Disclaimer: This blog post has paid affiliate links to Viator.
When in Massachusetts, a great place to stop is the town of Gloucester! What drew me to Gloucester was whale watching and the trip did not disappoint! We signed up for the Cape Ann Whale Watching tour through Viator for 4 hours. I would highly recommend the tour! Below is the link for the tour through Viator.com. If you are interested, click on the link below:
We departed out of the harbor viewing the New England buildings and lighthouses. Soon after we left the harbor, our first sighting was Australian White Striped Dolphins swimming relatively close to the ship. Mama and baby giving us a show!!
We then headed miles out and spotted some humpback whales. We have never seen so many adults rush to one side or another of the boat when the whales are spotted to try to get that perfect photo! I myself took about 85 shots just hoping that a couple of them would turn out. I think we love to watch the whales as they move so majestically through the water. We hope that they will spy-hop but we are grateful for the show that they give us.
After the whale sighting, a storm was quickly developing and the temperature dropped so we headed back. As a Midwesterner, we didn’t address appropriately for New England weather in September. At the end of the tour we disembarked and we went across the street to the Crow’s Nest bar. One of the great things about traveling is the side stories that you encounter along the way.
Crow’s Nest Bar-A Welcoming Stop
One of my favorite movies is ‘The Perfect Storm’. The movie stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Diane Lane. The Perfect Storm tells the story of the Andrea Gail fishing boat and it’s crew members that were lost at sea nearly 30 years ago in Gloucester. The Crow’s Nest bar is one of the focal points in the movie.
Upon approaching the bar, it doesn’t match the memory I have from the movie. We head into the bar and the inside doesn’t quite fit my memory either. Two friendly women welcome us to the bar and take our order. There are other tourists in the bar talking about the movie. A photo album of the members of the Andrea Gail and the actors that portrayed them circulates among the patrons.
In talking with the ladies, we find out that Hollywood built an enlarged bar with a different exterior based on the original. One of the ladies that was talking is the sister of one of the guys that was lost at sea. Her willingness to talk about her brother was endearing as she lived through the storm and the death of the crew that we only viewed on the big screen. She and her husband own and run the bar. The actual one has a warm atmosphere and tops the bar in the movie version!
If you are ever traveling through Massachusetts, stop at Gloucester to view some majestic whales and stop by the Crow’s Nest. You won’t be disappointed!!
Next Blog: Spooky Stop at Salem, Massachusetts 🧙♀️
Leave a Reply