Heading to Rockport during the first weekend in June

We are visiting Rockport for a long weekend in the June (5th -8th). We are staying at The Yankee Clipper Inn. So far the people were very friendly there! We hope to beat the rush by coming in early June. Any ';must see'; places? Any tips for us? We normally travel to Desert Island in Me and have fallen in love with it. But we wanted a new New England place to call ';home'; for the weekend this year. Are there any good hiking trails?

Heading to Rockport during the first weekend in June

You ought to go over to Halibut Point (a park), about 2-3 miles west on Highway 127. Easy paths for walking in the woods and then over the heath. You%26#39;ll walk past a water-filled granite quarry. Then there%26#39;s a tall promontory for looking over the Gulf of Maine at what you%26#39;ve stayed down in Maine. Then, great granite rocks for (easily) climbing over and around. There%26#39;s a lobster-in-the-rough and fish and chips place next to Halibut Point if that appeals. It%26#39;s expensive.

And drive 127 the other direction, on down to Gloucester. Along the way, there are Long Beach, a nice crescent of a sandy beach lined with summer places that people rent for a week; and Good Harbor Beach, a nice, wide, sandy beach with a small estuary for wading and knee-to-waist waves, most of the time. Then stay along the shore and drive or walk along Bass Rocks, where the coastal terrain makes for more interesting, crashing surf, especially if there%26#39;s anything brewing out in the ocean. There%26#39;s a line of hotels and McMansions along the way.

If you keep driving, you%26#39;ll come around to the main art and marina section of Gloucester. Several galleries, overwater restaurants, and the Marine Railways where the trawlers get hauled out for maintnance on the Rocky Neck part of Gloucester. All very historic, and this is where the Andrea Gayle was moored prior to the perfect storm. Her sisters are there now.

Get back on the ';main drag'; and head in toward Gloucester%26#39;s downtown. After going through the downtown (you%26#39;ll get distracted by the historical buildings and lots of little shops) you%26#39;ll come to the fisherman%26#39;s memorial, which you%26#39;ll recognize from a distance. You can park near it, and be seriously moved by the number (thousands) of fishermen who have gone down to the sea... Further down the road, a pleasant walk, you%26#39;ll come to the monument to wives and children of those seamen...

With a map, you can head back to Rockport a couple of ways, including re-tracing your steps.

You can do all this in a day if you want, but it%26#39;s better to spend time with what interests you, and fill the three days. Climbing around at Halibut Point, or long walks on the beach, or time in a couple of galleries, or long meals on the water will definitely do it.

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