Was visiting Boston from SF on a long business trip and decided to visit PTown and Ogunquit for the first time. I arrived in PTown on an empty ferry on a Saturday, the last day or two of Bear Week. Was overwhelmed by the heat and humidity and the mostly straight crowds. When I arrived, it seemed tacky, and packed with tacky straights. The East Coast is relatively flat to me and the Atlantic seems like a bit of a pussy, as far as oceans go -- no waves, no excitement. What a mistake, I thought. Went to a Sunday Tea Dance at the Boat Slip (it's the blue motel with the pool, right?). Very friendly and fun -- and I'm a fat Elderbear. The DJ was playing my absolute favorite and obscure dance tunes from the 80's. The party ended early in the evening. Didn't see or do anything sordid.

By Sunday night, something magical happened: All of the straight people disappeared. Gays and Lesbians were everywhere. Went to the best cabaret shows at Crown and Anchor that week, fantastic seafood restaurants, and of course, bars. Rented an electric-assisted bicycle and rode out to the beautiful sand dunes, feeling like a kid again. Note: this trip came a few months after two nasty years of chemo and surgeries for colon cancer, with another tumor in a kidney (and who knew where else) waiting for me to do something. Until then, I hadn't been very adventurous.

Stayed in an ancient, 9-guestroom B and B owned by a gay couple on Bradford St. The backyard garden area had a clothing-optional hot tub and an open bar for guests at night. Spectacular, gourmet breakfast was served in the morning in the same area. Discretion was advised for daytime, as it was a mixed crowd, but mostly older gay men. For my first night down there, I was fully clothed until after one guest offered me a strong cocktail, I said "What the fuck... when in Rome..." so I stripped and got into the tub with all of my surgical scars and everyone else for the rest of the evenings I was there. What a blast. There were guys hooking up (they went up to their rooms). I think it was about $170/night. It's twice that now, but if I were to return, I'd only go mid-week.

After my conference in Boston, I rented a car and drove to Ogunquit, ME for two nights. The town is fukkin New Englandy-chaahmin. I expected to see daily murders with Jessica Fletcher on each case. There were two bar/restaurants with rainbow flags, but NO gay people. Had my first Lobstah. Huge, crowded beach, mostly families from Quebec. The Ogunquit Playhouse, which I'd never heard of, was packed. Would have needed to have gotten a ticket months in advance.

My only sordid tale - but this happened at my fancy, employer-paid hotel room in Boston during the conference, not in P'Town. Thanks to Scruff, I hooked up with another conference attendee, who was one of the featured lecturers. He's married with kids, as it turned out. We were inseparable for three days, and several of my colleagues from back home who were there will never let me forget about it.