Looking at Tom’s Back

“This is as good as going to Nantucket and much less hassle.” Those were my husband Tom’s words as we pedaled our bicycle-built-for-two along the back roads of Gloucester and Rockport last summer.

 

We work in the tourism industry here in Gloucester, so it’s not often that we get a day off together in the summer, but last summer we did have one. It was a beautiful sunny Monday and Tom said he’d do whatever I wanted to do. Since I hadn’t been exercising much, I thought that taking a bike ride around Cape Ann would be a fun thing to do. Tom agreed, so we spent the day pedaling our way around the island.

 

(If you don’t bring your bikes with you when you come, bike rentals are available on Rogers St. (Rt. 127) in downtown Gloucester and on Bearskin Neck in Rockport).

 

We started our day in historic Annisquam Village, where we borrowed our friends Lans’ and Wendy’s tandem bicycle. Through those narrow streets with gorgeous old homes, past the Yacht Club, to our first stop at Lighthouse Beach, near picture perfect Annisquam Light and a great view of Wingaersheek Beach, Ipswich Bay, and Crane’s Beach. Awesome. We then rode back to Rt. 127 and headed north. Following the coast along Washington St. we rode up those hills through BayView and into Lanesville. “Are you pedaling at all?” Tom asked several times as we made our way past Folly Cove, a great spot for scuba diving, and on into Rockport.

 

(As an aside, I should point out that this was our first time riding a tandem bike and that I was the person on the back of the bike. The person in the back gets a pretty good view of not much more than the front guy’s back. Tom is a  big guy…over 6’2”…so by the end of the day, my neck was stiff from all the time spent craning to see things other than his backpack).

 

At Cape Ann’s northernmost point, we turned into Halibut Point State Park. A path leads to an old granite quarry with cliffs and a fabulous view of the ocean beyond. A wonderful spot to picnic, relax and enjoy the ocean, but not for us that day. We had ice cream cones on our minds and knew where to find them. Off to Bearskin Neck we pedaled.

 

It was a quiet day for Rockport shopping, which meant there was no line at the ice cream shop. We took our cones out to the end of Bearskin Neck to relax and watch the sailboats. Next we headed south to Gloucester, but we decided to take in all the quiet side roads along the coast to get there. We pedaled along Rockport harbor, then past the Headlands, by Old Garden Beach, Loblolly Cove, Cape Hedge Beach and Pebble Beach. Each beach has its own flavor and the homes we passed were gorgeous. It’s easy to imagine living in one of these big Victorian mansions at the turn of the century…sitting on the front porch swing, sipping a gin and tonic, gazing at the ocean.

 

Before we got to Long Beach we grabbed sandwiches and cold drinks for a picnic. The beach was crowded with lots of swimmers and sunbathers who had come to enjoy this perfect summer beach day. After our break, it was back on our bike past Good Harbor, one of Gloucester’s finest sandy beaches. We decided to keep pedaling and to take the long way back around Bass Rocks and the Back Shore. Crashing surf with Thacher Island and its twin lighthouses in the background, a few walkers, runners and photographers to share the sidewalk with. Sunny, bright blue sky, sparkling blue water, boats heading in and out, a gorgeous day to be outside.

 

Then it was along Farrington Ave., past the entrance to Eastern Point. We were getting tired, so we decided to skip the extra mile or so out to Eastern Point Light and the Breakwater. “Just keep pedaling,” Tom told me for the umpteenth time. Past Niles Beach, Rocky Neck, along East Main St. to the Inner Harbor. We rejoined 127 as it follows the harbor downtown. A shortcut up Prospect St., then down Maplewood Avenue to Poplar St. allowed us to avoid the rotary, which is not very bike-friendly. Soon we were back on Washington Street (Rt. 127), heading west and north through Riverdale to Annisquam. We made our way past the Village Church, the Village Hall, the Village Market, and picturesque Lobster Cove to our starting point. We made it!  We were tired and sore, but it had been a great day. We’d seen a lot and felt like we’d really been away. We’d pedaled maybe 20 miles and had burned enough calories to warrant a drive to Essex for a fried clam dinner!

 

On our way home that night, Tom suggested that on our next day off, we lay on the beach and do nothing all day. “Sounds good to me.” I replied. “Count me in.”