"GLOUCESTER ~ ROCKY NECK" a Gloucester Travel Page by Pawtuxet

Usually photographers show you the wonderful statue of the Gloucester Fisherman when they talk about Gloucester. It's in one of my tips along with the statue of woman and child waiting for the fisherman husband to return. The Perfect Storm movie was filmed here...and tells the stories and perils of being a deep sea fisherman.... it's a dieing breed. Very tough life. The town has many faces and lots to explore...from Whale Watch, to an Artist's Colony, to a Castle built by a prominent inventor. Poke around. Have some lobster...or little necks.
Be sure to stop on the boulevard and walk the linear park along the waterfront where folks gather for the regular opening of the draw bridge. Cars line up to wait for their road to reappear while sailboats and tour boats take their turns passing through to open waters. Not sure what is so fascinating about a draw bridge.... guess it's because it's another dieing breed.

Rocky Neck is a tiny peninsula in East Gloucester..lauded as the oldest artist's colony in the United States. There are numerous studios and galleries along with a few good restuarants and bars... wonderful views of the cove. It's funky, salty, and marvelous.
Robert Gruppe' has his studio here. The Gruppe's have had this gallery for three generations...each of them doing marvelous oil paintings of their beloved Gloucester harbor. I would love to have a painting from grandfather, father and son, but I have been happy to own one of the son's lovely paintings which I treated myself with a few years ago. He paints Gloucester as he has known it since childhood. If a building is torn down or replaced by something modern which offends his senses, he simply paints from his memory and refuses to include the newer "offense" in his art. Do stop in to see his work in his charming studio if you are ever in Gloucester. He's on the left going into the neck....can't miss it. There is a sign.
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Hammond was an inventor...known for the Hammond organ. He built a castle just outside Gloucester, overlooking the ocean. His creativity knew no bounds, and so he toured Europe gathering parts of castles..stone which suited his fancy..and built an entirely unorthadox castle from all the pieces and parts. Those of you who are castle experts might recognize where he "borrowed" things from. I've included several views..still not enough to satisfy. You must tour this castle to get the full impact of such an eccentric genius!
His parties were notorious, and he had a room with no door (secret, actually) where he would put the drunkest man of the party. What a surprise when awakening to find there is no way out. :-)