Today I hope to spread a little joy through sharing with you a fun day trip… to my hometown! I recently picked up and enjoyed a book called “The Most Scenic Roads in Massachusetts” (by John Gibson. Like many of you, I need day trips for a well-being booster on my day off, and this book has some good day trips outlined for inspiration. One of the day trips in the book includes my hometown!
The road trip attached starts in Lynn and involves driving around Nahant, Salem, and eventually my hometown of Marblehead, MA. If you need some small-town relaxation and ocean views about 40 minutes from Boston, Marblehead is a great place to visit! The north shore region of Massachusetts is known for its rocky coastline, wetlands, beaches, and tranquil harbors. And Marblehead, in particular, is known for its history, its crooked lanes and irregular houses, its fishermen.
I wanted to invite you to my favorite spots in Marblehead with hopes that going there can spark some peace, relaxation, and sense of adventure on your coveted day off. Try to go on a Saturday, since the town gets much sleepier on Sundays. Here’s what I would do on a day trip to Marblehead:
Morning
– Breakfast to go at The Muffin Shop and walk to Crocker Park for a picnic overlooking the harbor. Or, if you’d prefer to sit at a restaurant, eat at my grandmother’s favorite Driftwood Restaurant. It’s a small diner near the ferry, featuring pancakes and bacon.
– Old Town Walking tour: Make your way to Abbot Hall to take a self-guided historic walking tour (pdf) of Old Town. You’ll see lots of neat architecture, it will be a pretty walk, and there are lots of little shops and galleries that you will pass by and can pop into.
– Shopping: don’t miss the cute shops!!! My favorite shops in downtown Marblehead near the walking tour route include:
- French + Italian (clothes made of incredible fabrics from Europe)
- O’Ramas (the most decadent pajamas and blankets, plus some nice picture frames and hair clips)
- Mahri (clothes, jewelry, and a good selection of Simon Pearce glassware), and
- FL Woods (husband’s favorite. Great men’s clothes including from Faherty)
- I also looooove Maison de Mer (next to Shubies, below), so if you happen to be near there, don’t miss it. That store has many of my favorite French linens from Provence region in France.
Afternoon
– Lunch: By the end of the walking tour, you’ll be ready for lunch! I suggest lunching at the casual The Barnacle restaurant, which features harbor views and fresh seafood. If you want to picnic instead, you can pick up deliciously fresh and creative sandwiches and salads (and dessert!) from Shubie’s Marketplace (closed Sun) and make your way to Devereux Beach.
– After lunch, and once you’re done relaxing on the beach, rent a paddle board from Riverhead Beach and enjoy the views from the water. If you’re running late or prefer to paddle board later, you can! This company offers glow-in-the-dark paddle boarding!
Evening
– Grab pizzas from Fresca Pizza (Voted Best Pizza in the North Shore 2 years running!) and chocolates from Stoweaway Sweets (open Tues–Sat 10-5, closed Sun and Mon), or if you didn’t eat at Shubies for lunch, you can grab a lot of picnic foods there, and head out to the Marblehead Lighthouse (Chandler Hovey Park) to watch sunset from the best sunset spot in town (it’s also where my sister got married!). Sunset dinners in this spot continue to be my favorite family tradition.
