Rockport Recommendations

Whenever I travel, I always like to check in with friends who are familiar with the area to get the inside scoop on the best places to eat, stay and explore. So, here are my recommendations for you, should you ever decide to visit the quaint seaside village of Rockport, MA.

TO EAT:

Roy Moore's Fish Shack/Lobster Company: This waterfront restaurant is easily situated on Bearskin Neck and is famous for its fresh lobster caught daily. We ate here our first night in Rockport and were very satisfied with the prices, quality of the food, and service. As an aside, it's one of the few places in Rockport you can enjoy a cold beer, provided you order an entree.

Helmut's Strudel: After our first morning swim. Mom and I stopped here for coffee and breakfast pastries. I was impressed with the quality of the offerings (we bought a big bag of "day old" sweet pasties for $3), and the coffee was hot and fresh. Here, you can find both sweet pasties like blueberry turnovers and savory goodies like ham and cheese croissants.

Tuck's Candy: What more can I say other than old-fashion candy store. Yum. Tuck's has two locations in Rockport, with a large selection of hand-dipped chocolates and various flavors of saltwater taffy. Definitely try the dark chocolate-sea salt caramels and pecan clusters. Double yum.

TO STAY:

We found our rental property on HomeAway, and decided to stay here. It was a great situation with us (especially with small cribs), and the owner was very accommodating. It was about a 10 minute walk into town and 5 minutes to the beach. Some other accommodations (that looked especially cozy) include the Linden Tree Inn and the Peg Leg Inn (both are close to the beach and town).

TO DO:

One of my favorite activities on any vacation is just to stroll through town and take in the sights. Rockport is perfectly suited for this. The town is home to Rocky Neck Art Colony, and there are plenty of galleries to browse and window-shop. If money wasn't an option, I certainly would have come home with a few original pieces to add to my fledgling artwork collection.

Definitely head to Front Beach, which faces directly East, and take in the breathtaking sunrises. You'll be glad you woke up early for it (then head to Helmut's Strudel for breakfast!).

There are plenty of sailing and fishing charters available, as well as hiking trails, parks, wildlife sanctuaries and lighthouses to patronize.

The entire North Shore of Boston and Cape Ann area is immersed in history. Take the time to explore the seaside villages of Gloucester, Essex, Marblehead and Salem (of witch trial fame).

There is also a convenientt commuter train that can quickly transport you to Boston within an hour.

If presented the opportunity, definitely visit Rockport. You certainly feel the "roots" of America here, and time slows a little as you meander through the twisty streets of yesteryear here. Happy travels, no matter where you are headed!

Weekend Listening

Happy Friday friends! This week has been another whirlwind, and I don't see things slowing down anytime soon (in my book, however, busy is good). The good news is that it's a holiday weekend here in the States, and I can't wait for a little break. In fact, Dave, the kids and I are taking a little road trip to visit my folks. While back home, Dave and I will be slipping away for a few days to visit this fabulous inn and do a little wine tasting.

Anyone else taking a road trip this long weekend? No good road trip is complete without good music. My playlist for this weekend will include myriad musicians, but will not neglect one of my favorite bands, Gomez. The band's latest album, A New Tide, is so fun, fabulous and moody all at the same time. From the kitchy, upbeat "Airstream Driver," to the melodic and laidback "Mix," the album is one of my favorites by Gomez and makes the perfect soundtrack for driving through falling leaves.

I hope everyone finds time to relax this weekend, and I'll see you back here next week (with my final installation of our Rockport trip and pictures from our weekend jaunt!). Until then, my friends...

Grand Opening: The Pink Orange

On Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the wonderful Grand Opening of The Pink Orange's new digs! The unbelievably kind, beautiful and talented Rebecca has moved into a new location in the quaint town of Ballston Spa. The Pink Orange is Rebecca's graphic design company that creates the most amazing wedding and party invitations, as well as business cards and other marketing collateral. While I was there, I bought these incredibly cute greeting cards as a gift for a friend (and now I wish I had bought a set for myself!). I thought I'd leave you with a few inspirational shots (taken by moi!) to perk up your Monday, and if you aren't already, please follow Rebecca's blog or find her on Facebook or Twitter. You'll sure be glad you did! Congrats again, Rebecca!

Rebecca's desk (no, she doesn't always keep a party cooler under her desk, but she's still a lot of fun either way!)

That's supermodel Rebecca, in the cream dress

Note to self: Steal this idea!



V-formation (The Geese Travel): Rockport, Part 2

Hello friends, ready for part two of our Rockport trip (or are you still reeling from the amount of pics in part one)? So, at this point of our trip, it is Saturday morning. And it was cold. Really cold. Like, maybe 50 degrees (okay, I know being an Upstater, 50 degrees is actually warm, but near the beach, it's cold!). That doesn't deter my mother, though. She loves to get up super-early on our vacations and go swimming in the ocean. So, at 6am, we headed down to the beach and I indulged her passion for her own personal Polar Bear club. Sometimes I'm brave enough to hop in, as well. Other times, I just watch the sun come up. The above picture is the sunrise on Saturday morning.

Me, braving the water

Mom heading in.

After our icy escapades, we stopped by a small bakery and grabbed an assortment of pastries for breakfast. We took advantage of the sunny weather and decided to pick some apples at a nearby orchard today, as well.

Edie had to pet every pumpkin as we walked by.

I wish my orchard looked this tidy.

Edie took full advantage of using her new(er) word: Apple.

It took her a while to realize you're supposed to pick them from the tree, not glean them from the ground.

Dave trying to explain the concept.

Eric thought apples were pretty tasty, too.

After a hard day of apple picking (and eating), it was nap time for the kiddos. We packed up the car, picked up some Chinese food for lunch, and headed back to the house. After a restful nap, some Bananagrams, and browsing through the backyard garden (it even had a quince tree!), we decided to head back into town and grab some souvenirs.

Besides finding inspiration in the architecture, I really loved looking at all the gardens. I think I'll certainly add zinnias to my "to plant" list.

I love the look of the hydrangea, petunias, alysum and brick together. Gives me lots of ideas for Silly Goose Farm!

We bought the traditional travel garb - t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and some candy from a local shop. Dave and I did plan on traveling down to Boston for the night to grab dinner and say hello to the city we love so much, but it was getting late and decided against it. Mom kindly offered to watch the kids for a bit so Dave and I could have some "alone" time (we haven't had much of that since Eric was born). We enjoyed a beautiful dinner overlooking the water, then a leisurely stroll home. We all went to bed (relatively) early to get a jump-start on the morning's departure.

Sunday morning, Mom and I visited the water one last time.

Ooo, to have that house!

I love how the sun creates beautiful shades of pink, purple and orange.

We went back to the house and prepared for our trip home. Edie topped off her breakfast with a cold drink...

Then took a lie-down while the rest of us packed.

You know it's love when you wear matching Top-Siders.

We are lucky that the trip back to Silly Goose Farm is a fairly direct route from the greater Boston area. The leaves were just starting to change colors as we traveled through the Berkshires.

I was about ready to do this, as well...

Yay! Getting closer to home!

All in all, Rockport was a great trip, and a fun family activity. It will always hold a special place in my heart as the destination for Eric's first road trip (besides going to Grammie's house). I always love hearing real recommendations about vacation spots, so stay tuned for my Rockport report. Thanks for vicariously traveling with me, friends, I'm glad you took the ride.

Happy Birthday!

Today is Eric's six-month birthday. That seems like a milestone for some reason. He was born on April Fool's Day, and has been a smiling goof ever since. He is such a good little baby, and I can't wait to see how he continues to grow. He and his sister love each other so much, and I'm so blessed I have two beautiful and happy babies. I hope everyone can experience this type of love. If you'd like, read Eric's birth story.

I love you so much , little bugger!