May 11 2009
Curiouser and Curiouser -or- Cape Ann Adventures
Memorial to Fisherman--photo by Llalan
The first stop on “Cape Ann Curiosities” in Lonely Planet’s New England Trips is Gloucester. Curious is not the first word I would use to describe the town, but maybe they couldn’t resist the alliteration. I probably would have gone with charming or simply lovely. My parents would have gone with, “It’s time to move here.” The main street, lined with budding trees and locally-owned businesses, winds down to the ocean and the iconic fisherman statue and memorial. Facing the ocean were old houses with widow’s walks around their roofs. Given the number of fisherman lost at sea who are honored at the memorial, Gloucester has known its fair number of widows.
The next “curiosity” we visited was an artists’ colony in East Gloucester. We walked down one street populated only by artists who were more than happy to show and explain their works to us. Even the
Cape Ann Brewing Company--photo by Llalan
shops themselves were artsy, each one decorated to match the personality of the artist living there. And there was something for everyone: paintings for my mother, jewelry for me, miniature replicas of ships for the boyfriend, and real ships bobbing at the docks outside for my dad. My parents’ desire to move there increased manyfold. Our visit to the Cape Ann Brewing Company further convinced Dad and me that it was time to order a U-Haul.
Halibut Point--photo by Llalan
The four of us (Mom driving now…) headed further up 127 around the Cape, keeping our eyes on the Atlantic to our right. We passed through Rockport, another curiously charming town, and stopped at Halibut Point State Park. A short hike took us to Halibut Point, a rocky shoreline partly in the shadow of giant piles of discarded granite from an abandoned quarry. While my father scared everyone else by repeatedly slipping on the slick green moss near the water, I fancied myself a little otter scrabbling about on the uneven rocks. Before we left to drive back south, I couldn’t resist standing with my face to the wind and watching the Atlantic rock back and forth to the horizon.
Read more: Atlantic Ocean, Beer, Cape Ann, Gloucester, Massachusetts, Touring with the Parents, TravelLlalan specializes in all things Ohio, but has funny stories from all over the US and Canada, plus a few snort-inducing ones from Thailand. And not only does she read books from around the world, she also samples beers in as many languages as possible. Favorite style: the multi-national American Double IPA.
And that photo of a line of tasting glasses does nothing to change my mind. Order me basket of Mrs. Paul’s fish sticks and tankard of stout–I’ll be on the next freight train headed east.