I have been to Rockport, a little town on the North Shore, several times over the last two years because it is that lovely there. Now that I own my car, it is even easier to get there. Also, the coastal road there is quite enjoyable. First, there is Manchester-by-the-Sea [here], followed by Gloucester, which is pronounced like glos-ter (instead of the British English pronunciation everybody who’s not from New England expects).
There are several small bays in Gloucester, and you can watch boats everywhere. There also is a bascule bridge, which opens so often that there is a constant traffic jam on a beautiful weekend day. At least there are also many parking spots just on the right side of the road. I parked there (for free!), walked around and watched several boats crossing through the canal.
I continued to walk along the shore. There is a small pathway leading to the rocks from where you have a great view both, at the town and at the sea. I also saw a small, placid beach, but didn’t know how to get there.
Since it was the Memorial Day weekend when I went on my short road trip along the North Shore, there were flags everywhere, in order to remember all people who died while serving in the U.S. military.
From Gloucester it isn’t far to drive to Rockport. I already know that when I drive up Main Street, away from the waterfront, there are parking spaces for free. Walking back to the pedestrian area at the water takes only five minutes. The rest of the little town is cute, but I prefer the Bearskin Neck, the part where cars are forbidden. Also, there are so many cute houses on the small peninsula, and I can watch seagulls and boats from almost every spot.
I love the Bearskin Neck, where hundreds of people stroll. I stopped at Helmut’s Strudel for coffee and – obviously – apple strudel. They also have a small terrace facing the water, and I was lucky enough to find a free table.
There are so many cute cafés and shops on the Bearskin Neck. I am sure that nobody leaves without buying a few things. This time I ended up buying a few cookie cutters in the shapes of a whale, a lighthouse, a sailing boat, a seagull, a lobster, the state of Massachusetts, and a cat. I can’t wait to try them.
When I reached the end, I asked two women to take a photo of me. In return I took some of them. Just after we had politely conversed in English, they started to speak in German. We simply had to laugh at realizing that we were all German.
My favorite restaurant in Rockport is Roy Moore’s Fish Shack where you can order all kinds of seafood. I always opt for lobster. Here, I chose the lazy lobster, i.e. the meat is already taken out of the shell and then put in the oven with a lot of butter and breadcrumbs on top. It’s so delicious.
When the sun had almost set, I drove home, taking a very different route then the awful one there. The roads didn’t have pot holes, and I got home pretty fast. As soon as summer vacation starts, I’ll go up to the North Shore again. Since I didn’t have a car, I haven’t been yet to any beaches there, but they are said to be beautiful.
© janavar