Cape Ann Environs

Rockport, MA

Today, we drove around Cape Ann, which we enjoyed ever so much more than Cape Cod. We couldn't put our finger on it, but I think it was the geography. The land is much hillier and rocky, but gave us good views of the ocean as we drove along the seaside. We went clockwise around the Cape, starting at Rockport, then Gloucester, Magnolia and Manchester-By-The-Sea.
Our favorite town was Rockport. We hadn't expected it to be so picturesque and charming with boulder strewn beaches and cute shops and restaurants.

Gloucester Memorial

At Gloucester, we toured the wharf, where the movie, Perfect Storm, was filmed. Mel liked that there was boat building shops and project boats scattered along the piers. Gloucester is a working city, very proud of its seafaring history. It is the oldest seaport (1623) in America and the home of Gorton's Seafood. On the beachfront, there is the famous Fisherman's Memorial statue, sculpted by Leonard Craske and dedicated in August 23, 1925. This is a memorial to all of the Gloucester fishermen who have lost their lives while fishing. It faces the outer harbor in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Magnolia, MA

We continued our ride around Route 127 is very scenic. Besides fishing, the area is known for its granite quarries. Along the highway, there are big boulders nesting around the trees like they are waiting to be farmed. In Magnolia and Manchester-By-The-Sea, there were large homes, wooded areas and many ocean views as we wound through the villages and towns.

Manchester-By-The-Sea, MA

We headed back to Peabody, MA, where we had a lovely dinner. I wanted a small meal so I ordered the small prime rib. When it arrived, it was the biggest prime rib slice that I have ever seen. I asked the waiter, if there was a mistake and he assured me that it was the small portion. Half of it along with the rib is now in the frig for lunch tomorrow.

We topped off our day with a stroll through our home park and along the coast line of the harbor. It was such a lovely walk but felt like someone had turned on the air-conditioning as it cool down as the sunset.