"~~~ROMANCE IN ROCKPORT~~~" a Rockport Travel Page by Pawtuxet

The story begins with a lad from Ireland who found my pages about Rockport, Massachusetts on VIRTUAL TOURIST and wrote to me for help with his trip to the states in October. Seems he and his "Welsh lady" would be doing a bus tour to include Rockport and he had an idea for a creative proposal of marriage! I helped him with a few contacts which gave him permission to post a banner on Motif #1 (a popular red fishing shack everyone photographs). His banner would read.....
........................... WILL YOU MARRY ME?
My husband and I went up to Rockport to meet Tomas and "his lady"... taking Aussie along for the ride (cause she loves a good love story too). We found the banner on Motif #1 as scheduled. We waited and waited... wondering as each couple came past... would this be them? I had no photo of Tomas and didn't even know how old he was... or anything else about him. A photographer from the Gloucester Daily Times came by and waited with us for an hour or so...hoping for a pic to accompany the human interest story scheduled to be in the newapaper.
Soon a harbormaster motored past and motioned to us... where are they? We laughed to think people around the town seemed to know what was happening today. (later we learned the Harbormasters helped by posting the banner)
Occasionally a couple would come by and read the sign and we would ask, "Are you Rosalind?" Two of the couples were celebrating their wedding anniversaries and they waited with us for a while hoping to see the lovebirds... but everyone gave up and finally left.
Yet another harbor master came by and asked... where are they? We were getting discouraged when it was turning into a 2 hour wait. We finally went for chowder and checked back later. Banner was still there. I attached my business card to it and we decided to leave.
Passing a young couple as we left, we decided to watch from afar. Sure enough...it was them!
I photographed from a distance..zooming as much as possible.
We later joined them and celebrated with a cappachino while we got to know a bit more about this sweet couple.
Who knows? Maybe we'll have a trip to Wales for the wedding!!
More pics of the happy young couple in my Local Customs tips below.

.................................

................................

...............................

Rockport has always been a magnet for artists, boasting dozens of galleries along its main street and scattered amongst the interesting seaside architecture of the town. The phenomenal light in Rockport has inspired creative work for generations.
Rockport is an ideal base for visiting neighboring towns of Gloucester, Essex, Marblehead, Manchester-by-the-Sea and many other scenic destinations north of Boston.
Life revolves around the town square. Here we find a wonderful assortment of shops, restaurants and artist galleries. It has long been a tourist destination for those who want a good dose of salty air, some interesting shopping, and maybe a boat ride.....sliding over to the beach at the end of the day. Everything is within easy walking distance, so it is also ideal for bus trips. Dozens of buses drop their passengers for the day or afternoon....knowing there is surely enough to amuse their tourists.
The shoreline is fabulous from protected beaches to rocky cliffs to salt marsh. You can swim, kayak, sail, fish, and photograph til you run out of energy and then there is even more that you missed.
I never tire of Rockport....try to go at least once every year....stay 3 or 4 days and always want more.

There are several small beaches to the north and south of the village of Rockport... offshore is Thatcher Island with twin lighthouses ... Flat Rock is one of my favorite spots to watch the lobster fishermen.
Rockport is very connected to the ocean at its shoulder. You can kayak, take an evening cruise on a sailing vessel, swim, go fishing, tour the area in many conveyances.
It's hard to describe that adhesion to the sea one feels all around Rockport..at the tip of Cape Ann.

Imagine all the stories these walls would tell if they could. Hundreds of people wander through Rockport on tour busses and vacationing every year. Just about every one of them takes a picture of this wonderful old fishing shack scituated prominently at the head of the small basin which is literally in the heart of the town.