Day Trip to Cape Ann

Are you planning a day trip to Cape Ann? Stay at Briar Barn Inn and enjoy the short, scenic drive to the seaside towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, and Gloucester. Discover sandy beaches, shop boutique stores, explore local trails, experience the arts, and dine at waterfront restaurants with the freshest seafood. Below is a list of our favorite spots throughout Cape Ann.

Essex

Food & Drink

• Woodman’s of Essex – Seafood specialist since 1914 and inventor of the fried clam
• CK Pearl – Fresh seafood with riverside deck seating
• Great Marsh Brewing
• Downriver Ice Cream

Attractions

• Ship Building Museum – A center for education, preservation, and study, of traditional Essex shipbuilding
• Essex River Cruise – Scenic public and private charters

Photo: Expedia

Manchester-by-the-Sea

Food & Drink

• Captain Dusty’s

Attractions

• Singing Beach
• Coolidge Reservation – “Ocean Lawn” – A scenic pond and a small forest of pine and oak lead you to a spectacular seaside lawn

Rockport

Food & Drink

• Roy Moore Lobster Co. – No-frills seafood eatery & market with outdoor waterfront seating
• Feather & Wedge – Locally sourced menu and craft cocktails
• The Lobster Pool – Outdoor picnic tables on the water serving New England seafood
• The Ice Cream Store

Attractions

• Bearskin Neck & Motif #1 – Downtown shopping, food, galleries, and iconic landmark Motif #1
• Halibut Point State Park – Rock quarry with low coastal shelf overlooking dramatic surf and tide pools
• Shalin Liu Performance Center – Seaside music hall
• Thatcher’s Island & Twin Lights – Lighthouse day trips to Thatchers and Straighsmouth islands.
• Front Beach – Small sandy beach within walking distance to downtown

Photo: Good Morning Gloucester

Gloucester

Food & Drink

• Short & Main – Contemporary bistro featuring creative pizzas and oysters
• Tonno – Italian seafood and old world-style wines
• Minglewood Harborside – Seafood and sushi with deck dining
• Lobasta Land – Local seafood and inventive dishes

Attractions

• Good Harbor Beach
• Wingaersheek Beach
• Schooner Thomas E. Lannon – Set sail out of Gloucester harbor on a 64′ schooner
• Rocky Neck Art Colony
• Hammond Castle
• Maritime Gloucester
• Fisherman’s Statue / Stage Fort Park