An Evening in Rockport

Last night two friends, my sister and I took a little trip to Rockport. We went there to see the downtown illumination and fireworks.

 

We absolutely love Rockport. Once we arrived, I wanted to make a beeline to Helmut's Strudel Shop. I can never be sure if they will be open. It seems they close rather early for a shop in a tourist town but maybe I just arrive too early in the Summer and they reserve their later hours for July and August.

As you can see here, they were open last night. We met up with our friends Chris and Diana who live in Gloucester the next town over. Diana is also our friend Mary's sister and Chris is Diana's son.

The night was perfect. The weather was fantastic, not too cool or too warm. The Super moon was out or the almost Super moon I should say. This is the view across from the deck at Helmut's.

Diana and Chris enjoyed the deck too. They are lucky to live so close to Helmut's.

We enjoyed hot strudel like no other. Oozy apples on the inside, crispy flakey crust on the outside. It crunches with every bite. Topped with powder sugar, yum! I bought a box of strudel to go so I could relive the memories at home. My Dad, sister and I enjoyed it after dinner tonight.

 Sitting on the deck watching the boats bob up and down is such a relaxing way to spend time. I did not want to leave my chair.

The moon had a bit of cloud cover by the time we left Helmut's. We still had a little time before the fireworks started.

Here's another shot from the deck. As you can see this shop is perfectly positioned for ocean viewing.

Moon glow on the harbor. I parked the car way beyond those houses. Parking is at a premium in Rockport. I know the side streets so I always find a space but it can be quite a hike.

I love this restaurant! My Place by the Sea has a fantastic location overlooking the ocean. I only went there once but the food was very good. Last night, there was a special dinner and dj advertised for $85 and of course, the most perfect viewing spot for the fireworks.

Yes, there is a second deck to the restaurant. What a great spot for viewing sunsets and for romance.

Here is the front of My Place By The Sea. I love the twigs laced with lights.

Last night was Illumination Night so there were mini paper lanterns in the twigs.

Just such a pretty look. Presentation is everything at My Place By The Sea.

We meant to have dinner but we had the strudel and then we just walked around bit. Instead of a formal dinner, we had hot dogs and shared some fries. It was good and just enough to tide us over until the fireworks.

Some of the shops had lanterns and lights outside too. I loved the bikes outside the shop.

We had waited for 3 hours for the fireworks to start.  It was worth it. We had a great viewing spot.

The fireworks were launched right across from us. Perfect for taking photos. My friend Don brought a tripod with him. I am sure his photos are spectacular.

I preferred the hand held camera method. The photos would not be as crisp but I did not want to lug around my tripod. I needed that other hand to carry the strudel!

At the end of the night, Don let me use his tripod. We took this photo of the harbor. Magical, isn't it?