Rockport, Gloucester Massachusetts

Rockport, Gloucester Massachusetts - Cape Ann

GLOUCESTER: The excitement of a whale watch and the quirky history of an eccentric castle drew us to the Gloucester area for the weekend.

ROCKPORT: Wanting to combine our adventures with some relaxation, we opted to stay at an Inn in Rockport, located just outside Gloucester. Rockport is a wonderful, picturesque community with many shops and galleries clustered around the harbor.

We drove into the Rockport area later in the evening than we had planned and checked in at The Linden Tree Inn. Our party consisted of two adults and one 12 year old boy, so we had booked an efficiency apartment in The Carriage House. This is a nice option for parties of three that do not require separate rooms. The room included a kitchen area with sink, refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave; one queen size bed and one twin bed; small dining table, sitting area, and back deck overlooking a secluded yard. The room was clean, quiet and comfortable and the innkeepers are delightful and made us feel warmly welcomed.

After a good night's sleep at the Inn, we were up bright and early for a wonderful breakfast. This was our son's first stay at an Inn and he particularly loved having breakfasts in the communal dining room. When the Inn owners discovered he loved tea, they made him a real pot of English tea the two mornings we were there and brought him his own little teapot. Talk about spoiled! And talk about food! Everything is freshly prepared on the premises, and the scones are so wonderful, you will want to make a meal on just those. But don't, as then you would miss the baked Egg and fresh Asparagus frittata, the zucchini, carrot and walnut muffins, the baked French Toast Bread, and the fresh fruit salad!

Fortified for the day, we headed out to The Hammond Castle in Gloucester. This unique castle was built by the eccentric inventor John Hays Hammond. It is built from pieces of history the inventor pulled together from collections around the world. Some of the floors, walls and pieces of furniture date back several hundred years. Reportedly haunted, it is easy to imagine the energies of many times and places mixing together in this one spot. The owner's wife held many séances and occult experiments at the Castle. Burn marks in the floor of the main chamber are from a device the owner built that utilized an electrical charge to attract spirits. These were interesting people!

We were on a guided tour. With this option, you really learn a lot about the castle and it's owners. There's not a lot of time to poke about and read the information that is displayed next to the various pieces, or to dawdle and absorb your surroundings, but we found it very interesting and entertaining. Our favorite room was the guest bedroom -- the owner would send overnight guests there after plying them with wine and food in the dining room. Once you are in the bedroom, there appear to be no doors! Even the door to the bathroom is cleverly hidden. And, should you finally find one of the exits, the circular stairs down from the room slant the opposite way. Instead of being smaller on the inside and wider on the outside, they are just the opposite, creating a disorienting feeling that one can imagine would be very much exacerbated by too much drink and unfamiliarity with your surroundings!

Once the tour is complete - take time to explore the outside gardens and snap pictures from the back of the castle -- the ocean views are spectacular.

We lunched in a nearby park alongside the ocean, relaxing and building our energy for our next adventure which was to be the highlight of our trip - the Whale Watch.

There are numerous companies offering whale watches along the north shore of Massachusetts. We went out on Captain Bill's Whale Watch, which was almost cancelled due to high waves. It is a smallish boat, so if you are at all prone to motion sickness, take medication before hand. The size of the boat and the height of the waves had many onboard feeling ill. The 12 year old took some medication shortly after boarding and had about 20 - 30 minutes that were a little rough before it kicked in and he was able to enjoy the rest of the trip.

This whale watch was led by a naturalist and we can't say enough about how great it was. None of us had ever been on one, and I honestly didn't think I would get as excited as I did when we saw the whales, but it really is an amazing site to see them surfacing and arcing through the water just feet from where you stand. We saw a couple different types of whales, a shark - and lots more. I wish I had kept better notes - but I was too excited! I felt like I was the 12 year old! If you have never been on a whale watch, I can honestly say that this is something I did not know I was missing out on - until I went. It's really a great time for the whole family.

We picked up a bottle of wine at a great warehouse wine and liquor store right down the road, and headed back for a relaxing meal and quiet evening at the Inn. We took our time deciding where to eat, and unfortunately, discovered too late that most of the restaurants close their doors at 8:00 PM when we scooted in to the Fish Shack and were the last people seated and served. We had a wonderful, warm and friendly server. However, the quality of our food was impacted by the kitchen's desire to close up. We had all our food -- chowder, salad and main course placed in front of us in 15 minutes... not exactly the leisurely and relaxing meal we had envisioned. However, the friendly staff and the pleasant view of the water compensated, and my husband's grilled swordfish was excellent.

Another pleasant evening was spent at the Inn and an equally enjoyable morning. We enjoyed meeting and talking with people from all over the world at breakfast, and is one of the reasons we so enjoy staying at Inns.

We loaded up the car, checked out, then walked into Rockport and spent the day browsing in shops and sightseeing, then had a fantastic lunch at Brackett's Ocean View Restaurant at a table looking out over the water. Everything we ordered was delicious and included a lobster roll, clam chowder, grilled shrimp, a cheeseburger and fries, coleslaw and cornbread.

We reluctantly headed back to the car, and not wanting to head home quite yet, made a side trip to Essex to browse in some antique shops. Most are 'fine antiques' which translates to - I'll buy that piece when I win the lottery - but it was fun to dream! And, in that dreamy state - we headed back home, glad we had the chance to discover this Northern Coast area of Massachusetts. It's a great weekend outing for families and couples of all ages.

Note: I was wishing my picture of the shops in Rockport had come out better - when I stumbled on www.FreeFoto.com. If you are writing trip reports - and regret not having made that perfect shot - they might just have what you are looking for. Visit their site - and, please, respect their photo guidelines.

Rockport rolls up its sidewalks early. Restaurants are BYOB as it is a dry town, so plan accordingly!

Friendly Inn owners, excellent breakfasts and a quiet efficiency apartment in the Carriage House combined to make this a memorable stay.

Hammond Castle is an interesting and unique experience. Built by an eccentric inventor and reportedly haunted, the castle contains pieces of other castles that date back hundreds of years.

It's hard to take pictures on the Whale Watch. A fast point and click type camera helps. After a couple frustrations at near-misses, we decided to focus on the memories we were making and less on that perfect shot. Somewhere I have a postcard I bought to scan in to fill this spot!

The dining room of The Linden Tree Inn where I wish I had taken a picture of the wonderful breakfast the Inn owners prepare every morning. The scones are some of the best I have ever had, anywhere.

Stroll around Rockport's quaint shops and galleries that surround the harbor.

Note: I was wishing my picture of the shops in Rockport had come out better - when I stumbled on www.FreeFoto.com. If you are writing trip reports - and regret not having made that perfect shot - they might just have what you are looking for. Visit their site - and, please, respect their photo guidelines.