Day Trip to Rockport

Ever since the Fourth of July, Jeff and I have been taking advantage of New England’s North Shore and heading to the beach on the weekend. Last weekend we went to Hampton Beach in New Hampshire, and by recommendation of a coworker, we ventured out to Rockport, MA this weekend. The little town of Rockport was very quaint. After our hour-long drive, we pulled down the main street that was filled with small shops and already a ton of people. We made sure to get there early so we could get a good spot on the beach. While there are parts of the town with metered parking, we were able to find a free spot just up the hill from the Front Beach. We unloaded the car and set up away from the main cluster of people. (After seeing the tide come in around 1, it’s obvious why nobody staked a claim in the area we were at…it was under water by lunch time!) We sunned ourselves for a while and enjoyed the beautiful buildings that were just along the coast. My favorite building of the day is the one pictured below all the way to the right. We could see them setting up a canopy in that huge window and later found it that it was for a wedding. How beautiful!

The view from just behind our chairs at the beach.

While the water was relatively warm, the temperature outside was still a little cool with the sea breeze. The sun was hot though, so we knew it would be a beautiful day. Also, after wearing glasses since high school and just starting to wear contacts more often, I was very happy to wear my first pair of sunglasses. Sure, they were from Marshalls…but it was so nice not to have to squint all day!

By 11:30, we had left the beach to go explore what the town of Rockport had in store for us. Just up the street from the beach is a long row of unique shops. Each building as different as the next. At the end of the street lies the ocean and you can watch all of the boats and kayaks out on the water. We promised ourselves that next time we’ll rent a kayak to go out there on our own.

 We had lunch at a hot dog place called Top Dog. Jeff got the Bad Dog (bacon, cheese, grilled onions) and I got the Purebred (plain with condiments to add). The hot dogs were GREAT! I would definitely go back and get another. Other clever names included the Golden Retriever with mac n cheese or the Boston Terrier with Boston baked beans on it. It might not have been the fanciest place on the block, but it sure was tasty!

Sitting on the edge of the marina overlooking the beach.

After walking around for most of the afternoon, we decided to head back to the beach and cool off. The tide had come up so far that only a small, crowded portion of the beach was left. That didn't really bother us as we dropped our stuff off and headed straight into the “warm” water. It took a couple minutes to get used to, but once we went under, it was heaven. It was so refreshing on such a beautiful day. We really loved Rockport and will be back soon for the kayaks!!