Flat Rock - Rockport and other Rockport, MA Off The Beaten Path Tips

About a mile outside of the town of Rockport, there is a coastal road with a secret path leading to Flat Rock. Unless you were a local or a very curious walker (as I am), you would never know that you could walk through the brush and beach roses to the opening where the sky and rocks become a 360 degree panorama supreme! The boulders are enormous, and you can walk across dozens of them to see the lobstermen working - hear their radios from the shore - seagulls circling over their boats, hoping for a bit of breakfast. It's where you sit in the sun and listen to the surf crashing on the rocks, mesmerized.
A very lucky homeowner has a house at the top of all this rocky coastline and we wonder if they mind our invasion, however the path is posted and I assume it is intended to be public. I've brought so many people to Rockport to share this grandeur and it never ceases to amaze the visitor...even me...after so many years and visits.
One of my photos in this group was recently used in the Chamber of Commerce brochure! The woman at the design company found me on ... you guessed it, Virtual Tourist!

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The Old First Parish Burying Ground dates back to 1630 when the original plot was given to the town by Richard Tarr, the first settler. He was buried here in 1732.
There is something so wonderful about the old cemeteries of New England. Sometimes they are overgrown with lack of care.....mostly hidden in a tiny vacant lot that most everyone has forgotten...but at other times, they are groomed and inviting as a public park...and one must wonder who pays for the care for surely all the descendants have long ago moved on to other exciting places and adventures.
The Old First Burying Ground of Rockport is one of those places that gets regular maintenance and respect...visitors cutting across to go down the hill to the little public beach across the street from it. The stones are worn and often covered in patches of moss. The sun streams across in late afternoon leaving wonderful shadows and memories tumbling down the hill with the sunset.

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There are always one or two shops that have disappeared since my last trip and new ones appear to top my list of favorite stops. This year's find was "Gooseberry Junction" tucked off to the side on a little side lane which was chock full of interesting garden ornaments and holiday ideas. I found an anniversary gift as well as an old fashioned felt pumpkin with a zipper for a mouth. Well, I guess you had to be there to appreciate it. Shopkeeper had a great old Labrador retreiver who greeted every customer and loved to be scratched.

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There are always fishermen at Flat Rock. No doubt it's a treasure trove, given that the gulls live happily between the granite boulders and the lobster traps of the fishermen.
The coastline is wonderful even in mid-October...when the fishermen are still trying to hang on to the last of their season. Those warm Indian Summer days are absolutely perfect along this rocky stretch.

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Standing one hundred and sixty feet above the sea, the twin lighthouses of Thacher Island have stoof guard over the coasts of Cape Ann since 1771.
Anchored firmly on granite ledge, they overlook a fifty acre island, set three quarters of a mile off-shore from the town of Rockport. The complex includes the keeper's quarters, trails, oil houses, granite storage buildings and slate roofed oil house and barn. A landing ramp and boathouse provide access to the island. There is an old graveyard and the island is home to nesting Herring Gull and Great black backed Gulls.
The lighthouses have been threatened for budgetary reasons, but a group of volunteers have done fund raising for restoration of the boat ramp and the buildings and finally had the island designated as a National Historic Landmark.
Those wishing to camp in the small campground on the island may obtain a permit by calling 978-546-2326.
A six room apartment is available in the assistant keeper's dwelling: call 978-546-7341 for information and reservations.
Boat tours go out for 2 hours on Saturday mornings in July and August.
I haven't been to the island yet, but enjoy it from a distance during every visit.
You can find more information about the lighthouses and their history on-line.

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Website: www.thacherisland.org

I actually did get lost when I was looking for the cottage we've stayed in so many times. It's buried deep in the back of the main road out of Rockport. There is a rocky, bumpy, rut filled road that floods out in bad rains....and it has the most fantastic scenery you've ever encountered. I never fail to drive through when I'm in Rockport, even if I'm not staying in one of the Inns along the way. The rock here is enormous. Lots of granite. There is also a granite quarry just north of town. Investigate. Wander around. You can't miss. Get some sun.

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