After our time in Hyannis we headed toward Rockport, Massachusetts.  On our way there, we decided to stop in Plymouth to see Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II.  I’m pretty sure the rock is just a rock that someone carved a date on, but the Mayflower II is quite impressive.  We didn’t go aboard, choosing to not take the time or pay the admission fee.  So I just took a few photos from outside.  We also stopped by train stations in Easton and Stoughton, and visited the Minute Man National Historical Park in Lincoln where we learned about the opening battles of the Revolutionary War.

Continuing with our small coastal town theme, we looked for a place to stay in a town that was walkable, scenic and situated in a location that was close to other things we wanted to do.  We liked the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts, as it looked to be fairly quiet but located in an area with lots of choices.  We eventually settled on Rockport.

The town of Rockport is situated at the end of Cape Ann, on Sandy Bay.  When I saw photos of the iconic fishing shack called Motif #1, I was instantly drawn there as a photographic destination.  It’s about as cliche as you can get, often referred to as “the most often-painted building in America.”  But what the heck?  I’ll do a separate post on Motif #1, because there is a lot more to Rockport than just one building!

As we planned our trip, I realized that we would be arriving in Rockport on the day before a full moon.  A little research led me to identify several good spots to catch the rising moon over the town, on the night before the official full moon.  As it turned out, the inn we selected for our stay there was directly across the street from one of those places.  Sweet!

While we were on Cape Ann, and one of the reasons we chose to stay there, we booked a whale watch cruise out of Gloucester.  Gloucester is a much more commercial-oriented town, likely due to it having a more protected harbor area as compared to Rockport.  That’s part of the reason we chose not to stay there.  There are a number of places we could have chosen, but the more laid-back vibe of Rockport suited our needs better.

One of the great things for me about Rockport was the ability to get up and out before sunrise, walking around the town to take advantage of the many photographic opportunities.  Besides the full moon and Motif #1, there was plenty of other subject matter.  Mostly boats and boat stuff, but that was perfectly OK with me.

The one surprising and perhaps disappointing thing about our stay in Rockport was that many of the businesses had gone to off-season hours or closed completely.  This was purportedly due to the lack of staffing, and while most places we visited appeared to be struggling a bit but managing, Rockport seemed to be impacted more by the lack of seasonal help.

It was most irritating that businesses did not keep their signage or their websites up to date.  One restaurant we wanted to visit said they were open, but on the day we wanted to go they were closed.  But the next night they were supposed to be closed, we walked by and they were open but full.  We stopped at a restaurant on another night nearly an hour before closing time, but were turned away because they were understaffed.  Across the street, another restaurant that was open was still welcoming walk-ins an hour after they were supposed to have closed.

One morning while I was out walking around I had planned to stop at a shop that was known for its strudel, hoping to surprise Kathy with a little treat for breakfast.  Their website and sign on the door said they would be open, but they were not.  So we had to forego the strudel and make other plans.  First world problems, I know. 😉

Rockport is a nice little town.  Now that we have “done” it I probably wouldn’t need to stay there again.  There just isn’t that much to do, and maybe that’s the point. 😉  After our stay in Rockport, we headed north to spend 9 days in Maine.  I have a lot to say about Maine! 🙂