Here on Kachemak Bay, we’re hip to the concept that tides can change quickly and rise dramatically. Mariners know not to push certain channels, and beach walkers keep an eye on the time so as to not get forced into the bluffs while walking from Diamond Creek to Bishop’s Beach.

OK, not everyone understands how fast the tide can come in, as evidenced by the rusty hulks of cars and trucks that get stuck on a minus tide and then get swamped.

We understand tides because we live by the sea, we all carry tidebooks and the idea that sea levels can range 25 feet or more doesn’t sound like a bad 1950s horror film. In parts of the world where tides only vary by 5 feet or so, dramatic changes in tides come as a shock.

This might explain why last month on May 28, 44 people got stranded on a breakwall in Provincetown, Mass. Higher-than-normal spring tides surprised the people on a scenic walking path. Six people fell in the water. A U.S. Coast Guard boat, other boats and rescuers from the Provincetown fire and police departments got all the people to safety.

Having visited P-Town, as locals call it, the Betster wonders how anybody found a place to park. On summer weekends it seems like all of Boston descends on the town at the end of Cape Cod. Finding a parking spot there is about as rare as … well, finding a parking spot on the Spit on a holiday weekend. We end-of-the-road towns share some of the same problems, it seems.

We also share something equally marvelous: people love our towns. You’ll be seeing a lot of new faces around town this weekend with the Kachemak Bay Writers Conference and other events, so give our visitors a warm welcome, be patient and provide them with some tips about cool things to do, like these Best Bets:

BED GO N.E.D. BET: Cancer survivors know the good news that comes with that initialism — No Evidence of Disease. It’s also the name of a band of gynecologic surgeons who perform to increase awareness of cancer of the cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. At 6 p.m. today at the Homer Theatre, see a documentary film, “N.E.D.,” about the band, and then at 7 p.m. Saturday, see the band themselves when they play at Alice’s Champagne Palace. A fundraiser for Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic, the film is free, but a donation is requested. Tickets to the show are $20 at the clinic off Ben Walters Lane. The concern also includes door prizes and auctions.

BEST STEP THIS WAY BET: If you’re looking for good dance music and a smoke-free, no-alcohol venue, check out Good2Shoes Dancehall in Ninilchik at Mile 132.6 Sterling Highway. For young adults high school to 20, it’s music with DJ Michael Hurd 8-11 p.m. every Friday night. Traditional country music is 7-10 p.m. every Saturday night. For more information, visit goody2shoes.us.

BEST READ ON BET: A gazillion genius writers and poets descend on Homer this weekend, some of them even from here. It’s the 16th annual Kachemak Bay Writers Conference. You still might be able to get in to the conference from Friday-Tuesday at Land’s End Resort.

The faculty also offer free public readings, including one by Jane Smiley at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Mariner Theatre. Other readings are at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Alice’s Champagne Palace and 7:30 p.m. Monday at Land’s End. See story, page 13.