I got a call from a gallery. “I’ve got some folks who are looking for your bed and breakfast,” a female voice said. “Where are you located?”I gave quick directions. Then I sat and waited for a half hour. No one showed up. After I stopped waiting, a white rental car slowly meandered up Old King’s Highway. The car contained a tired German couple with a cranky five-year-old, seeking an affordable bed & breakfast for four nights. They were not the guests I had been expecting but looked so lost that I decided to help them find a room, since Chez Sven is full.
The gentleman followed me into the house. In his Guide to Wellfleet, he had circled all the kid-friendly establishments. I called the first one and got an answering machine. At the second, I got a friend of the owners who told me there was no one home. Down the list I went. Duck Creek Inn accepts kids but all 27 rooms were full. Sweet Liberty is new. Surely, it would be eager for early season guests? I dialed the number and reached the owner, busy doing last-minute painting. “Sorry! Kids over 10 only,” he said.
Having exhausted all Wellfleet options, I called the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce. An employee told me that the bed and breakfasts in her town, as a rule, do not accept children. I was able to obtain the name of one that does, the Surfside Inn.
What’s more, it had a vacancy, as well as a pool. Off my Germans went with a Chez Sven card, which I hope they will share with all their friends back in Dusseldorf. This little exercise taught me that most bed and breakfasts on the Outer Cape are not an option for families. Sad to say, since Wellfleet, in June, is perfect for a family vacation ….
