Gloucester and Rockport

Gloucester and Rockport, Massachusetts, occupy Cape Ann about 35 miles northeast of Boston and combine working fishing harbors, artists' studios and beaches. The MBTA Commuter Rail Newburyport/Rockport Line runs from North Station to the end of the line at Rockport in about 1h10, costing roughly $10-11 each way, with trains about every one to two hours, so Sunday and off-peak schedules should be checked. Driving takes about an hour on Route 128, and parking in Rockport costs $15-25. In Rockport, Bearskin Neck is a narrow peninsula lined with shops, galleries and seafood stands, ending near the red fishing shack known as Motif No. 1. Gloucester, the older fishing port, offers the harbor waterfront, seafood restaurants, and Good Harbor Beach, a wide sand beach popular in summer. Hammond Castle Museum at 80 Hesperus Avenue is a medieval-style castle on the cliffs built in the 1920s. A good plan is to take an early train to Rockport, walk Bearskin Neck and browse galleries in the morning, have a lobster roll or fried clams for lunch, then ride back to Gloucester for the afternoon, stopping for the harbor, a beach walk or the castle. Dinner of fresh seafood in Gloucester before a return train completes the day. The best season is June through September, when beaches and harbor boats operate and weather is warmest; spring and autumn are quieter but cooler, and winter is very quiet with some shops closed. A typical budget is $60-100 per person including train fare, meals and any admissions. Because the same rail line serves both towns, no car is needed, and visitors can hop between stations as schedules allow.