Weekend Itinerary

By Erin Byers

Day One

A morning walk along the weathered bluffs of Halibut Point Reservation in Rockport puts nature lovers in touch with the glories of Cape Ann. Tidal pools among the rocks above the crashing surf teem with starfish, snails and scuttling crabs. Recharge over coffee and homemade muffins at Sunrise Grill across from Front Beach , where breakfast comes with waterfront views and is served all day.

After strolling the lively, shop-filled streets, head down the coast 25 miles to Salem . Witch City can be explored by foot, or hop a ride on the Salem Trolley for an hour-long narrated tour. Among the Federal mansions of the McIntire Historic District is Salem's most famous home and New England's oldest standing mansion (built in 1668), The House of the Seven Gables.

Day Two

In Plymouth , begin your day like the Pilgrims would — with some hard, farm labor. OK, maybe that's not your idea of fun, but the Jenney Grist Mill, a working reconstruction of a 1636 corn mill that stood on the same site for more than 200 years, offers tours and shares insight to the Puritan ethic. A 30-minute tour by a costumed miller includes highlights of the mill's history and a corn-grinding demonstration. Follow up this tour of the toil with a peek into the pleasures of modern life. The artisanal spirit is alive as well at award-winning Plymouth Winery and Plymouth Bay Winery, a pair of modern enterprises that specialize in crisp cranberry vintages. Both are located on the waterfront.

Day Three

Begin your visit to Provincetown with a stroll down aptly named Commercial Street , where jam-packed retail establishments run the gamut from sophisticated art galleries to tacky T-shirt shops. Whatever you're craving, this community has it. Wrap things up by climbing the 252-foot-high granite Pilgrim Monument tower. Some find the 360-degree view dizzying, but no one ever forgets it. Kind of like Provincetown itself.