic mass and the blessing of a priest to ask God for a safe fishing season and a bountiful one is further celebrated with a parade, performances, games, and festivities, After the boats are blessed from the end of Macmillan wharf, where they line up bedecked with banners and flags, the fishermen and families celebrate with a picnic lunch on their vessel and a trip to Long Point, often going for a swim on a hot day and perhaps enjoying quite a bit of beer and wine.
While the Blessing of the Fleet is now combined with the four day Portuguese Festival, in earlier times the festivities was more focused to serve the community of fishermen and their friends and families, In the new mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown, a pivotal event takes place in Sarah Carreiro”s life at a Blessing of the Fleet, that she reflects on as she returns to town to bury her husband who has been murdered. What happened? Read the book, currently available for sale at bookstores, including the Provincetown Bookshop and online at Amazon in trade paperback and on Kindle. Like us on Facebook. Keep the conversation going.

Fishing Boats at Provinetown, Cape Cod Mass. circa 1900

Fishing Boats at Provinetown, Cape Cod Mass. circa 1900

Long Point Lighthouse Provincetown Fishing Colony

Longpoint

This handsome antique postcard showing Long Point Lighthouse in Provincetown Massachusetts on the tip of Cape Cod shows houses set back beyond a lighthouse keeper’s building and the lighthouse itself. If you hike across the Provincetown breakwater on the west end of town, just beyond the Provincetown Inn and hike across the sand or visit Long Point by boat, you won’t see any  such buildings. The fishing village first settled in 1818, was at its height of prosperity in 1846.  There were 200 residents and 38 houses. They used cisterns to gather water and had their own salt works for fish processing. The lighthouse itself was established in 1826 and the current tower built in 1875. Automated in 1952 and currently solar powered, it shines a fixed green signal and blasts out a fog alert every 15 seconds.
So what happened to the village of Long Point and all those houses?  Most of them were floated across the bay during low tide on barrels and repositioned in Provincetown. Ceramic blue and white plaques identify some of the houses in town that were floated across the bay from Long Point.
There are many interesting stories about the town and if you were born in the town or have lived and worked in Provincetown for a number of years you learn thiings.. Curious to learn more? Read Remaining in Provincetown, the new mystery novel just released and available at bookstores, including the Provincetown Bookshop, and online in trade paperback and as an ebook at Amazon. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Provincetown Cape Cod Vacation Season

Board of Trade Building Provincetown, Cape Cod

Board of Trade Building
Provincetown, Cape Cod

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Beautiful beaches, a monument to climb, numerous art galleries and shops to visit, all make Provincetown the gem of Cape Cod. Shown above in this antique postcard is the Board of Trade Building, founded in 1899, which became incorporated a the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce in 1957. If you arrive by Boat, it should be the first place you stop, located at the base of MacMillan Pier, for tourist information. The Mission of the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce  “This organization shall encourage and promote the civic, commercial, and social betterment of the Town of Provincetown for residents and visitors.”

Providing visitor information that focuses on the GLBT  tourism (Gay, Lesbian, bisexual and transgender) is the Provincetown Business Guild located downtown at 3 Freeman Street.  The Provincetown Business Guild sponsors the famous Carnival week of events, that started back in 1978.

There’s a lot of do for visitors, whatever your sexual orientation. Provincetown has always been a town where you can be yourself. Ever wonder what the town is like in the off season when all the tourists have gone home? Read the new mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook, sold at stores and online at  the Provincetown Bookshop and at Amazon in trade paperback on kindle. Like us on Facebook. Keep the conversation going.

Provincetown art students painting en plein air

Artists at Work, Provincetown Cape Cod

Artists at Work, Provincetown Cape Cod

Painting in the open air, (en plein air in French), has been a favorite practice of artists in Provincetown, Massachusetts since Charles Hawthorne (1872- 1930) founded the  Cape Cod School of Art in 1899. Given Provincetown’s waterfront setting, one might assume that Hawthorne’s students always set up their box easels on the beach.  The sun’s reflection on the water, and the light and shadows on the sand, were perfect starting points to practice the concepts of Impressionism, which put an important emphasis on capturing on canvas, the artist’s impression of how light changes throughout the day. . Not true, as shown in this antique postcard published by H.A. Dickerman & Son, Taunton, Massachusetts in approximately 1900.  The students, primarily female, are painting a portrait of the model positioned in the right, dressed in a while summer frock and hat with a long braid. Student artists often used local citizens as their models.

The availability of paints in tubes made painting en plein air, so much easier when compared to the practice of grinding and mixing pigment powders with linseed oil.  Notice in the photograph that the boxes to hold paints and contain a palette, also made transporting equipment for painting outside so much easier.  Artists came from all over the world. and still do, to live and work in what was originally a fishing village.

Creating art is important to Annie Tinker, a sculptor who first came to Provincetown as a student at the Fine Arts Work Center. One of the characters in the recently released novel, Remaining in Provincetown by S. N. Cook.  She’s married to Beau Costa, the former business partner of Sonny Carreiro who has been murdered. Could Beau be a suspect?  Haven’t read the book yet? Signed copies are available at the Provincetown Bookshop downtown on Commercial Street or you can buy a trade paperback or ebook online at a variety of sites including Amazon.  Visit our Facebook page , like us and join the conversation.

Provincetown Lighthouse at Wood End

Wood End Lighthouse Provincetown, Cape Cod By Moonlight

Wood End Lighthouse
Provincetown, Cape Cod
By Moonlight

     These two antique postcards show Wood End Lighthouse in Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod by night and by day.  Completed in 1872, joining nearby Long Point lighthouse and Race Point  Lighthouse., which were both established in  1826.   Before the  30 foot tall brick tower was erected, there was a  pyramidal beacon established in its location in 1864. The new lighthouse put into service in 1872 had a Fresnel lens that flashed every 15 seconds along with an adjacent light keepers dwelling. Congress had appropriated $25,000 in the 1872 federal budget for Wood End lighthouse to help stem the number of ships being wrecked off the  furthermost tip of Cape Cod.

     Not accessible by any road, one way to visit the Wood End  Lighthouse is to walk across the breakwater by the Provincetown Inn. This past October the Cape Cod chapter of the Lighthouse Foundation, repainted the handsome antique lighthouse which was automated in 1961 and was converted to solar power in 1981.

     Despite the establishment of three lighthouses on the tip of Cape Cod, ships still were wrecked on the sand bars near Provincetown. In 1872 a life saving station was set up at Race Point and another one added at Wood End  in 1896. If you have read the book Remaining in Provincetown, you might remember that postcard collector Sonny Carreiro was particularly interested in antique postcards related to the Lifesaving stations. Haven’t read the book? It’s available at the Provincetown Bookshop and online at Amazon and other booksellers in trade paperback and as an ebook.  Like us on Facebook and become part of the conversation about this new mystery novel where Provincetown plays the starring role.

Antique Postcard of Wood End Lighthouse in Provincetown, Massachusetts

Antique Postcard of Wood End Lighthouse in Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown and Truro Cape Cod Nude Beaches

Long Nook

Going to the beach on Cape Cod offers so many choices.  There are the National Seashore beaches and the various town beaches, but without a beach sticker your options are limited. If you can make your way out to Long Point, at the very end of Provincetown, either by boat or by walking across the breakwater there is a beautiful unspoiled secluded beach and the opportunity to shed your clothes if the area is not tightly patrolled.Beach two

In previous blog posts I’ve talked about the clothing optional sections of Herring Cove /New Beach. The other place to visit is beautiful Long Nook in Truro. If you walk down the beach to the right, you’ll start to notice it has become clothing optional. During the summer season, you will need a beach sticker from Truro which you can buy if you are renting property for the week or month. Otherwise you could try bicycling there… Perhaps readers may have some other suggestions. Now when you do get to the beach of your choice, what book did you bring to read? I’m hoping you brought a copy of Remaining in Provincetown, the new mystery novel that everyone is talking about with all those almost familiar characters. Like us on Facebook. Currently on sale at the Provincetown Bookshop and online at a variety of sites in trade paperback and as an ebook. What’s your favorite beach?Beaches

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Remaining in Provincetown By S.N.Cook. Truro Works. 306 pages $12.95 Trade Paperback

Remaining in Provincetown
By S.N.Cook.
Truro Works. 306 pages
$12.95 Trade Paperback

Best Provincetown Books for Summer Reading

Reading some books about Provincetown will get you in the mood for your visit.

Reading some books about Provincetown will get you in the mood for your visit.

Whether you are visiting Provincetown for the very first time or returning to Cape Cod for your annual summer visit, there is nothing like reading a few good books to get you in the mood. Here are some favorites!

Time and the Town by Mary Heaton Vorse

Mary Heaton Vorse (1874-1966) arrived in Provincetown in 1907. The book was published in 1942 and it is the last of the sixteen books that she wrote. An activist in the American labor movement and a roving foreign correspondent, she was a woman ahead of her time. Her book is a story of the town and its people, rich with history and interesting antidotes. Her story is both a memoir and a social commentary, with lovely descriptions of the way the town once was years ago. y If you have an interest in Cape Cod, Provincetown history, and women writers, don’t miss out on reading this classic.  A reprinted version published by the Rutgers University Press and listed under editor Adele Heller is available online  in paperback. Earlier collectible versions are available from antiquarian book dealers.

The Outermost House: A Year on the Great Beach of Cape Cod

By Henry Beston

Published in 1928 this beloved book that puts the focus on nature, is now available in paperback , and  chronicles a year spent on the Cape Cod Beach , now known as the Coast Guard Beach in Easton. Beston describes the desolate beauty of life living on the sand dunes. You are transported.  Available in paperback, hardback, and a kindle version as well as an audio version, it could be the perfect book to listen to as you drive towards the tip of Cape Cod.

Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook

A perfect beach read, this recently released mystery novel set in the early 1990s, takes you inside the minds of a diverse set of characters whose lives intersect when one of the town’s leading citizens, a real estate entrepreneur and native son, is murdered. “Described Provincetown to a T” says one of the Amazon customer reviews. “Finally an author has been able to successfully capture the flavor of that quirky town on the end of Cape Cod and do it well,” says another reader review.  Available in trade paperback in bookstores, online, and as a kindle version.

Ptown Poem

Bicycling Provincetown trails to discover true Cape Cod

Provncetown Bicycle trails near Race Point Beach Cape Cod.

Provncetown Bicycle trails near Race Point Beach Cape Cod.

Built in the 1960’s the bicycle trails on National Park Service lands take you across the sand dunes to the Beech Forest, Province Lands Visitor Center, Race Point Beach Parking lot and Herring Cove Beach Parking lot. The loop trail is almost five and half miles in length. On your drive along the steep winding trails you will see beautiful vistas of sand dunes as well the native vegetation which includes wild roses and beach plums along with the grasses that have been intentionally planted to help retard the shifting sands that cause dunes to shift and change shape each season.  If you are lucky, in the off-season you may encounter a fox. In summer there are small toads around Bennett Pond.

Don’t have a bicycle? You can rent one in Provincetown for a few hours or a day, to explore the trails. Bring a towel, bathing suit, and plenty of water as well as a picnic, if you’d like to enjoy a daylong adventure.

People of all ages enjoy using the bike trails.  The Carreiro children, in the recently released novel Remaining in Provincetown, can’t wait to get a hold of their bicycles so they can go riding on the trails, even if it is early spring—way too early for swimming. Want to gain a better insight as to what it’s like to live in Provincetown because you are planning a visit? Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook makes a great beach read, or start reading it now in anticipation of your vacation.  Now available at local bookstores, online and at Amazon.com. Like us on facebook.  Show the big publishers you can make your own decisions on what to read. Join the conversation.

Remaining in Provincetown By S.N.Cook. Truro Works. 306 pages $12.95 Trade Paperback

Remaining in Provincetown
By S.N.Cook.
Truro Works. 306 pages
$12.95 Trade Paperback

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!