Escape to the Other Cape

T HE B0 5 T 0 N
Gt0 B E
MA GA U th X E /tUl- V 13, 2014
B Y A LY S S A GIA C OB B E
Capc( )oclgetsalltheattentioninthesummcrmonths.Italsogetsthetraffic,andthe
crowdr. li,rt it cercainlydoesn'thavethe lock on New Englandpicturesque,evenasfar
ascapesgo.About 4o milesnorth of Bostonandmadeup offolr towns - Rockport,
which is actuallyac\q - CapeAnn is
andGloucester,
Essei lvtinchester-by-the-Sea,
by car9tl.I.t
58squaremilesofbeiches,boats,andfried seafood,all easilyaccessible
b.tt t, commuterrail. Here'severythingyou needto knowto plan aneasy,sltisfying
getawaythat's lessthan anhour from the city andblissfully Sagamore-free.
BOSTONGLOBE.COMI MAGAZINT
* n *t s$$ -gffi{i: .::* ii is
eiv+ v*E".&:x
the quietest and most conspicuously suburbanof the CapeAnn
tovms,wittr a compactcenterlocatedabout
ahalf mile from S!rufitilGBEAClf,whose
sand really doesseemto "sing" in the wind
(978-526-7276).Parkingat the beachis for
residentsonly Friday througlr Sundayin the
summer,with limited availability for nonresidentson weekdays.Luckily, the walk
from the commuter rail station (or your
parking spot downtown) is a pleasantone
and the reward-Singing Beach'stJrpically
uncrowded,sandysprawl in the shadowof
wooded,roclqycliffs-is worth the effort.
Onceyou'vearived, ttre t"A#fiHlilS &ULL,
formerly the SingingBeachCanteen,is on
hand to provide sandwiches,iced coffee,
and extra SPFif you run out (978-526S{J$TV'$
4103).Iet a conefrom C&pTA!ru
(978-526-1663)or a glassof wine on the
patio at TflH LAtr*gNffiAT7 flH$nYffiAiln
if
that's more your speed,be your motivation
for the walk back to the cN (978-526-7494;
thelandingatTcentral.com).
:
I n n , : i ;:i t. !'t:o |t'itt
AW AyffOmthg
slighfly gntry downtown-it is a city,
after all-there axeavariety of beautiful
sandyshoresto choosefrom, including
EastGloucester'sbustling ffifit?ffiFgeffiffi#ffi
ffiffiAflHand the kid-friendly still watersof
tff$hlffi&trffi$F*ffiffi${
with the AnffiffiAf;${
nisquam lighthouse in view in the distance.
Thoughthe fishing industryhas beencon-
r HE BOS T O N G T OB E M A GA Z IN E /JULY 13, 2OI4
solidated in recent years, the tovm
remains deeply connected to, and
proud of, its seafaring roots-it's
America's oldest fishing port-and,
should it rain, there's plenty to see
indoors. Dovmtown, the dAFffi eruffi
ffitl5g$n# -reopening August 19
after renornations - houses cenhrries'worttr of fishing- and boatingrelated arbifacts, while the man
at the wheel statue overlooking
Gloucester Harbor pays tribute to
the thousands of fishertnen who
over the years went offto sea and
never came home, including the
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real-life men immoftalized in the
Hollywood blockbuster ThpPdect
Stnnn (978-283-M55; capeannmuseum.org).Ten minutes eastof
downtounLthe artists and other
residentsof ROCKVilECKpopulate
lO0-yearold cottagehomespacked
into a tightknit, walkable village
with amplewaterviews. Here,studios run by artists like clottring rlesigner Sig5idOlsen,sculptor Walker
Haneoch and ptaywright Lqrael
Horoviu commirUle wittr gallcries and docksiderestaurantsalong
the charmed RoclqfNeck Avenuc
(roclqfneckartcolony.
org).
ffi&flffip#ffiT's
tittLBRooK
ilfrEADOltT(millbrookmearlowotg),
an e:rpansive,gnassyknoll prirne
for picnicking or book reading,
regularly hosts community fcstivals
and music events(rockporLu'tfestivals.com),
while the HEADLAilDST
often called"tlre overlonkcirpital
of CapeAnn" is a locals' firvorite,
\Mithpostcardviews of the village,
the harbor, Motif No. I (Ilockport's oft-painted landnrark), and
Straitsmouth Island Light, plus
plenty of birds. Find the entrance
to the Headlandswhere Atlantic
AvenuemeetsBearskinNcck.The
renoruredSHALIHtlU PERFORMANCECENTER,
whosernain
stageoverlooksthe harlxrr, offers
a full schedtrleof music, theater,
and film year-round,including the
Rockport JazzFestivalstarting Au; rockport$rst 13 (978-546-7391
music.org).
fromtopleft:Rockport's
Clockwise
ShalinLiuPerformance
Center,
harbor,Millbrook
Meadow
in Rockport,
andSinging
Gloucester's
Beach
Dusty's
in Manchesfer-by-the-Sea
andCaptain
BOST ON GL O B E . C O M/ M A G A ZI N E
s the two busiestcommunities,Rockport
I
and Gloucesterhavethemostto offerin
tl
of thingp to see,ffit,buy, and do, and
Aterms
all roadslead here besides,As such,they make the
most senseto serveashome basefrom which to explore the rest of CapeArut. (That said,if you're lookingfor an overnight,the waterfront E$SEXRIVER
HOUSEUOTEI, under new ownenship,is a clean,
quiet, centrally locatedoption wittt no minimum
staypolicy rare aroundtheseparts (978'768-6800;
com).
essg<riverhousemotel.
the sprawlingBA5SROCK$
h ffit#A$ffiffiSTffiffi,
of
lilf{ (above)offersunencumberedviernrs
OCEAT{
theAtlantic (andthe occasionalseal),a.swell asapool,
roof dmlq and fire pit. Borrow a bike from the hotel
wide, sandy
to ride to any nurrrberof Gloucestet's
beactresor cruisearoundthe mastline(888-802-7666;
For artistsand writers, or
bassrocksoceaninn.@m).
thoseutro just like beingaroundttrem, ROCKY lUECK
comprises11 roomsin two
ACCO&lntODATlOilS
of the colorfrrla,trtists'enclave
in
the
center
buildfuUs
of RoctVNeck,all of which comewith wafervienrs,
origrnal exposedbeams,and modern conveniences
com).
(978-804rO562; rockyneckaccommodations.
ffi#{ffiP#ffiT-atown that ernbodies"cutej'is home
to marryhistoricbedandbrealdasts,eachasquaint
and enzyasthe next.Afew standouts,however,includethe tMERSOil ll[il BYTHESEA?a dassicNew
EnglandVictorian-erainn, completewith ocearrfront
veranda lt's a 2-milewalkto the shopsand restaurants of Main Streetand BearskinNeck,but the view
and nighttime oceanbreeze-nature's white noise
machine-more than makeup forthe mildly sctra
effort (978- 546-6321;emersoninnbythesea.@m).
The L79OColonialTUCKIHN is an intimate BBA
that's a shorter stroll from the centerof tovm and a,s
warm andwelcoming asstaytngwith friends. Breakfast-timebonus: OunrerScottwood, who nrns the
placewith his wife,Tir.,is larownfor his homemade
bread(978-ffi6-7 26O;tuckinn.com).
6
TH E B O S T O ] Y GT OB E MA GA Z IT IE lIULY T3,2OT4
ffi t's hard to go anywhere
ffi in CapeAnn without
ffi t ur"ing into a cla,m,
and a perfectly ilrned out
one at thatobut ffi#SHffi
takesthe prize wtrether you
like yours frie4 steamed,
stutre4 on the half shell,
in ctrowdet or all of the
abo:re.You can't go wrong
with Essexlandmark
WOODilnAil'5,which has
been servingup classic
New Eneland fish shack
fare to crowdsfor 100years
(97 8-768-6057; woodmans
.corrl),orthe more upscale
REs.
SHEA'sRIVERSIDT
& BAR€rcrOSS
TAURATIIT
tlre street,where boaters
end the day anchoredto
the bar in front of abowl of
steamersand afew pints of
Ipswich ale (978-768-6931;
com).
sheasriversideessex.
rurl
The ne\MC.K,PEARLT
by the Sheas'sonPatrick
just next door,leanstoward
a more modern take on the
local haul, bolsteredby a
varied menu of burgers,
charcuterie,ffid creativecodrtails
and sangria.There'splenty of waterfront seatingwith a killer Essex
Riverview and afun, young crowd
(978-SgO-7378; dspearl.@m).
$q{i"3flr,,{F#ffi"fl
is the placefor justcaughtlobster; ifs on the menu
everynnftrerc,
frnomthe casualcounter serviceand seat-youmelfback
deck at BearskinNeck shackROY
ililo0Rf,u}SSTERC$.(978-5466696)andlocal favorite FLAY5
RfD SKIFF(978-5ffi-7e7)to the
decidedlyfancierffiY PLACI8YT]ff
SSA'on the tip of BearskinNeck
{97s- ffi6-9667; mlplacebythesea
com). For the lobster mother lode,
held
don't miss LOBSTERFEST'
on August 9 this year (rockportrotary.org).Cffikids
and other culina,rylandlubberu
loveTOPilBG, ahot dog and clam
shop alsoon BearskinNeck (978546-0006;topdogrockport.com).
Follow any and all of the above
with house-madechocolatesand
saltwatertatry from TU{KS (AilDY
fAffORY (978-546-2UO;tuckscandyfactory.com)or an espressowith
a harbor view at Bf,,Al{& LEAFCAFE
(978- 546-7500; beanandleafcafe
.net).Aseleet number of restaurants in Roclcport,a drytolvn until
z00l,norv senrealcohol,ffid this
yearthe EmersonImbythe Sea
openedthe town's fir-s'tfull-servicebatr Certain rules still apply,
thougfu:No boozewithout food. Tty
to considerit lessa mandatethan
pmctical life advice.
For a more varied cutinaryexperience,the choiceis #f;{3il**#*',Yffiffiu
which has in the past fewyeart
experienceda restaurant renaissancettlat thrives on a sea-to-table
philosophy.MARKET,founded
bytwo CtrezPanissealums in a
former Annisquam fish market,
servesup a daily changingmenu
of local bounty - Atlantic-caught
bluefin tuna butter lettuce from
nearbyApple StreetFarm in Essex,
ovmedby LEspatier chef Frank
McClelland-in the quaint setting of the aptly narted Lobster
Cove(978-282-0700;themarketrestaurant.com).Doumtown
GloucesterholdsSHORT& [fAlH
-this sister restaurantto Market
featuresoystersand wood-fired
pizza(978-2il -Oem; shortandmain.com); a CapeAnn outpost of
BostonhotspotFRAilKLlil (Af E
(97 8-283-7838; fr anklincafe.com);
and worttr-the-wait breal&st ioint
- that'sSugar
SUGARIIAGNOLIA'S
MaS to the locals(978-281-5310;
At LATITUDE
sugannags.com).
43, fresh-caughtlocal fish starsin
everythingfrom chowdersand entreesto sushi in a eorywarm spirce
decoratedwith subtle maritime
flair, while its bar,nillilGLEWOOn
TAVfRlll, hosts live music and an
occasionally,let's say,"spirited"
crowd (97 8-281-0223;latfortythree.com; minglewoodtavern
.com).A goodportion of the 2O
beerson fuaft comescourtesyof
the CAf E *$lN BREWIIIGf,O.just
down the street (978-282-7399;
capeannbrewing.com).
Facing
Fog€,right Gloucester's
Short& Main;thispage,from
andC.K.Pearl5
top:WoodmanS,
bothin Essex
deckandentrance,
BO ST ON G L O B E . C O M/ MA G A ZI N E
2
ro tip: The new CapeAnn Cultural
Districts epp, a free download that
includes recommendationsfor
where to go and vrhat to do around the
cape'sfour communities,feaf,uresa navigation tool to help get from one destination to
the nsrt" Parkingin ffiil,\flK**#ffi?
is traditionally tricky-few spots,by design.For
those arrivins by commuter rail, there is
a new walking pathwayto the dovnrtovm
atrea.Drivers, meanwhile,eanopt to park
in a free lot and take a quick and regular
$1 shuttle locatedon Route 127just before
entering downtown (townofrockport.com).
The town, itself fairly Roclsvellianin feeling, has alonghistory asan art colony,and
.com-if you'vegot your eyeon a
particular gallery call atreadto be
surethey'reopen.The ilIOSHER
GATLE
RY,run by husband-andwife artist team Donald and
Christine Moshe6 specializesin
New Englandvistas and scenic
oils (978- 546-3666;moshergallery.com),wtrile WlhfDEilf,ERE
ART
& ANTIQUES,
ownedby former
Carsdrummer David Robinson,is
more eclectig with an assortment
of stainedglass,drawings,flfld
paintings from local and nonlocal
artists, along with vintagejewelry
arrdtableware(978-546-3513).On
BearskinNeck,the JOHI{cAG.
GIANSGATLERY
is run by the
reno\nrnedlandscapeartist (g7S546-2414;j ohncaggiano.com).
Blsewherein tolvn, find creative
gifts and decorativehousewaresat
(978-546-9007);
Tif E GALLEREE
cookbook, gounnet sundries,arrd
kitchen €rc-cessories
at LUtffS PANTRV(978-546-0010; lulaspantry
.com);home accessories
at MILK
& HOI{EY(978-546-6546;
milkandhoneyhome.com)
and,
well,
;
booksat TOADHALI"B0OKSTORI,
which is notable not just for its
comprehensiveselectionbut also
for Siving 100percent of its profits
TH E BO s TO il G L O B EM A G A Z I N E/JUL Y1 3, 2 OL 4
Top:MainStreet,Rockport;above
andat left:Rockport's
Milk& Honey
projects(9ZSto environmental
54,,6-7
3?,3;toadhallbooks.org).
g'ffiffi"ffi''*"
'g'*4
rhiq'{;t4Ai:$
ff"$;&,'. ,
:Eif
though not a shopping destination,
is notwithoutways to partwitlt
your cash:After a trip to the beach,
stopin to GtADSTCIll[for a tiehtly
curatedselectionof contemporary
and antiquejewelry (978-7W.
94,10; gladstonejewelrycom)an4
next door,familyowned furniftre
boutiquef,A*G0 Uillt | ilt lTf D
(978- 526-7569;cargounlimited
.@m).Acrossthe way,the charmBYTHEil0OK
ing MAIICHESTIR
is overstuffed,in the best way,with
usedart hoks, novels,ffid kids'
seriesoinduding many first editions and leather-boundrare finds
(97S-525-2929;mandtesterbylhebook.com).Bring an iced coffee
from the GR0V[ and prepareto
spendsometime (97*7M-9388;
ttregrovema.com). Meanwhile,
*h'{'$ra"rwithout
don't leave .s*,rFti +.atrip to new,used,and mre vinyl
dealer*ilYgTf,nYTRAIHR[[ORDS,
where membersof the friendly
staffwill alsorecommendtheir favorite local bands(978-281-8911;
myste$rfrainrecords.com). Along
the water at StageFort Park, at the
site of Gloucester'sfirct settlers,the
CAPEAnil FARMERS'
expansive
IfiARKETfeaftres more than 70
local food and craft vendors,along
wift cookingdemosandlive music,
everyThursdayfrom3 until 6:30
p.m. (capeannfarmersmarket.
org).
New this year,the l-mile l{15TSUR
TORIC855[X UHALKIHG
providesan overview of the shipping tolvn of I t;i'i:;"t, settledin
LG3/l,,aswell as suchlandmarks as
the EssexShipbuilding Museum,
Cogswell'sGmnt, the CoxReservation, and many of the antiques
shopsalong Main Street.Pick up
tour info and download a map
at essexwalkingtour.comor find
brochurespostedaround tolvn,
Or simply spendthe day-or
two; there is that much to flnd
here-treasure hunting on your
own.THg SCRS'PSSSK
dealsin
t'arly historical and decorative
and mapsfrom the 1550s
1x'int,.s
ToadHallBookstore
Fromtop:Andrew
Spindler
at hisantiques
shopin Essex,
TrainRecords
Mystery
in Gloucester
in Rockport,
allto the 1920s(978-768-74A4;
printsandmaps.com).For a more
curatedselectionof goods,AHDRIW 5f f ilDLf,R useshis Sothebys
backgroundto inform the oftenquirlry, always-pristineassortment
of furnihrre, prints, ffid objects
at his Main Streetgallery (97&
7 68-6M5; spindlerantiques.com).
-ir's
DAVtpI|ILIGAHAHTIQUE9
the one with the stonelions flanking the entrance-specializes in
restoring and reselling 17th- and
l8th-cenhrry fundftre and decora'
tive afts from Europe (978-7683910; davidneliganantiques.com).
AHTIQtrIES,
And at ilfiAlluSTREET
o\ilner Robert Coviellohasbeen
dealing in everything o1dfor 33
years,and no\ivoffersfour floors of
antique and refurbishedAmericart
and Europeanfurniture, glassware,
lamps,and much more (978-768o'If
7039).AsCoviellolikes to say, we
don't haveit, you don't needit!"-a
phrase,it hrrns out, that mayvery
well sum up the whole of CapeAnrt
itseH.I
afrequent Globe
Alyssa Qi,anobbe,
Magazinecontrthu,tor,l:iaesin
Newbu:rgrport.Send,conutwntsto
e.cstn.
mnga,sirc@SI,ob
BOST ON GL O B E . C OM / MA G A ZI N E