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Halibut Cove, Rockport, MA. Photo by Frank Ciccone

Located where the Merrimack River flows into the Atlantic Ocean, Newburyport prospered through the 18th century as a vital trading port and shipbuilding center. Today's visitors enjoy its Waterfront Park and boardwalk; restored waterfront buildings now house art galleries, gift shops and restaurants, while the historic downtown has brick and cobblestone streets. The nearby Tannery district is an extension of the old steam mills and tanneries of the past. The varied architecture includes shipyards and clammer's shacks as well as Colonial saltboxes, Federal mansions, and Victorian houses. If all that walking has given you an appetite, stop at the Starboard Galley on River Street for great fried clams. Nearby Plum Island has public beaches and exceptional bird-watching. More Newburyport info.

Newburyport B&Bs.

Cape Ann, Massachusetts's "Other Cape"
Seacrest Manor, Rockport
Getting Around
About 35 miles northeast of Boston and Logan Airport, Cape Ann is home to Rockport, Gloucester, Essex, and Manchester. Easy day trips include Newburyport, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and Kittery, Maine about 40-60 miles to the north, and Salem and Marblehead just 20 miles to the south. Rainy day? Hop the MBTA commuter rail to Boston and arrive at North Station in an hour. Historic Rockport is relatively compact, making walking a pleasure and parking a problem in season. Leave your car at the inn, and explore on foot or take the bus to the beaches.
When to Go
As always, midweek visits offer the best rates and availability, minus crowds, traffic and congestion. As you'd expect, June, July, August, and September are packed with special events, including concerts, theater, art fairs, sailing races, and seafood festivals. October brings fall foliage, and from late November through December, Christmas on Cape Ann is celebrated with a variety of special seasonal events. More info.
Sights & Activities
Cape Ann was settled in 1623 by a splinter group of Pilgrims looking for good fishing grounds, and was named for Queen Anne of England. Unlike better-known Cape Cod, rocky Cape Ann has a coastline reminiscent of Maine.
At Cape Ann's northern-most tip, Rockport was once famous for its granite, and is now one of the country's oldest artist colonies. The red fishing shack known as Motif No. 1 is located on Bearskin Neck Wharf. This oft-painted building was named by illustrator Lester Hornby, who encouraged his students to draw standard subjects or motifs. When he summered in Rockport, he noted that this fishing shack on the wharf was the most popular subject. Legend has it, that when yet another student brought him a drawing of the shack to be critiqued, Hornby exclaimed, "What? Motif No. 1 again?"
Bearskin Neck Wharf and Dock Square have many shops, boutiques and art galleries for browsing. To bring local history alive, spend an hour with Footprints Walking Tours. Beautiful Halibut Point State Park is great for exploring tidal pools, old rock quarries, and walking the trails. Whether you want to go sea kayaking, take a lighthouse cruise, a sailing trip, or a whale-watching excursion, you'll find it all on Rockport's wharves. More boating info. More Rockport info.
Neighboring Gloucester is home to both a working fishing harbor as well as the Cape Ann Symphony and the Gloucester Theatre Company. Eight miles west is Essex, once known as a shipbuilding center, and still famous for its clamming industry. Visit the Essex Shipbuilding Museum to learn more local industry, and browse in the town's dozens of antiques shops. Two local historic properties are open to the public through the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Beauport, in Gloucester, is especially lovely, perched on the rocks overlooking the harbor. Cogswell's Grant is an 18th century farmhouse in Essex that is filled with one of the country's most important collections of folk art. More area info.
Dining: Popular restaurants include the Greenery, with the best view of Motif No. 1; the Fish Shack for casual dining and super-fresh seafood; and My Place By the Sea for fine dining in a relaxed waterside setting. Rockport is a "dry" town so bring your own wine, beer, or preferred beverage; most restaurants will supply setups.
B&Bs and Inns
Seven South Street Inn, Rockport Photo credit: Brian Beaudry	A mile from town, Seacrest Manor on Marmion Way overlooks the sea and the twin lighthouses of Thachers Island. The interior is beautifully decorated with antiques and original oil paintings; outside, the lovely gardens bloom with flowers.
In-town B&Bs: Seven South Street Inn is delightful because of its lovely rooms, immaculate housekeeping, comfortable beds, delicious full breakfast, and best of all, innkeeper Debbie Benn. At the Greek Revival-style Addison Choate Inn, welcoming innkeepers Cynthia and Ed Cambron showed us their lovely guest rooms; Room #1 was a personal favorite. Nearby is the Sally Webster Inn, with the period fireplaces and wide plank floors of a house built in 1832. Friendly innkeepers John & Kathy Fitzgerald encourage guests to enjoy breakfast on the brick terrace, surrounded by flower gardens. Many guests return to the The Tuck Inn B&B for Scott and Liz Wood's warm hospitality, the affordable rates, the generous breakfasts, the swimming pool, and the convenient location, an easy walk to shops and restaurants. Betsy Eck, innkeeper at The Inn on Cove Hill, is doing an exceptional job of restoring this historic home, with views of Rockport Harbor and Motif No. 1 from the third-floor porch. Located on a hill overlooking the village, the Pleasant Street Inn is a Queen Anne Victorian home with a wide veranda and an old-fashioned tree swing on the ample grounds. More Rockport inns. More North Shore inns.