New England is a magical place. There are many new places to explore and most of them are less than 2 hours away (by car) from Boston proper. One of my favorite day trips from Boston is the Northshore of Boston, Massachusetts. In one day, we covered Rockport, Gloucester, and Marblehead. Next time around, we will check out Salem, Manchester by the Sea, Ipswich, Essex, and Newburyport.
We started at the top–Rockport–and worked our way down the coastline back to Boston. We opted to take 1A on our way home for a glimpse of Swampscott, Lynn, and Revere, all of which I have never seen before. I was surprised to see how big the boardwalks and beaches are in these areas. I’m sure in the summertime it is a complete madhouse.
Rockport: Rockport is situated at the northern tip of Cape Ann. We spent a little time driving the coastal roads. After we drove through the beach and natural reserves, we made our way to the downtown area of Rockport. We found street parking close to Dock Square–which is unheard of during the summer months. Most tourists park in designated parking lots a few miles away and the tourist bureau provides bus services to Rockport center.
Gloucester: On the drive to Marblehead, we stopped in the nation’s most famous fishing port, Gloucester, to see Leonarde Craske’s famous statue “The Gloucester Fisherman.” The statue is dedicated to “They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships, 1623-1923.”
Marblehead: As New England’s most premier and prestigious yachting port and addresses, I was thrilled to check out the charming streets of this town. We decided to have lunch on the water. Unfortunately, the food fell below expectations, but we still enjoyed the view and the nice sunny day!
The red brick clock tower named Abbott Hall is Marblehead’s town hall. This historic building houses many murals, manuscripts, and artifacts illustrating Marblehead and Massachusetts history including “The Spirit of ’76” Archibald Willard’s famous painting.
While driving around I noticed the Massachusetts license plate with the tagline “Spirit of America.” I think it is very fitting for our state considering the American Revolution history. Curious Katie Lu needed to know more so I looked up the “Spirit of America” tagline history and it has been around since 1987. Surprisingly, it is somewhat controversial.