One of my top summer wish list items was to do a bike trip around Cape Ann. If you look at a U.S. map, it's the knobby piece of land north of Boston, MA. And, it's absolutely gorgeous this time of year. I went once as a teen and once when Chris and I were dating, but didn't remember it at all.
The view from the state park, where we abandoned the car and took up our bikes. I'm only sorry you can't smell the salt air too.
Grace steered me to Coveted Yarn, in Gloucester. They have gorgeous Louisa Harding and Noro yarns, as well as other treats, and if you are in the area, I highly recommend a visit. It doesn't look anything like the fictional yarn shop in the Seaside Knitting mysteries I've been reading, but is a treasure anyway.
One of the local beaches.
While we were looking for the lighthouse road, we took a turn down this amazingly breathtaking road where I want to live if I have an undiscovered relative who someday leaves me an inheritance. The view is so perfect, it doesn't look real. I am going to limit posting to one or two pictures, but Chris took tons for me. Here are my beloved beach roses, Rosa Rugosa. I have to get some for my garden, once I clean out the old shrubs.
The sailboats. The other thing I will get someday with my fantasy inheritance.
We found the lighthouse! They hid it down at the end of a private street on a rocky path, but we were not deterred.
I could live here very happily. Love the courtyard.
The little village of Rockport. If you follow this road out to the [short] end of Bearskin Neck, you are surrounded on all sides by water. So cool.
Lunch on the terrace of My Place by the Sea, at the end of the road above. Oh, the view.
After lunch, we saw the infamous Motif No. 1. Any time a magazine wants a symbolic image of New England, this is what they use. The local and visiting artists often paint it; there is an artist colony here, also mentioned in the Seaside Knitting mysteries, which I somehow missed.
The little village of Annisquam has a wooden footbridge...
...and it was so much fun to ride over!
After more pedaling (mostly uphill, ugh!) we completed 26 miles and returned to Gloucester. Here is the gazebo in the state park:
This sign may also look familiar. Remember the commercial?
One more scenic photo from Rockport, at Bearskin Neck:
And now I have to tell you a story about a dress. The dress.
After we ate lunch, we were just about to push off uphill for the second part of our ride, when I saw a little yellow house-shop with some dresses displayed on hangers outside. There was one that just sang to me, and I got off my bike, clumpy shoes and all, and went into the shop to try it on. It was love at first sight.
We wish we had gotten a photo of my coming out of the shop to show Chris, as of course the bike shoes and kitty skull socks did not quite set the dress off to advantage! I had my cycling shorts and a little skirt on underneath too, which made the bottom of the dress pouf out like a square dancer's crinolines. However, I was going to buy the dress anyway, though there was one teeny little problem: how to get it back to the car.
We did not have so much as a bike rack with us, let alone pannier bags or a backpack. I might have been able to manage a small shopping bag dangling off the handlebars, but that wouldn't be easy. So, we had the saleswoman roll the dress up as small as possible inside tissue paper, like you do for luggage, and Chris put it in his jersey pocket. It looked like he was carrying a huge subway sandwich on his back! Thankfully when I got the dress home and hung it up, it shook out beautifully. I wore it to church the next day.
The dress is asking for a purple shawl. After going through some of my patterns, the one I like most is the Sweet Lily Shawl, but I'll need to get some laceweight yarn. Do you have any suggestions? I'm not entirely sure I want to start this while I'm also working on my skirt, but the sirens are calling me and I cannot resist. By the time I finish it, I may end up wearing it with my w-nt-r coat.
I hope you are enjoying our seaside cycling tours. Next post = the summer solstice observed. By the sea, of course!
What a great ride! Was this a day trip or did you stay somewhere cute and New England-y? And I love the dress, you look gorgeous in it.
Posted by: Robin | June 23, 2010 at 05:56 PM
Looks like a fabulous day, and the dress is very cute and flattering!
Posted by: Jodi | June 23, 2010 at 06:10 PM
What a cute story about the dress that called out to you. It looks so cool and beautiful, like a watercolor.
Posted by: Kristen | June 23, 2010 at 09:06 PM
Oh the dress is stunning! You look gorgeous.
And if you live there, I'm moving in! ;) Another amazing ride...
Posted by: Kara | June 23, 2010 at 11:38 PM
Great dress! I applaud your decision to buy it!
I really should make a trip to New England some day. Your summertime photos show it off very nicely. (I don't think I would like winter in the northeast though)
Posted by: betty | June 24, 2010 at 12:13 AM
I love your dress and the shawl will be so perfect with it!!
Posted by: 2paw | June 24, 2010 at 08:32 AM
Great photos, and I love the new dress! I would actually make a white shawl as it will go with more things. I think it will make the purple in the dress "pop" more than if you made a purple shawl. Just my opinion!
Posted by: robin | June 24, 2010 at 12:17 PM
Looks like you had a great time! Have you been wading or swimming in the ocean yet this summer? There were a couple of beach closures here already this year so I haven't yet. I usually go wading with the dogs a few times.
Posted by: Sarah | June 24, 2010 at 02:03 PM
That sounds like a wonderful place to visit! The pictures are beautiful. It must have been an absolutely gorgeous bike ride. And the dress is beautiful! I'm glad you found a way to get it back to the car :)
Posted by: Dorothy W. | June 24, 2010 at 08:32 PM
What a great place to explore! I have to get there. Erica and I just have to catch up with each other to go there...we've been trying for a while.
Love, love the dress!!! It is perfect and that shawl will be beautful...
I would recommend Heather's yarns for it...
http://www.sereknity.com/
Posted by: Sara | June 25, 2010 at 05:41 PM
Wow, what a beautiful dress! I just started a shawl in Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace. I'll let you know how it knits up.
Posted by: Beth | June 25, 2010 at 11:52 PM
Beautiful dress, and you look great in it. It will look lovely with a shawl. I enjoyed reading about your tour, and envy your beach chairs on the sand.
Posted by: Jane | June 29, 2010 at 01:01 PM
That is an absolutely gorgeous dress. I'm glad you decided to buy it (and figured out a way to transport it back to the car)!
Posted by: madalyn | July 01, 2010 at 03:50 PM
Beautiful dress! And beautiful photos! Sounds like a magical day.
Posted by: Chris | July 02, 2010 at 03:05 PM