...with the beautiful seaside town of Rockport, Massachusetts.
If you've ever seen (the movies) The Proposal (2009) or The Love Letter (1999), then you've probably caught glimpses of this quaint New England seaside village.
To say it's a charming place to spend an afternoon is an understatement.
We try to visit Rockport every summer (this photo of the girls is from June 2006)... We rarely go on vacations, but this summer we hadn't even squeezed in a day trip due to conflicting schedules or bad weather. But with the girls both about to leave home in a couple of weeks, we made this past Wednesday our "head to Rockport no matter what the weather" day!
So come on along with me and I'll show you around Rockport...
Many of the waterfront shops, galleries and restaurants are along Bear Skin Neck, and this sign gives a little background as to how it got its name.
One of the prettiest shops in the area, The Pewter Shop, even has a sign depicting the ill-fated bear...
When visiting Rockport you'll see:
Brightly painted doors and trim
Sometimes it looks as though the paint was applied that very morning, the colors are so vivid and bright....
But even those whose trim has succumbed to the heat & humidity of the New England summers and the brutal cold of New England's winters, are quaint and nothing-short-of-charming...
Everywhere you look there are flowers in window boxes....
White picket fences, in a variety of shapes and sizes, add cottage charm to shops and homes:
There are gardens galore, an absolute feast for the eyes:
Are you a dog lover? Rockport loves dogs, and dogs love Rockport...
You'll find dogs who are plain tuckered out and just want to nap....
... and dogs who are ready for an adventure....
... like Zac and his lovely friend (who graciously allowed me to snap their photos).
Rockport is a place for people watching....
...for flower inspiration....
...and for gallery and shop-hopping...
Take a closer look at what's peering out of the second story windows of the Country Store... (click photo to enlarge if you want a closer look! I still say one is a real boy although Amanda says no!)
And when you get tired of walking and your tummy starts to rumble, there are plenty of places to relax and grab a bite to eat.
We thought this place looked cute - the 7th Wave, where you had the option of eating inside or roof top. Since we lucked out on weather (in the 70's, overcast, but no rain in sight), we opted for the roof. After placing our order, we decided to take a few photos until our food arrived...
Roof Top Dining Views:
The kayak rental shop below...
...where you can rent a kayak in any color of the rainbow.
Several of the shops and galleries leading to the waterfront...
The view over the rooftops... I love the seagull on top of the chimney. (My offbeat photo of the fishing shack, Motif No. 1!)
What's that I spy down there with all the lovely flower boxes, right next to the silversmith? Why it's a bakery & candy shop. Okay, we'll definitely be stopping there after lunch! I may have to fiddle around with my WW points for the rest of the week, but it will be worth it!
Smile, girls! Oops... looks like I only got your silhouettes, but the scenery behind you is gorgeous!
Here's Court, showing me how to get a good photo (by holding out her camera and clicking a photo of the 3 of us... I should just have Amanda & Court take my blog photos - they do a much better job than me!) Mmmm, I think I smell our food!
A pineapple burger and onion rings for Court...
A grilled cheese and fries for Amanda...
...and - be still my heart - a lobster roll with broccoli for me! I haven't had a lobster roll in years and years (and when we got the bill, I remembered why!).
The meals were delicious... So now it was time to stop at that cute little bakery/candy store and buy....
Elephant ears!!! We got 3 of them so we could take some home to hubby... These were SO good... Oh my gosh, I'm not sure if there will be a loss at Monday's weigh in!
So I hope you enjoyed this little tour of Rockport. I highly recommend you pay a visit if you're ever in the area!!!
And if you really want a treat, please visit Cafe Chatelaine's gorgeous blog, as she has also posted about Rockport (and you will totally drool over her photos!) Just click here and here to see her inspiring photos and read her posts...
Donna