May 15

Salem

[On this day, we went sightseeing in Cape Ann.  Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. It is about 30 miles northeast of Boston and marks the northern limit of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Rockport.  (Wikipedia)  Before moving to Salem, our hosts lived in Rockport.]

[We drove through here, but I missed a photo of the city sign – so I stole these off the internet.  There was a recent movie named after the town, as I recall?]

[Hammond Castle is located on the Atlantic coast in the Magnolia area of Gloucester. The castle, which was constructed between 1926 and 1929, was the home and laboratory of John Hays Hammond, Jr. He was an inventor who was a pioneer in the study of remote control and held over four hundred patents. The building is composed of modern and 15th-, 16th-, and 18th-century architectural elements and sits on a rocky cliff overlooking Gloucester Harbor.  At present, the castle operates as the Hammond Castle Museum, displaying Hammond’s collection of Roman, medieval, and Renaissance artifacts as well as exhibits about his life and inventions.  The Great Hall contains a huge pipe organ which has been used for concerts and recordings by many famous organists including Richard Ellseasser and Virgil Fox.  Unfortunately, as of 2015, the organ is no longer functional. (Wikipedia)]

[We’ll be back to the castle shortly after a drive through the neighborhood . . . ]

[Dick mentioned some interesting stuff about the previous four photos, but I forgot.  Now we’re back at the castle.]

[Geez, no sunshine again today?]

[Five photos by the Super taken here . . . ]

[Then on to Gloucester . . . ]

[Surely you recognize this guy?]

[The tall, slender twin lighthouses on 50-acre Thacher Island, on the Town of Rockport’s seal since 1888, are an indespensible part of the local seascape. Now designated a National Historic Landmark, the island is also recognized as a significant historic site for the nation as a whole.  (neewenglandlighthouses.net)]

[We’ve made several visits here harkening back to the old days . . . ]

[Your basic Rockport business district businesses.]

[And harbor . . . ]

[Rockport harbor]

[Over the ages, we have taken many, many photos of this building.  And here’s why . . . ]

[Motif Number 1, located on Bradley Wharf in the harbor town of Rockport, is a replica of a former fishing shack well known to students of art and art history as “the most often-painted building in America.”  The original structure was built in 1840 and destroyed in the Blizzard of 1978, but an exact replica was constructed that same year.

Built in the 1840s as Rockport was becoming home to a colony of artists and settlement of fishermen, the shack became a favorite subject of painters due to the composition and lighting of its location as well as being a symbol of New England maritime life.  Painter Lester Hornby (1882–1956) is believed to be the first to call the shack “Motif Number 1,” a reference to its being the favorite subject of the town’s painters, and the name achieved general acceptance.

In the 1930s, painter John Buckley used the shack as his studio.  He sold it to the town in 1945, dedicated “In 1945, the town of Rockport purchased the Motif as a monument to Rockporters who had served in the Armed Services.”  The town, recognizing its iconic value, has taken pains to preserve both its structure and appearance, finding a red paint which appears weather-beaten even when new, and keeping the area clear of overhead wires, traffic signs and advertising.  (Wikipedia)]

[The Super sneaking in among the lobster traps for a shot . . . ]

[And here’s the photo she took.]

[And a photo of the harbor from the same spot.]

[Indiana University has been playing a big role in our lives lately – and here’s one of its most famous alums.]

[When Rose and Dick fled the nation’s capital, many years ago, this is where they first alit, a classic New England house.  They were only a couple blocks from the ocean here and walking distance to downtown Rockport.]

[And just driving around their old neighborhood, an animal sculpture garden . . . ]

[Riding around in a car sightseeing can build up quite an appetite.  So we stopped at one of Rose and Dick’s favorite restaurants, Soma in Beverly.]

[We returned to Salem so Reetz could meet up with an old friend.  This, and the following three photos by the Super.]

[Claire once lived in Nashville, Indiana, her connection to Rita, and has lived in the Boston area for many years.  She took the train up to Salem for an afternoon visit.]

[While the ladies went out for a walkabout in Salem, Dick and I stayed home with cognac and cigars (well, maybe someday, again).  The fellow in the background was allegedly with the Secret Service, but nobody was talking?]

Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.  ~  Henry David Thoreau

Up Next:  End of trip?