Author: Pat D

The Lobster on East Main St has re-opened for the season ! My brother was visiting so we stopped by for lunch. It reaffirmed how happy we are that spring has arrived and the seasonal establishments are back to business. The Lobster hasn’t lost a single step. We splurged on the lobster Cobb salad along with blackened haddock tacos, fish sandwich and bacon wrapped scallops. We cannot wait to get back there again. Delicious!

Also of note in light of an earlier podcast discussion about public bathrooms, I was happy to note the easy-to-determine status for the bathroom availability at The Lobster. Extra kudos on the practical door lock indicators.

The egrets have begun to return, another sigh of spring! This one looked particularly regal.

The Bookstore of Gloucester on Main St is celebrating its 50th anniversary all weekend and all are invited to stop by. I checked out last night’s Open House which was lively and well attended. The fun continues today and Sunday so check the schedule out from their Facebook page. It should be a great weekend to be out and about in downtown Gloucester.

It’s so nice to see so much harbor activity thanks to the scallop season opening up this week. We have also noticed additional activity in the local restaurants, so welcome crew! It’s another solid indicator that the seasons are changing.

Hammond Castle Museum has a new website for us! Check it out. It’s been designed to make planning a visit easier for you. You might want to consider the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt event and this would be a good opportunity to check out the new website. Link here.

We LOVE going to Bravo by the Sea on Beach St in Manchester especially on Mondays when the Detroit style pizza is available. The small seating area is comfortable with easy parking. The service is thorough and friendly. And as if all that wasn’t enough, the Detroit style pizza is outstanding!

I took a cue from Joey’s recent post about the beauty along our harbor behind Maritime Gloucester on the Harbor Loop and went down there myself. I visit that area frequently and there’s always something beautiful to share. On this morning, there was work being done (no doubt volunteers). I recommend this stroll often and I stand by that recommendation once again. PS Will I see you at the Maritime Gloucester Kick Off Fundraiser April 11? Ticket info at this link.

We went in search of the sunset a few days ago. At Lane’s Cove, we came upon a group gathering on the breakwater. I believe it may have been a group of high school seniors. It made for a different kind of silhouette which I found quite intriguing. You also see Plum Cove Beach here. Perfectly peaceful and serene.

For those of you “from away”, here’s your occasional reminder of Gloucester and Good Harbor Beach from a gorgeous spring morning:

Sharing some details regarding the upcoming Bunker Hill Re-enactment to be held in Gloucester June 21-22 2026. Thanks for the summary Kent St Tree Lighting Facebook admin!

We observed the seals thermo regulating at Brace Cove on a recent spring afternoon. I counted about 8 of them. One little one seemed unsettled and slipped off its perch to seek another one. He kept swimming around and around the rock that already was hosting 4 seals. At least one of those larger resting seals wasn’t interested in having an additional body on board and told him so nose to nose. They are lots of fun to watch.

One thousand chowder cups in the process of being labeled for the upcoming Fish Chowder Taste Test event at St. Peter’s Club April 5 at 6 pm. 100 tickets sold ($10 each to benefit scholarship fund) if you want to participate in the tasting. No pre sales. The ticket gives you the opportunity to taste 10 different fish chowders and vote for your favorite.

Sharing information regarding 5 Star Phresh Phood from their Facebook page:

We took a ride and stopped to watch happenings along the Ipswich River a day or so ago. We were delighted by this trio of loons hanging out and feasting. They obligingly stayed close enough to watch for a while. It’s another sign that spring is upon us! Check out additional pictures and story details on Facebook at Pat D’s Photos and Adventures.

We stopped by the newly re-done Charlie’s Place for lunch this week. For the record, it feels like exactly the same Charlie’s Place on Bass Ave that you remember, just a bit fresher. The service is the same friendly efficient service you are accustomed to. I ordered the reuben that was on the specials sheet for the day and Jim got a grilled cheese and tomato. The reuben was outstanding….I like my to KNOW there’s sauerkraut on my reuben and this one hit the spot. Jim always enjoys his grilled cheese which must be fairly popular as I heard others placing the same order. But the highlight of my visit to Charlie’s is always the strawberry shortcake. I love the warm biscuits and the real strawberries. Perfection. Thanks Charlie’s! We are very glad you are back!

David Calvo shares the following information about the newest woodcarving class. Learn to Embrace Your Creativity!

I received an inquiry from Kim, an FOB wondering if I had any photos of Shellfish Warden Robert “Stubby” Knowles (1933-2004). I responded that I did not but that I recommend she try the Sawyer Free Library online digital newspaper resources. Then came the day I needed a post so I followed my own advice and here you see some of the results. I did find a couple of photos (obviously newspaper photos so not great digital quality) from the Gloucester Daily Times April 18 1987 and Oct 11 1978. My research also turned up notification that he had been awarded the NOAA Hero Award in 2005 honoring him for being a “patriarch of coastal wetland protection and restoration”. He himself reported having been threatened numerous times and having his home firebombed so extra kudos to him for his service to our City and the coastal wetlands.

I am including a photo of the icon you should use if you would like to do your own newspaper research using Sawyer Free Library resources. Fair warning, it can be a BIG time suck because it’s hard to turn it off once you hit your research mark. You may need your library card number for some of the resources but for the Cape Ann Newspapers 1827-1990 you do not. Happy hunting!

We went to Salem recently just to have a walk around for the day and we found ourselves at the Salem Armory Regional Visitor Center on New Liberty St. What a cool respite in the middle of a city that can sometimes get a little overwhelming. There are guides to assist you with questions, several historic displays, AND a bathroom. Currently there’s a display demonstrating how close Salem came to being the start of the Revolutionary War (look up Leslie’s Retreat if you are intrigued). With the upcoming Bunker Hill re-enactment in Gloucester June 20-22, viewwing it makes for good background info. Cheers to our National Park Service.

Sharing information from Pauline’s Gifts on Essex Ave. We look forward to stopping in to see what’s new.

We stopped for lunch at the Brown Dog on Central St in Ipswich recently because we were looking for a welcoming sit down pub like atmosphere. This fills the bill. Friendly service, varied menu and welcoming atmoshere are my top 3 parameters. I tried the (new to me) Northern End style sausage and pepper sandwich and Jim had a yummy fish sandwich. My sandwich was excellent and I think Jim agreed as there were no leftovers. The place is adorned with dog pictures and not just brown dogs either! I finished off with an Irish coffee which was a perfect ending to a lovely lunch.