POSTCARD FROM ROCKPORT, MASSACHUSETTS
Just an hour from Boston, Rockport is the perfect day trip! This quaint little seaside town in New England is a total gem and the perfect getaway for the warmer months.
You can spend a good amount of time just exploring shops and all the galleries in town but I’ve made a mini guide to further help your visit!
Find some street parking along Main Street and start your day by exploring the art galleries!
The Rockport Art Museum has a mix of older art pieces from their collection along with modern art that is available for purchase. They have art from local artists, sculptors and photographers in their exhibits. It’s a really interesting museum/gallery and worth stopping by! The Rockport Art Museum also offers online art courses, sketch groups, outdoor workshops, and much more!
If you are looking for a place to grab some gelato or maybe a refreshing strawberry lemonade, the Robin’s Nest is the perfect place to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Just next to the Robin’s Nest, walk down Pier Ave and get some awesome views of the White Wharf. There is limited seating but there are a few benches, if none are available you can sit on the rocks with caution to enjoy the views.
If you happen to visit Rockport and decide you want to go to the beach such as Pebble Beach, but you didn’t bring anything with you, One Ocean One Love Shop is the perfect place for beach-wear. They have quite a bit of merch and swimwear, basically anything you might need for the beach such as towels, sunglasses, aloe mist, hats and sandals.
If you bring your dog to Rockport make sure to stop by The Ice Cream Store for a frosty paws for pups and maybe a sundae for yourself! They have a super large assortment of ice cream flavors to choose from, they also have multiple flavors for their shaved ice.
How cute is this little shop? The Pewter Shop has some really neat jewelry pieces and ocean themed kitchen and home accessories. If you are picking up souvenirs for friends and family but are looking for something hand-crafted you might want to check out The Pewter Shop.
Original Beach Dog, 18 Bearskin Neck
Going further down Bearskin Neck there are multiple clothing stores where you can shop around for sweatshirts, t-shirts, and unique souvenirs. A few stores you can keep an eye out for are Original Beach Dog, Kayas, Floating Lotus Rockport, The Black Dog General Store, The Blue Lantern, Artesano's and Kala Roopa.
Kaya's Crafts, 21 Bearskin Neck
R Lerch Gallery, 22 Bearskin Neck
Floating Lotus Rockport, 27 Bearskin Neck
The Blue Lantern, 31 Bearskin Neck
Artesano's, 33 Bearskin Neck
Kala Roopa, 43 Bearskin Neck
You can’t visit Cape Ann without getting some fresh lobster! Lobster rolls are Rockport’s speciality and you can find the best lobster rolls in Rockport at Roy Moore Lobster Co.
If you happen to bring your furry friend to Rockport take them to get a treat at Good Dog Gallery, while you’re there you can do a little shopping. You can find all sorts of doggy essentials, such as leaches, collars, and doggie treats.
One of my favorite places to shop while walking down Bearskin Neck was The Bearskin Neck Country Store. This cute little country store has all sorts of unique candies and souvenirs, this is where we got our souvenirs, we got a few postcards and some pretty neat magnets.
They have salt water taffy, old school candy, unique hot sauces, and plenty of other goodies. We couldn’t resist getting some candy so we did get some Turkish taffy.
In case you didn’t think there was enough sweet shops in Rockport there is a Fudgery. Stop by to pick up some creamy fudge bars and if you are trying to watch your sugar intake they do have a few sugar free flavors.
During the warmer months, if you’d like to go kayaking rent some equipment at North Shore Kayak. They offer a couple tours were you can kayak a few miles with the help of a guide. If you happen to visit Rockport for the weekend, add renting kayaks and paddle boats to your list. For rates on rentals and prices of tours click here.
For a quick breakfast stop at Helmut’s Strudel for a delicious Austrian strudel. Although they do serve ice cream their strudels are what they are known for, so get a few pastries and enjoy them by the waterfront with a view.
After exploring all the stores, galleries, and sweet shops you’ll come to a dead end where you can enjoy the views of the colorful homes of Rockport. It was fairly windy so we didn’t walk over the rocks to the very end but if you are careful when climbing the rocks I’m sure you’ll have a pretty sweet view!
This plaque can be better read next to the Old Stone Fort.
At the very end of Bearskin Neck you’ll find some amazing views of Rockport and a slight glimpse of the Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse.
Once you get to the dead end, start making your way back and stop by the Motif #1, an exact replica of the original 1840 building. This colorful fishing shack can be seen anywhere from the Rockport Harbor. We were only there for an afternoon but if we had spent the whole day there we definitely would have come to the Motif to see the sunset.
Just behind the Judi Rotenberg Studio is this super cute cottage with an amazing view of the Motif.
Walk down the T-Wharf for a spectacular close up view of the Motif and all the ships out in the water. This spot is directly in front of the public restrooms/visitor center.
If you have some extra time on your hands make your way down to Gloucester, Massachusetts!
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