Provincetown makes top 10 list of best coastal small towns. Two Midwest towns were higher.
"There’s never a dull moment" in Provincetown according to a 2023 USA Today top ten list of best coastal small towns in the country.
Familiar contenders like Marblehead and Sanibel Island, Florida also scored a spot in the top 10, but some of the other locales might not be well-known by Cape Codders and could perhaps spur travel plans.
According to USA Today's list, "big cities on the water have their perks, but these 10 small towns – voted as the best by readers – offer a tranquility and charm that's hard to find in more densely populated areas."
Or, as conservationist Rachel Carson wrote: “The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place.”
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And it's hard to argue with any of the towns on the list, whether they're located on river, lake or ocean. When a cool town is on the water, fun, intrigue and beauty are usually in tow. And chances are, you can get a dang good meal!
Provincetown, which scored the number five spot on the list, was described as "charming," with an "eclectic mix of galleries and museums, bars and restaurants, cabarets, whale-watching opportunities, guesthouses and unique shopping experiences."
Some Provincetown year-rounders might dispute the list's "never a dull moment" description. It can be pretty quiet in the offseason. Writer Norman Mailer, who owned a home in town for many years, described a late fall day along Commercial Street this way in his 1984 novel "Tough Guys Don’t Dance":
"...on many a shortening November afternoon, you could have taken a bowling bowl and rolled it down the long one-way lane of our narrow main street (a true New England alley) without striking a pedestrian or a car."
Hiking a train trailWhere to hike the old railroad bed in Provincetown
Cape tip hackles may be raised by some of the towns that finished ahead of Provincetown on the list, including Bayfield, Wisconsin and Sandusky, Ohio. But a closer look reveals significant charms in both locations, which would make cool destinations on a voyage to the Midwest.
Fourth-place finisher Bayfield, located on Lake Superior, was described as "fit for a postcard" on the list, adding that the lovely town "is a gateway to the stunning Apostle Islands, boasting numerous lighthouses and some truly impressive caves and cliffs."
Sandusky, which took the number one spot, located on Lake Erie, is home to Cedar Point, an epic amusement park that features 18 world-class roller coasters and an 18-acre water park. Even devotees of Provincetown might grudgingly admit that it sounds pretty fun.
Here is the complete 2023 USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice list of best coastal small towns in the country:
No. 9: Nags Head, North Carolina
No. 8: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
No. 7: Sanibel Island, Florida
No. 5: Provincetown, Massachusetts
No. 3: Marblehead, Massachusetts
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Provincetown, Cape Cod makes top 10 list of best coastal small towns
