Cape Cod Trip Report (Day 4): Provincetown and Lobster Pot
Our previous posts from this trip report are as follows:
- Cape Cod Trip Report (Day 1): Crayola Factory
- Cape Cod Trip Report (Day 1): Purple Cow Creamery and Hampton Inn (Milford, CT)
- Cape Cod Trip Report (Day 2): Mystic Seaport and Foxwoods Casino
- Cape Cod Trip Report (Day 2): Mohegan Sun Casino and Holiday Inn (Norwich, CT)
- Cape Cod Trip Report (Day 3): Spanky’s, Cape Cod Chips, Beer, Hyannis Harbor Hotel, and Palio Pizzeria
Today was our first full day to really experience what Cape Cod had to offer. Starting early this morning, we began on the long journey out toward Provincetown, at the very tip of the Cape. The most surprising aspect of the drive out, which is exactly the opposite of what I anticipated, was that there really was not much to see or do. The land is mostly undeveloped and tree lined on both sides of Route 6. There is so much vegetation, that you never really even get a glimpse of the ocean. I had really expected driving through lots of fishing villages, but this was not the case at all. Still it was really beautiful.
Our first stop was the National Seashore Salt Pond Visitor Center. This stop was probably the most populated portion of the National Seashore all day. The great thing we learned about traveling to Cape Cod in June is that its still not peak season, so the crowds are way down. The reason June is still so slow is because the weather still is not warm. Surprisingly, the temperatures never got above 70 degrees F all week, plus it has been really overcast. The only day that was decent was our day out to Martha’s Vineyard, which you will read about in a future post. My wife even made a comment that our trip in November to Orlando was warmer than it is in Cape Cod in June. Cold, windy days and nights.
After the Salt Pond, we headed further north up the coast. It was nice to at least see some civilization once we got beyond the Salt Pond. Next we visited the First Encounter Beach, which is where they think the Pilgrims first had interaction with the American Indians, and why they did not land there. I was really interested on this trip to hear and see the landmarks that our forefathers experienced, way more than I ever anticipated.
One of the most interesting things to learn and see was the location of where the trans-Atlantic cable connected with the United States. 
Again, most of the Cape is National Seashore, and undeveloped. So we continued our drive up to Provincetown. On the way, we made stops at the Truro Vineyards and the Atlantic Spice Company. The Truro Vineyard grounds were beautiful and located on a small plot of land just off Route 6. We did not get to sample the wine because they charged $8 per person to sample 10 wines, and we were not in the mood to sample that many wines. We tried asking if we could sample just one of the wines we wanted to purchase, and they did not want to open a new bottle. Plus their tastings were scheduled, so you would of had to wait until the assigned time outside in the cold. They were very unaccommodating, and it seemed like a poor business model when people are coming in to sample and purchase your wine. Both my in-laws and my wife bought a bottle of wine to take home. We bought them more for their unique lighthouse shaped bottles since obviously we were not able to try the wine.
Next we went next door to the Atlantic Spice Company. It was a small place that not only specialized in unique spices from around the world, but also other kitchen and cooking items. I had been wanting to purchase some curry, since I have been on a big Indian food craze lately, so I purchased some to bring home. The nice thing was the spices were also relatively cheap. I paid $2.50 for a small bag of curry, which will be more than I will need for cooking at home.
The next stop of our day was downtown Provincetown. My boss had told me the best place for seafood in all of Cape Cod was at the Lobster Pot in Provincetown, so that was our first stop since we were starving at this point. We must have arrived at the perfect time, shortly after noon, as we quickly were given the last large corner table on the main level. Service was poor I think because they were so busy. While we waited for our food, I took my oldest son back up to the front to see the live lobsters in the tanks. The line at that point went out the door, so I knew we had made a good decision for lunch. I continued on my goal of trying a lobster roll at each of the places we stopped. We also ordered a bowl of the lobster bisque. Our goal was to eat a lighter lunch due to where we wanted to have dinner on the way back. My in-laws had ordered the seafood fettuccine and a bowl of the clam chowder.
Perhaps everyone’s favorite part of the meal was the salad because of the assorted salad dressings that were served with the greens. All four of the dressings were homemade and served in a round serving container where you could use as much or little of the dressings as you liked.
Following lunch, we walked around “P-Town” to experience the touristy side of the area. The streets were lined with tons of little shops selling all kinds of local wares.
We went into the Marine Surplus store, where I found it amusing some of the products they were selling. All of you frequent flyer members will enjoy the pictures.
They had a huge selection of airline bowls, trays, and serving wares from various airlines. I verified on the bottom of the items they were marked with the respective airlines names.
We visited lots of other assorted stores, but by this point I was crazing something sweet. I did not even realize what it was until I looked inside the Purple Feather store. My eyes were overwhelmed by the beautiful selection of assorted chocolates. I purchased an assortment of truffles to share with my in-laws and my wife, and they were all very flavorful and good. It seems I am always disappointed in the quality of my chocolate at a lot of the specialty chocolate stores, but the Purple Feather met my demands and was well worth the stop.
Following the downtown area, we headed out to the National Sea Shore. I have to say it was beautiful, and what was the most amazing thing was we were practically the only people out there. Again, the temperatures and wind were not suitable for swimming or enjoying the beach, but it was perfect to take in the pure beauty of the seashore.
As typical for a vacation, it seems like we eat our way through the day. My father-in-law really wanted to eat at Arnold’s Lobster and Clam Bar on the way back to our hotel. He had heard it was one of Rachael Ray’s favorite restaurants, so it was worth a stop.
The food was again amazingly fresh. To this day I still can taste the daily fresh lobster. Surprisingly, the fried lobsters were AMAZING, and were a refreshing twist on the normal broiled or boiled version.
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