You don’t have to go far to feel like you’re on vacation. Even though I was in Gloucester (MA) just three days ago, today I was back playing tourist in my own backyard. Gloucester is about a 20 minute drive from home, but today it felt like being much further away as I explored an old castle, took a boat tour, and ate some delicious seafood.
I started the morning in Rockport, at the eastern tip of Cape Ann. Known for the iconic “Motif #1” which stands guard at the entrance to Rockport’s Inner Harbor. Bearskin Neck is very popular and crowded on summer days. Earlier in the morning, though, the area is quiet and laid back and a great spot for breakfast and a walk.
I have been reading about the delicious donuts at Brother’s Brew Coffee Shop in Rockport and was excited to try one this morning. I grabbed a glazed apple cider donut but had to make a second stop to get a decaf iced latte at the Bean and Leaf Cafe. Then I took my breakfast picnic to the end of Bearskin Neck where I perched on a rock to enjoy both the view and the food.
I spent another hour wandering around Rockport taking pictures before driving around the north side of Rockport and through the Lanesville and Annisquam neighborhoods of Gloucester en route to stop number two of the day.
I have driven past Hammond Castle Museum many times, but today was the first time I actually stopped and toured the inside. Built in 1926-1929 by John Hays Hammond, Jr., the castle was meant to evoke the feeling of Europe and includes a drawbridge, turrets, historical relics, and sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean.
I opted for a guided tour and learned a lot about the history of the museum on the 45-minute tour. I enjoyed seeing the Great Hall with its 8,000+ pipe organ and the indoor courtyard modeled after the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. After my tour I took some time to look around the castle and grounds on my own.
My afternoon activity was a boat tour of the lighthouses of Cape Ann aboard the King Eider. The tour circles the entirety of Cape Ann and passes six lighthouses along the way. I was happy for the first hour and a half, then the heat and annoying greenhead flies got to be a bit much. It was still fun; I just would have preferred a cooler day without the pesky flies.
The last stop on my tour of Cape Ann was dinner at the Seaport Grille. I have heard and read so many good things about the Seaport Grille, and my meal was definitely top notch. I went for the baked haddock with breadcrumbs and a lemon beurre blanc sauce. I haven’t had seafood in quite a while and my meal really hit the spot. I wish I could say I had the appetite for dessert, but I was just too hot and tired for more food. I’m so used to traveling long distances for vacation that I often forget that I live in a place where people come for vacation. It was fun to have that vacation feeling for a day and be just 15 miles from home!
Traveling with Laura 