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 Cape
Ann Visitors Overview...
Cape Ann is a community of three towns (Rockport, Manchester
and Essex) and a city (Gloucester) located about 30
miles northeast of Boston. Hundreds of thousands of
visitors are attracted to this "other" Cape
every year for its scenic beauty, beaches, history,
art galleries, restaurants, whale watch cruises, antiques,
and other attractions. An important factor to the Cape
Ann visitor is that, not only is Cape Ann a beautiful,
interesting place to spend a vacation, it's close to
two of New England's other major destinations, Boston
and Salem. However you divide
your time, you'll find a Cape Ann getaway or vacation
to be unique, special, and memorable. Click the icon below for comprehensive visitor information for Rockport and all Cape Ann.
As is typical to all of New England, Rockport and
Cape Ann have an interesting history, which begins
in Gloucester. We all know that the Pilgrims landed
at Plymouth Rock in 1620.
(They actually landed at
Provincetown before Plymouth, but that's another story).
Approximately three years after the Plymouth landing,
a splinter group from Plymouth seeking
good fishing grounds landed here in 1623 and dubbed
it "Cape Anne" after Queen Anne of England.
 Over two centuries earlier, in
1607, the French explorer Charlemagne
sailed into Gloucester Harbor, and also being suitably impressed, dubbed it "Le
Beau Port." Gloucester is certainly a good port. It has distinctive features
that made it America's first fishing port. The harbor is wide and deep, so it
can accommodate large vessels, it faces southwest, so it is protected from the
fierce northeast storms, and it is close to George's Bank, which was said to
be so rich with Cod that you could walk across them.
Rockport is distinctive for any number of reasons.
For years Rockport was a leading producer and exporter
of granite, which was used in buildings around the
world. Remnants of granite quarries are visible at
a number of places, including Halibut Point State Park,
which a place not to be missed in Rockport. Rockport
has attacted world reknowned artists for many years,
who's paintings and sculpture can be seen in the many
individual galleries and at the Rockport Art Association.
Today, the art, scenic beauty, history, beaches, location
and peacefulness attract visitors from around the world.
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