ExplorerPod.com

review by TravelMasseuse

In July of 2007, I drove from New York up to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The drive up took about 5 hours & was actually pretty relaxing. I met some friends at Foley’s Cottages (http://foleyscottages.tripod.com), which are a small strip of cottages right on the beach. We stayed in the Nautilus Apartment (http://foleyscottages.tripod.com/id1.html). It was very clean & cozy, & we were provided with cookware, tableware, blankets, pillows, TV, & the regular utilities (water, gas, electric). Out the front window was a view of other cottages along the beach, & out the back window was a view of the green meadows. We also had a sliding door in the kitchen that led out to a deck.

The beach is no place for island-lovers seeking sun, white sand & blue water. The weather was mostly overcast during my stay, the ocean water wasn’t clear, & the sand was dark & overwhelmed with seaweed. However, if the sun is out, you can still tan & build sand castles. It’s also a great place to go fishing.

A few miles down the road was the famous Provincetown. Provincetown (AKA “P-Town”), is a very gay-friendly & liberal place. Same-sex couples walk hand-in-hand down the street, & no one thinks it’s out of the ordinary. It’s also a very family-oriented place, though. There are plenty of fantastic restaurants to eat in, & stores to shop in. If you want a bite to eat, you can sit down at a nice restaurant, grab some grub at a beach stand, or hit up one of the delicious ice cream stores. There are great shops selling clothing, sneakers, knick-knacks, etc. There are also more liberal shops just for adults. You can also get treatments (massages, salt scrubs, manicures, pedicures, etc) at one of P-Towns fabulous spas, or even get a nice henna tattoo (I got one on my foot). The night scene is a bit different. At night, Drag Queens roam the streets & there’s always a party or hot show going on.

In the center of Provincetown, where almost everyone pays to park their car, you can find beautiful boats that take tourists on whale-watching tours. My friends & I went on one of these tours. There were a lot of people in our group, but the boat was really big & we were not at all crammed. The ride out was very chilly & windy. Even if it’s a nice day, I highly recommend bringing a jacket, & preferably a waterproof one. There is a lot of sea mist in the breeze that will wet you. If you want, though, you can stay inside in the boats café area. They serve snack food & hot chocolate.

During the ride out, you can watch a live educational program about the ocean & whales, given by the tour guide. It’s very interesting & informative. When we finally got to a good area, we all stayed quiet & listened for whales. We saw a bunch. Some were breaching & swimming, others were sound asleep but still blowing water out every so often. It was a breathtaking experience!

Link to TravelMasseuse Photos and Videos.