Provincetown Portuguese Festival Parade - Commercial Street – Provincetown, Cape Cod. Photo from Provincetownlive.com

Now to jazz things up a bit – this week’s Weekend Drive post features Provincetown, MA, the town at the tip of the Cape. Provincetown is similar to Chatham and Sandwich before it in that it is a popular seaside tourist destination, however, the atmosphere is entirely unique. As one of the most diverse communities on Cape Cod, Provincetown is known as a center of artists and intellectuals. Its shops and galleries feature original works and reproductions in media ranging from watercolor and sculpture to jewelry and wearable art.

Quaint Commercial Street, reminiscent of Provincetown’s days as a fishing and whaling village, Provincetown, MA. Photo by city-data.com

If you decide to spontaneously make the trek to Provincetown this weekend, you will be just in time for the annual Provincetown Portuguese Festival. It’s held from June 24 – 27 in honor of a culture that has brought vibrancy to the town since its early days as a fishing and whaling village. There will be a waterfront concert on Saturday where you can take in soulful Portuguese blues, and activities geared towards a younger audience will include puppets, games and fishing. Be sure to indulge in a taste of authentic Portuguese cuisine including delicacies such as kale soup or paprika-rich linguica sausages along with other specialties at the Portuguese food court.

If you’re from the Boston area and need to fill-up before heading out, you’ll want to take advantage of the low-priced gas found at the Shell station at 1154 William T. Morissey Boulevard, just off of I-93 south at exit 15. You can fill up your car there today for just $ 2.799 a gallon. Once on the road, here are some directions to help you get to your destination:

• Head northeast on Harrison Ave toward Thayer St (0.3 mile)
• Turn right at Herald St (0.1 mile)
• Slight left to merge onto I-93 S toward Quincy (8.9 miles)
• Take exit 7 on the left toward Cape Cod (0.8 mile)
• Merge onto MA-3 S (26.7 miles)
• Continue onto US-44 E (0.9 mile)
• Continue onto MA-3 S (14.6 miles)
• Continue onto US-6 E (36.2 miles)
• At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto US-6 E/Mid-Cape Hwy – Continue to follow US-6 E (18.7 miles)
• Turn left at Massachusetts 6A W/Shore Rd – Continue to follow Massachusetts 6A W (6.2 miles)
• Turn right at Howland St

If you’re coming from somewhere other than the Boston area, click here to get custom directions.

Before heading back, be sure to fill up your tank at the Blues Quick Stop, located at 42 Conwell Street. It has the lowest price gas in P-town (as of today June 25, 2010) for $2.749 a gallon.