A Place of Resort

January 25, 2014

Hudson Falls NY (and Rockport, Massachusetts)

A healthy man, indeed,
is the complement of the seasons,
and in winter,
summer is in his heart.

   HDT, A Winter’s Walk, essay first published in The Dial, 1843

On that cold morning walk as I returned to health,
I saw a thing in someone’s front yard that was a little strange to see
(at least here in upstate New York):

Oh! It triggered a memory of warmer days  -

And a day later,while driving down the main street of Hudson Falls, 

in front of The Fish Fry Cafe

I saw another dreamer,

her finny tail trapped in the dirty snow.

She’s gazing eastward, as am I.

Here is a look back to September – to my visit to Cape Ann,
the summer in my heart today:

We’ve been visiting Rockport in September for many years now, 

and the scenery never fails to en-trance you.

There's a constancy to the sea which is comforting.

And we visit the same familiar places and shops, year after year.

Just when you think there’s nothing new going on –
behold ! The Windmills of Gloucester.

They weren't there a year ago - and took us by surprise.
Of course I had to get in the car and find out just where they were. Up close, they are truly large, and eerily beautiful at the same time.

They are visible from Good Harbor Beach –and Rocky Neck shipyard –

But they seemed to fit right in

This year we saw the full moon rise up out of the ocean

To light up the harbor in beauty

We breakfasted as high tide approached our hotel balcony:

And lunched at our favorite town park in Manchester-by-the-Sea.
Here's the view from our park bench:

And the evenings ... well ! 

Like many seaside towns, there is whimsy, and charm.

These two fellows shared the same dooryard on a quiet side lane

There’s treasure to be found both at the water's edge

and along the streets

It’s an artist’s dream.

I even found a Henry-sized house, available for rent. Hmm.

Enjoy this quote from Thoreau --
when he was actually pretty far off the mark !
Or perhaps he was just ahead of his time …

The time will come when this coast will be
a place of resort
for those New-Englanders
who really wish to visit the seaside.
At present it is wholly unknown to the fashionable world,
and probably it will never be agreeable to them.
     HDT, "Provincetown,” Cape Cod, 1865

[NOTE: if you want to see where we stay while in Rockport, visit this link.
It's an awesome location, and the innkeepers, who live on the premises,
make it a pleasant experience for all. It's dog-friendly, too.
After seeing these photos again, I called Tim and made our 2014 reservations -- today!]