Day 2, Part 1: Gloucester for a walk!
(the pictures get better...not sure what was up that first night...I am blaming the head cold!
)
We were up fairly early and looked out over a cold gray sky.
Uh-oh...this was not boding well for our planned itinerary, but hey, we were flexible! Steve showered and also left ankle deep water in the tub. I packed, we loaded the car and we were ready to check out. Today, we were spending the morning around Gloucester and then heading to the "other" cape, Cape Cod!
I took a few pictures of the back of The Crow's Nest. This is a working class area, low key, slightly run down and full of local color!
Steve bringing the luggage out:
A view from the back:
The hotel sat slightly below the houses in the back:
The bar was open (Yep, 8 AM the bar opened!
) so we went in and took some pictures. We ended up talking for a bit to one of the locals sitting there (he was having coffee!
) and he told us some of the
Perfect Storm/Andrea Gail history.
The
Andrea Gail of course, sailed into the Flemish Cap in 1991 and never came back. I believe a few oil drums and some floats with "AG" on it were all that were ever found of her. In addition, a Coast Guard parajumper lost his life in that storm. The Crow's Nest is filled with memorobilia from both the movie and the town that was so deeply affected by the tragedy.
This is one of the many collections of pictures on the walls. This shows the film actors and sets, as well as the
Lady Grace, the ship that was used as the
Andrea Gail in the movie:
A picture of the movie
Andrea Gail autographed by the actors, Sebastion Junger and some of the production crew:
The actual crew of the
Andrea Gail:
If you notice, the picture in the middle is missing. That was of Dale "Murph" Murphy, and someone stole it right off the wall!
And this is the real
Andrea Gail:
We left The Crow's Nest richer in local history and with a better understanding of how dangerous a life on the sea can be.
We drove a few blocks over and parked in the municipal lot. We were in search of breakfast, so we walked down Main Street. Vanessa had told us last night that the town had recently revitalized this area, and it looked really pretty! The streets were brick, and it was full of quaint shops and businesses!
This is the back of the Gorton's Fish offices. Check out the ship's wheel facades on the building:
Loved this sign:
Local color:
Unfortunately, this place didn't open till 10:30, cause it looked right up our alley:
We ended up at a place called "The Savory Skillet", where I had eggs and home fries and Steve had French toast and bacon:
The restaurant was in a sort of office complex. I decided to use the bathroom prior to our town walk, so I went over, and the door was locked. Here comes bathroom issue number two!
I waited for the person before me to get done, and when she came out, I went in. Ummm...it wasn't an individual type room, it was big, so why had the door been locked?
I did my thing, left, and when the door slammed behind me, it locked again! I am really hoping that someone had a key in that building, otherwise it was going to be an awfully long day for the ladies of Gloucester!
We walked the rest of the way down Main Street and cut across the plaza located next to the town municipal building. The police are housed here, and they had a memorial in the courtyard:
Each bench had a name on it, and there were about 15 benches grouped around a small plaza. Very nice.
Down to the harbor we went, where I took a few pictures!
This is the Fitz Hugh Lane house. Fitz Hugh Lane was an artist that lived in Gloucester in the 1800's. He was affected by polio as a young child, and had limited mobility for the rest of his life. He became a painter of Gloucester landscapes as well as ocean scenes, with a stunning view of the harbor from this vantage point. The Cape Ann museum has a vast collection of his art.
The house:
The artist:
His view:
This is Ten Pound Island light. I will tell you a bit more about that later!
We walked down to the Coast Guard station:
Rescue Randy, ready to go!
The Harbormaster:
A working harbor:
Bait clams being off loaded (you can see them on the chute):
Local gulls:
It was cold and damp, but we were happy to be where we were. We decided to try someplace inside, and we walked back up towards town hall.
Next....the museum, Ten Pound Island and The Fisherman's Memorial