Winter Day Trip to Rockport & Gloucester

By Emily on March 20, 2017

Last spring I made a conscious effort to create a list of day trips that I wanted to take in the summer. Focusing on beaches and seafood, my fiancé and I hit our fair share of towns along Boston’s North Shore, including Crane Beach in Ipswich and Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea. The quaint seaside towns of Rockport and Gloucester were on my list of places to go, but due to time constraints, we never went. So, on a freezing winter Sunday, I did the reasonable thing and suggested that we take an off-season day trip.

Winter Day Trip to Rockport, Massachusetts

Knowing that there would be significantly less traffic than in the summer, we hopped in the car and made the drive up to Rockport in record time. In just less than an hour we found ourselves at the tip of the Cape Ann peninsula in the heart of Rockport.

Since it’s right on the Atlantic Ocean, Rockport is more of a warm weather town. Summers are bustling with locals and tourists alike, seeking a quintessential New England experience. Rockport is 100% New England—from the fishing boats in the harbor and the rocky shoreline, to the stretch of stores in converted lobster shacks on Bearskin Neck.

That being said, the winter in Rockport is a much different story. Much of the seaside town was closed for the off-season, but we were happy to walk around and enjoy the gorgeous views.

The day was gorgeous—one of those blindingly sunny days with a cerulean blue sky. As any New Englander knows, it’s also the type of weather that makes cold days feel even colder. The 30 degree day felt more like 13 thanks to the wind, so we knew our trip to Rockport would not be an all day affair.

We walked around town and Bearskin Neck taking in the seaside sights. We managed to find a few open stores to browse through, including Tuck’s Candy, where I picked up some penny candy and saltwater taffy. Unfortunately due to the season, pickings for food were slim. Craving seafood and chowder, we drove to nearby Gloucester, less than 5 miles south of Rockport.

Lunch and a Brewery in Gloucester, Massachusetts

I had heard good things about Latitude 43 in Gloucester so we made a quick OpenTable reservation (I’m a sucker for any app with loyalty points) and within minutes we were snuggled in a warm table overlooking the harbor. Oyster addicts, we started with a dozen from Duxbury, Massachusetts. While some oysters leave you hungry, Duxbury oysters do not. They’re are large, meaty, and deliciously briny and paired well with a glass of Rosé.

We followed the oysters with a cup of New England Clam Chowder, fitting for a cold winter day, and split the local fish and chips. The haddock in the fish and chips is locally caught fried to perfection. Fresh and oh so delicate, I threw table manners to the blustering wind and ate the dish with my hands! Call me uncouth, but I believe there’s no better compliment to a chef than having someone devour a meal like an animal—thankfully I don’t think anyone saw me do it!

Following an amazing meal at Latitude 43, we popped over to Cape Ann Brewing Company next door. The Gloucester-based brewery, known for its signature Fisherman’s Brew amber lager, has a restaurant and tap room at the brewery. The beers were delicious—we split a flight of six and relaxed in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbor.

Warmed up with food and drink, we eventually hit the road back to Boston, promising ourselves to go back to visit Rockport and Gloucester in the summer. Have you been to either of these towns? What are your favorite things to do there?

Engagement Weekend in Ogunquit, Maine

By Emily on August 10, 2016

Everyone has one of those places—the one that holds special meaning in your heart, where you visit again and again. It might be a small town, an exotic destination, or a secret spot close to home. For me, that place is Ogunquit, Maine. Located just over an hour north of Boston, Ogunquit is an artsy beach town on Maine’s mid-coast that I have fallen in love with again and again.

My love affair with Ogunquit began Last August when my boyfriend Ronnie took me there on a much-needed trip to reconnect and unwind. For two days we explored the little beach town—we watched the sun rise over Footbridge Beach, ate lobster rolls, shopped in local stores, and walked the Marginal Way, a mile-long path along the rocky shoreline. Together we fell in love with the town.

So when we were planning summer trips this year, it came as no surprise that Ronnie planned another weekend in Ogunquit. Little did I know how different this weekend would be and that I’d be pinching myself to make sure it was real.

We drove up from Boston on a Friday after work for our two-night stay. We stayed at The Blue Shutters Inn, a family-owned bed and breakfast, steps from the downtown shops and Marginal Way.

Upon our arrival we quickly checked into the Grand Room, the largest of the rooms at the Inn, complete with comfy bed and fireplace. We sipped some wine that we brought with us and relaxed for a few minutes around the outdoor fire pit before venturing into town for dinner.

Due to traffic we arrived late, and many of the restaurants were closing up by the time we were ready for dinner at 9pm. We managed to snag an outdoor table with a personal fire pit at the Rose Cove Cafe on Main Street where we shared dinner and sangria.

Following our yummy seafood dinner, we stopped at the The Front Porch, a piano bar full of spirited vacationers, for a nightcap. We had plans to watch the sunrise on Footbridge Beach the next morning, as we had done the year before, so we made it an early night and headed to bed.

Before I knew it, the 4:45am alarm was blaring, waking us in time for sunrise at 5:15am. We dressed and drove a mile north on Rt. 1 to Footbridge Beach, where we set ourselves on the same lifeguard stand where we watched the sun rise last August.

The beach was nearly deserted because only crazy people get up before dawn on weekends. Ronnie bought our mini tripod and set up my cell phone so that we could get time-lapse photos ourselves with the sunrise…or so I thought. After setting up the camera, he joined me in the frame and as the sky brightened on a new day, Ronnie got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

Through a chorus of shrieks and nervous giggles, I became the happiest woman in the world from our spot on Footbridge Beach. Little did I know that the time-lapse photo plan was just an excuse to film the proposal so that we could grab photos, like the one above, from the video. If this man isn’t the perfect [Instagram] Husband-to-Be, then he’s pretty close!

About 17,257 selfies later, we headed back to the hotel to nap before sharing the news with our family and friends.

Our first celebration was breakfast at the Blue Shutters Inn. The owners learned about Ronnie’s plan upon check-in and were anxiously awaiting the news. We shared our proposal story with them over a delicious breakfast and mimosas, included in our stay. Ronnie and I had decided to take a few hours to ourselves before telling anyone (even our parents!) about our engagement, so the owners of the Blue Shutters Inn were the first people to know. It was heartwarming to see how happy they were for us, which made our weekend even better.

The rest of the weekend felt like we were walking on air! We spent a romantic day at Sandy Cove Beach off of the Marginal Way, ate lobster rolls in Perkins Cove, and enjoyed a celebratory dinner at Jonathan’s Ogunquit.

Our engagement weekend in Ogunquit could not have been more perfect and cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with this wonderful man!

Weekend Trip: Wine, Beer, and Food in Hampshire County Massachusetts

By Emily on May 6, 2016

When people think of Massachusetts, they usually think of Boston, the eastern epicenter of the state. But there’s an “other side” of Massachusetts that they’re missing out on: Hampshire County in Western Massachusetts.

A couple of weekends ago I had the opportunity to visit Hampshire County, Massachusetts with my boyfriend. We spent two days and one night exploring the towns of Northampton, Southampton, and Easthampton. Taking ourselves out of the guidebooks, we experienced Hampshire County the way that locals do and had a fun-filled weekend at the best wineries, breweries, and restaurants in the area.

Getting to Hampshire County, Massachusetts

Hampshire County is less than 2 hours from Boston. Just north of Springfield, it’s a quick and easy drive from Boston or NYC, making the area perfect for a weekend getaway. If you don’t have a car, the area is also accessible by bus, train, and air—Bradley International Airport is about a half hour away.

Small Oven Bakery Picnic Lunch at Black Birch Vineyard

We started our weekend off by picking up a picnic lunch at Small Oven Bakery, a quaint woman-owned bakery in Easthampton. Co-owners Amanda and Julie opened Small Oven Bakery just 2 years ago and have quickly become a local favorite.

We arrived at noon to a packed house and were greeted warmed by Julie who was packing up our lunch. While Julie prepped our lunch, my boyfriend and I chatted with Amanda for a few minutes over coffee about our love for all things bakery and small business related.

With our picnic lunch packed, we hit the road and drove to the beautiful Black Birch Vineyard a few minutes down the road. The weather was perfect—warm and breezy with bright sunshine. Owner Mary Hamel greeted us and encouraged us to relax and enjoy our food on the picnic benches before our wine tasting.

The winery doesn’t serve food so visitors can bring their own to eat on the picnic benches and Adirondack chairs out back. The atmosphere is very relaxing and family friendly. Our fellow wine tasters included a family with a baby, a ladies birthday celebration, and a group of friend with dogs.

On a picnic bench overlooking the vines my boyfriend and I gobbled down our lunch from Small Oven Bakery—an open faced Roasted Cippollini and Radicchio baguette, a Boston Brisket sandwich, and a chocolate mint cake.

After stuffing our faces, we headed into the winery, a converted barn with an authentic rustic feel. We tasted through, making sure to sip and dump because we were driving. Our favorites included the steel casked Chardonnay, Riesling, and 2013 Pinot Noir.

All of the wines were good but I was especially impressed by the Chardonnay, as I’m not usually a fan of the varietal. I enjoyed it so much I purchased two bottles to take home! Both Black Birch Vineyard and Small Oven Bakery were recently voted as The Valley Advocate’s Best of 2016.

Abandoned Building Brewery

We left Black Birch Vineyard and drove to Northampton where we were staying for the night so that we could drop off the car before heading to the breweries. Since we’re both big beer drinkers, my boyfriend and I called an Uber to take us safety to Abandoned Building Brewery, our next destination.

The aptly named Abandoned Building Brewery is situated in an abandoned building along the Easthampton Rail Trail. Windowless with swagged lights, mismatched couches, and board games, there’s a nostalgic feel to the brewery. The comforting and homey space took me back to my ~~high school~~ college days of drinking in a friend’s basement.

Kimaya, an staff member who has worked at the brewery since it opened, greeted us with two flights which we brought to the seating area. Seating is limited which encourages a communal experience with both the people and dogs visiting the brewery. We sat and chatted with some local residents while drinking our flights.

While the company was great, the beer was even better! Brewer and owner Matt Tarlecki crafts the ales using hops from the brewery’s own hop field and malts from Massachusetts’s only malt house in nearby Hadley. My favorites were the Pennhurst Pale Ale and the Dirty Girl IPA and my boyfriend especially enjoyed the Nightshade Stout.

If you’re in town on May 7th, Abandoned Building Brewery is celebrating their second anniversary with live music, food trucks, and an outdoor beer garden—an event not to be missed!

New City Brewery

Our next stop was at the close by New City Brewery which sits literally next door to Abandoned Building Brewery. The breweries are next to each other along the Easthampton Rail Trail which makes for a comprehensive beer tasting bike ride. We saw quite a few cyclists who popped in for a pint with their pups. Although we don’t have a dog ourselves, we loved that so many places were dog friendly!

Open since 2013, New City Brewery is best known for its Jamaican style ginger beer crafted by brewmaster Sam Dibble but also offers regular beers. Devin, one of the four co-owners, welcomed us with open arms and two flights—one flight of New City’s beers and a second mimosa flight made with the ginger beer. As someone who loves ginger beer and mimosas, I was in heaven with the mimosa flight!

Like it’s next door neighbor, New City was hopping on the beautiful Saturday and appeared to be setting up for live music. With large windows, open space, and natural light, New City Brewery exudes a friendly hipster vibe—the good looking men behind the bar don’t hurt either.

Hotel Northampton

We caught an Uber back and checked into Hotel Northampton, our home for the night. Built in 1927, Hotel Northampton is a beautiful red brick building in the heart of town.

There was a platter of fresh fruit, cheese, and sparkling water waiting in our room when we arrived. A handwritten note and personal introduction from Ruby, the head of marketing and public relations for the hotel, made us feel very welcome.

Although historic with a traditional American feel, Hotel Northampton has the amenities and comforts of a modern hotel. Everything about the hotel was great—updated and spacious rooms with natural light, comfortable beds, a delicious breakfast, and free WiFi.

Northampton Brewery

After a long day of visiting drinking establishments, we were more than ready for dinner at the Northampton Brewery. A quick walk from Hotel Northampton, the Northampton Brewery is New England’s oldest operating brewpub, serving up American style food and delicious beers.

Like many small businesses in New England, Northampton Brewery was family owned and operated by siblings Janet and Peter Egelston and has ties to New Hampshire’s Portsmouth Brewery and Smuttynose Brewing Company. Not surprising, the beers were delicious! Along with nachos, a pulled pork sandwich, and pizza, my boyfriend and I enjoyed the Blue Boots IPA and Conundrum beers.

Tunnel Bar

After dinner we checked out the infamous Tunnel Bar, voted by Buzzfeed as one of the top places to drink before you die. Tunnel Bar is a former train passenger tunnel from 1896, making for a cool underground experience.

Photo courtesy of Tunnel Bar

The long and narrow cocktail lounge was packed but the martinis were worth the wait. It was a long day so after Tunnel Bar we retired to Hotel Northampton for some much needed rest.

Sylvester’s Restaurant

The next morning my boyfriend and I woke up refreshed and ravenous. We grabbed some coffee at the hotel and headed over to Sylvester’s Restaurant. Located in the house of Sylvester Graham, the inventor of the graham cracker, Sylvester’s Restaurant is a Northampton landmark and has been voted Best Breakfast and Brunch in Western Massachusetts for years.

We feasted on the Benedict Sly’s style, the banana Nutella French toast, and a homemade pop-tart style pastry that was to die for. Known for their eggs benedict dishes, the Sly style Benedict was delicious and almost more than I could eat. My boyfriend and I shared both dishes and still had leftovers to take home!

Around Northampton

Stuffed from breakfast, we walked off our food around town. Home to Smith College and four others nearby, Northampton is a quintessential college town. Walking around instantly brought me back to my own college days in Madison, Wisconsin. Northampton reminded me a lot of Madison and I felt at home amongst the tall trees, beautiful buildings, hippie shops, and tiny cafés.

Aside from its college charm, Northampton boasts a small town vibe that makes you feel like you belong. Everywhere we went, the people were friendly, welcoming, and excited to share their town with visitors.

Our weekend in Hampshire County was a wonderful break from the hustle of life and a good reminder that there’s more to Massachusetts than Boston. While the trip was full of adventure, there’s much more to explore and we can’t wait to go back to Hampshire County. If you’re looking for a romantic weekend away, a fun trip with friends, or a family-friendly place to explore, check out Hampshire County, the “other side of Massachusetts.”

Disclosure: This trip was hosted by the Hampshire County Regional Tourism Council and the local businesses mentioned in this post. Although sponsored, all opinions are my own.

Weekend in Freeport, Maine

By Emily on January 22, 2016

One of my favorite things about living in Boston is that it’s easy to go away for a weekend getaway. Whether it’s a preppy jaunt to Kennebunkport or a girls’ day trip to Newport, everything in New England is a short drive away.

On our last New England getaway, my boyfriend and I visited Freeport, Maine for 3 nights over the extended New Years Eve weekend. Neither of us had ever been to Freeport and to be honest, it wasn’t on our top list of places to visit in New England. But as luck would have it during my lodging search, I found an adorable place on Airbnb that was perfect for a romantic weekend away.

If you haven’t used Airbnb, you must check it out (here’s a link for $20 off your first trip). For those unacquainted, Airbnb is a website that facilitates lodging between homeowners with extra rooms or guest houses and travelers seeking the comforts of home-like accommodations. I love, love, LOVE Airbnb and no one paid me to say that!

We stayed in a converted barn just south of downtown Freeport. Since Freeport is close to Portland, we had originally intended on staying in the area and spending at least at day in Portland. But between the food, shopping, and outdoor activities in Freeport and the cozy fireplace and outdoor firepit at our Airbnb, we spent the entire weekend in town.

Dinner at Gather Maine

Just two hours north of Boston, my boyfriend and I drove up to Freeport the evening of New Years Eve with enough time to check into the Airbnb and change before our dinner reservations. Thanks to recommendations from coworkers and some Yelp reviews, we reserved a table at Gather in Yarmouth. The farm to table restaurant was perfect for a relaxing New Year’s Eve dinner, complete with a special menu, delicious cocktails, and a bluegrass jazz band. The rabbit I ordered from the special holiday menu was outstanding and my boyfriend’s salmon with fried kale was amazing!

Gather wasn’t having a big New Year’s celebration, which worked with our low-key celebration plans of drinking bubbles in our pajamas so after dinner we drove back to our cozy weekend home to ring in 2016.

Freeport Village

Though small, the downtown area of Freeport, called Freeport Village, packs a strong punch. We spent hours casually strolling through the LL Bean stores (there’s at least 4 of them) and the various outlets.

We fell for the tourist trap and ate lunch at Linda Bean’s Topside Tavern, a restaurant directly across from the LL Bean flagship store. If you’re looking for food in the area, I recommend walking a block or two north on Route 1 and checking out some of the other restaurants or driving a few minutes down the road for brunch at the Muddy Rudder, lunch and beer at Gritty’s, or a hearty dinner at Buck’s Naked BBQ . Or if you’re craving something sweet, stay in town and head to Frosty’s Donuts for a glazed bite of heaven.

Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park

Despite a warm fall and beginning of winter, a few inches of snow fell in Freeport before we arrived. We took this opportunity to break in the new snowshoes my boyfriend bought us for the holidays at Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Our thoughtful Airbnb host had put together a binder of information, including a trail map of the coastline park so we were well prepared for a snowy walk through the woods.

Maine Beer Company

Since no weekend trip is complete without a trip to a local brewery, Maine Beer Company was the last stop on our Freeport weekend getaway. My boyfriend and I split a flight of four beers (Mo, Beer III, Another One, and Pilot 9). Breweries can be hit or miss when it comes to food, as the licensing limits what they can and can’t serve, but the pretzels at Maine Beer Company were on point. Fresh and delicious and served with a side of tasty mustard, the pretzel was the perfect compliment to the beer flight.

If you’re looking for a relaxing weekend getaway close to Boston, I highly recommend checking out Freeport!

How to host a clambake in 10 steps

By Emily on September 3, 2014

I spent this weekend wrapping up summer with a quintessential New England clambake. I had never been to a clambake before (or lobsterbake, which is really what this is) but thankfully the gracious hosts of this crustacean affair were old pros at the tradition of putting dying animals in a fiery hole in the sand.

I did manage to find the plans for the clambake and by a slightly amended version of my logic on becoming proficient in something I’ve never done before, I am now pretty much an expert.

1. Find someone who is an experienced clambaker, attend their clambake, and steal their plans

Only the pre-planning phase is pictured below. The actual baking the food portion ended up covered in lobster meat and juice. However, it is probably the most important part, as it involves intense physical labor and doling out responsibilities to people who will do the literal grunt work and set the stage for the rest of the clambake.

Note: You’ll need a beach, a shovel to dig a hole, about 20 hungry people to help, no less than 30 rocks, a cord of wood, a ton of food (lobsters, clams, potatoes, corn), trays in which to cook the food, seaweed, a source of fire, tarps, a rake, and a hose.

2. Enlist the free help of 20+ hungry people

After setting up the above and keeping a fire over rocks or something bring out the food and the trays in which your food will be cooking. Find the people who have come to eat your food and put them to work–there’s no such thing as a free lunch (or dinner)!

3. Prepare the trays
Throw food and some seaweed in the trays. The seaweed will help to steam the food (it should be wet) so place the food in single layers on the trays.

4. Mitigate guilt

Toss any dead lobsters back into the ocean while singing, “Go home to your people, my friend!”.

5. Cook the food, working quickly

Again using the help of people, rake the embers over the rocks (following real instructions linked above or found elsewhere) and place trays of dying crustaceans over the searing rocks. Move fast, because you want to trap as much of the heat in as possible.

This part is difficult to take pictures of so these were taken while taking the food out.

It’s helpful to have a system in place–one hostess of this weekend clambake gave people numbers assigned to tasks. I was on seaweed/tarp patrol and collectively threw seaweed over the trays and sealed the steam of the fire in with 4 wet tarps.

6. Wait 1.5 hours, drink, relax, socialize
Put your phone down and really socialize.

7. Remove the cooked food

Enlist the same people with the same jobs. Reverse the order of how things went in.

lobster bake