Let’s face it, after the summer hordes depart from our seaside havens, year-rounders can seem a bit peevish. And who could blame them, after months of catering to the trinket-and-ice-cream crowd? In our increasingly homogenized world, I take comfort in the fact that our old salts are still plenty salty. You can still find them in Rockport, although they might have traded in their fishing nets for a canvas and paint brush. This town, just an hour from Boston, offers a quiet winter getaway for families or couples and a way to reconnect with the region’s rugged seafaring roots. Several cozy bed-and-breakfasts and old oceanfront inns remain open in winter, as does a sampling of shops and restaurants that line the waterfront.
Without tourists, Rockport is a quiet ocean retreat
Stay
The oceanfront Emerson Innby the Sea (1 Cathedral Ave., 800-964-5550, www.emersoninnbythesea.com, standard queen, ocean view, November-April $169, continental breakfast included) dates to the mid-19th century. Its namesake, one-time guest Ralph Waldo Emerson, was said to draw inspiration from the boulder-strewn vistas; quotes from his writings dot the hotel. (“All life is an experiment - the more experiments you make the better.’’) The staff was a bit distant during our recent visit, but the porch view of waves crashing on the rocks made up for it. In the comfy parlor, a pianist managed a jaunty version of the Beatles “Here, There, and Everywhere.’’ For a traditional B&B experience, try the Inn on Cove Hill (37 Mount Pleasant St., 978-546-2701, www.innoncovehill.com, $125-$265 year-round). The graceful, restored, late-1700s home has seven rooms, all with private baths. The friendly innkeepers (one of them a retired Gloucester fisherman) gladly offer dining and shopping advice and seafaring tales.
Dine
The Greenery (15 Dock Square, 978-546-9593, www.greenery-restaurant.com, breakfasts $4.95-$7.95) offers hearty breakfast s (try the egg sandwiches, $7.25), as well as lunch and dinner, and specializes in homemade dishes. Across the street, The Fish Shack (21 Dock Square, 978-546-6667, plates, with fries and slaw, $10.95-$19.95) is a classic New England seafood restaurant with fried and broiled lunches and dinners along with requisite beach town touches: Buoys and Gulls bathrooms. Recommended: thick, creamy clam chowder ($4.95 for a cup). For a romantic, recession-friendly dinner head to Bistro 127 at the Yankee Clipper Inn (127 Granite St., 978-546-3455, www.bistro127rockport.com, www.yankeeclipperinn.com). The dining room overlooks the ocean. The restaurant offers two entrees, with a bottle of wine, for $29.99. Among the recent specials: ravioli stuffed with butternut squash. For an afternoon energy boost, stop in Helmut’s Strudel (69 Bearskin Neck, 978-546-2824) for a fresh pastry and coffee.
During the day
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