Out of Town

by Lauren Johnson

Houston can be absolutely great in the winter-not too cold, no snow, sometimes even T-shirt weather on Thanksgiving or even Christmas Day. Just think: no fireplaces, no high heating bills, no heavy overcoats, no snow shoveling.

What a drag.

If you have a hankering for some more classic winter weather, escape Houston's mildness and head up to Provincetown on Cape Cod for a bit of winter wandering.

Perhaps you have been to Provincetown, that crazy little place out on the very fingertip of Massachusetts. But if you are like most tourists, you probably visited in the summer or early fall. At that time, the population of P-town swells from about 3,500 to more than 50,000. After November 1, however, most of the tourists have departed, the town returns to "normal" (if that word ever applies to Provincetown), and folks settle in for the long Cape Cod winter. With the throngs diminished to almost nothing, the winter wonderland appears.

Now, don't think that it won't be cold on the Cape. It will. However, because of its proximity to the ocean, Cape Cod doesn't get the dreadful hard freezes or nasty blizzards that can paralyze the rest of New England.

According to the locals, there is nothing more beautiful than Commercial Street, the main drag, in the middle of winter, with the snow glistening off the eaves of the shops and restaurants. While nothing like summer, there are several times during the winter when the P-town population has a temporary mild swelling. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve are, not surprisingly, three of these times.

Come down early in the week for the best bargains on P-town's best accommodations. Many guesthouses require two- or three-day minimum stays on the actual holidays or the weekends that precede them, so call ahead to make reservations. If you come early in the week or before or after an actual holiday, there are deals to be had, and bargaining about the price of a room is not considered bad manners. Most inns won't discuss rate reductions over the phone, but if you arrive in town and actually show up during slow times, you can almost certainly get a great room for less than the published rate.

Three restaurants in P-town are open year-round: Napi's, on Freeman Street; Fanizzi's by the Sea at the east end of Commercial Street; and Licata's, on Bradford. Napi's has been around for more than5 years and is a neighborhood favorite. Fanizzi's was recently taken over by a new owner-it was formerly Poochies, a P-town institution for5 years. Fanizzi's boasts both comfort food and some fine dining specials at night, with a full bar and the ocean lapping at your window. A newcomer this year, Licata's is an Italian-style restaurant with some interesting dishes that take advantage of the Cape's unparalleled fresh seafood. Most other restaurants close for the month of January and sometimes February as well. If you are here in November or December, stop by Ciro and Sal's for some excellent Italian food and some old world ambiance. Or try the Red Inn, way out on the west side of town, for some upscale food, candlelight, and a lovely old fireplace roaring away in the dining room.

After dinner, wander down the streets, window-shopping if it's a holiday week, or just hurrying to the next warm bar you can find if it isn't. Provincetown has one bar that is not just an institution but that verges on legend status after many years of being open year round. The Atlantic House (or the A-House, as it is called by everyone in town) has stood in the same spot for God-only-knows how many years, and it looks it, in every good sense of the word. Two fireplaces blaze in the winter, and the dark, cavern-like interior of the small bar next door to the dance bar is inviting without being the least bit solicitous. During the summer, the A-House is overrun with beautiful men, but in the winter this spot is for everyone-gay, lesbian, straight, bi, transgender, or any combination of those you can imagine. Grab a bar stool and order a brandy to warm your cockles (you do have cockles, don't you?). Be sure to say hello to the person next to you. P-town in the winter invites conversation wherever it can be found.

So pull that heavy winter coat out of storage, grab your long undies, and do something different this winter. Fly to Boston, rent a car, and drive out to the tip of the Cape for an unconventional, merry, and gay winter holiday in Provincetown. It's not just for summer anymore.

Houston writer and filmmaker Lauren Johnson reported on the "Healing the Hurt" safe-schools conference in the May002 OutSmart.

IF YOU GO

Check out these GLBT-friendly websites for more information:

The Gay & Lesbian Guide to Provincetown 365

www.ptown.org

InsideOut's Guide to Provincetown

www.ptownguide.com

SPECIAL EVENTS

November 7-10

Single Men's Weekend

Workshops include "Gay Dating Boot Camp 101" and "Building a Better Community."

November7

Lighting of the Pilgrim Monument

Kicking off the holiday season, 5,000 lights adorn the55-foot monument, the tallest granite structure in the United States.

November9-31

Thanksgiving Weekend Crafts Fair

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum and Provincetown Town Hall are the two sites for this annual event.

December 6-8

Holly Folly

The Provincetown Business Guild and the Women Innkeepers of Provincetown sponsor this annual gay-and-lesbian holiday festival.