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Rockport, Massachusetts, lies at the tip of Cape Ann in Massachusetts’s northeast corner. Surrounded by water on three sides, it’s no surprise Rockport became one of New England’s quintessential fishing towns.
Today, Rockport is still home to fishermen, but you’ll also find a number of artists. Galleries, shops and restaurants fill storybook-like areas like Bearskin Neck, where you’ll find a perfect photo at every angle.
While many movies have been filmed in Rockport over the years, the town became an instant star on the big screen as the fictional Alaska hamlet — and home to Betty White! — in The Proposal.
Rockport is an easy day trip from Boston: the commuter rail will take you from North Station to central Rockport in just over an hour!
If you can’t get enough of tiny seaside New England towns like Rockport, there are plenty more! Some of my favorites are Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Ogunquit, Maine; and Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Great pics Kate! Many ppl dont realize the hidden gems the states has to offer 🙂
Thanks! This was my debut with my new Canon PowerShot SD 1400. I was very pleased with the photos. For the last one, it automatically rolled over to sunset mode to bring out the oranges!
Ohhhh my gosh. I love little fishing towns! And this one looks so gorgeous. Great photos, Kate! It looks like you captured the place really well (though, since I’ve never been there, how could I ever know for sure? I’ll trust you on this one.)
Thanks! Glad you like the pictures. I really lucked out on the weather — it was absolutely perfect!
Looks so quaint and charming!!! Never been to the northeast of the States (well, further than NYC). Must do it!
Great pics ! We are visiting Rockport on Columbus day weekend and I am so excited !! My girls have never been to the ocean.. We also have a Canon PowerShot of a different model.. A great camera !! Hoping for some great weather for our weekend so we can get some great pics also !!
Amy, you’ll love it!
Rockport is lovely, but the beach is small. If you want to go to a great family beach, I’d suggest nearby Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester! I’ve had a lot of great times there!
Thanks we will have to check it out.. My husband are I went to Rockport 20 yrs ago and cant wait to go back. Not sure how great it will be that time of year for the beach but we definitely want the girls to experience low tide and go exploring. And of course cant wait to take lots of pictures !!!
Have lived in Rockport and used to visit with my family when I was a child. It is a place as close to heaven as one could find. The smells and sounds of the ocean, the daily catch of fish, and the beautiful scenery is enough to make any uptight city dweller feel calm, relaxed and invigorated. The people who live in Rockport are a wonderful lot full of good cheer, anxious to please and hardy happy people. There are wonderful inns for your comfort and fabulous restaurants to sample all the wonderful seafood that is always fresh and prepared by the best chefs in New England. At night you can go for a stroll down by the ocean or in town knowing you are safe or you can enjoy the shops or the quaint little New England homes that seem to welcome you to look and appreciate. Rockport is a town full of poets, artists, musicians and people who love the ocean and nature. You will leave Rockport rested and relaxed but missing this small treasure so much that you will be planning your next visit. Believe me when I say you will not be disappointed and you will fall deeply in love !
I used to own a home on South Street. I miss it so much! I have never been so deeply in love with a place, as you put it, and you describe it so well. I remember pushing my baby in her stroller down to Old Garden Beach, which was only minutes from our home. No place will ever compare with my child’s first home, and sadly, she is losing her memories of it. I hope someday to be able to take her back to reacquaint her with the enchantment that welcomed her into the world. Maybe someday we’ll go back in winter. I always loved the lserenity and lovely silence of the off season every bit as much as the carnival atmosphere of tourist time. I always felt that the only thing missing from Rockport was a venue for musical and theatrical productions, and just before I had to leave, I saw the town addressing that vacancy. From what I’ve seen, the beautiful waterfront theatre looks magical. Well, if you are ever again “close to heaven,” blow a few kisses at the old Benjamin Tarr house on South Street for me. Tearfully, but with warm thoughts, Carrie