Exploring Rockport

To close out summer and welcome fall, I hit up one more coastal New England town just an hour’s drive north of Boston, Rockport.

Brooksby Farm

Along the way we stopped at an apple orchard about 30 minutes north of Boston, Brooksby Farm. As it was a crisp morning, we immediately lined up for apple cider donuts and hot apple cider. You get to enjoy these treats while enjoying an idyllic morning view of the farm. I have to say though that the apple cider donuts did not fail to disappoint, as per usual. Where is the apple in the apple cider donut!? They’re really just cinnamon-flavored donuts. If I had a donut shop I’d make a jelly-filled donut except change the filling to a tangy apple jelly and coat the outside with cinnamon sugar. You can even take my idea for free, I just want to taste the apple! (The best ones I have had so far are at the Bolton Orchards stand, as they’re covered in cinnamon sugar and are super soft. Plus they store well.)

You wouldn’t even know you’re in a suburb with this view.

Brookby Farm makes up for the apple cider donuts’ poor performance with a great orchard. You pay a flat fee per bag to enter the fields which contain McIntosh, Cort, and Fuji apple varieties. The trees are plentiful and we could even find our own isolated spot at the back. When we went in late September the apples were super ripe.

A tree full of McIntosh apples.

Rockport

Having a belly full of apples, we continued on to Rockport. The town is full of a ton of art galleries. In contrast to Portland, Maine, where much of the art is contemporary, a lot of places here sport paintings depicting landscapes. It’s much more up my alley and I could probably spend a whole day just admiring the art. My favorite gallery that I visited was the art at Folly Cove Fine Art with artists like Joseph McGurl (and in particular, their work “Sunspot, Eagle Lake” is stunning! $29,000 though, no way I could afford that).

A porthole to the ocean.

We then headed to lunch at Whale’s Jaw Cafe before heading up to Halibut Point State Park. The parking fee is pretty outrageous for non-Massachusetts residents ($20!). To be fair I won’t be paying Massachusetts state taxes as a Minnesota resident…

The state park was formerly the site of a quarry which is evidenced by a large water-filled hole. However, I think the main reason to visit here would be to check out the tidal pools. If you look closely you can find a lot snails, limpets, barnacles, and miniature crabs! There are so many crab shells left behind by seagulls that really demonstrate how teeming with life the coast is. You can also parkour among the giant boulders left behind by the former quarry. There were even fishermen who caught some hefty looking fish from this coast.

The tidal pools are coated with really colorful algae. Can you spot all the living things in the picture?

We then returned to Rockport, where we hung around a few more of the art galleries along Bearskin Neck, a pier-like projection out into the harbor. Notably, Art Nook Gallery has signed prints of their impressive art collection which are quite affordable compared to the typical asking price of paintings here. As per usual on my day trips, I was able to catch the sunset just as it was setting.

Sunset over the harbor.

Getting There

Rockport can be easily reached via train or by car. I recommend adding a stop at Brooksby Farm in the fall if headed to Rockport as the town itself and its surroundings are pretty small. Out of all the towns so far I think Rockport is probably the most walkable, though getting to Halibut Point State Park might require taxi service.