Gloucester is America’s oldest seaport, so we couldn’t miss stopping here even though this was north of Salem (where we’d been earlier in the day).
As far as we could tell, its known for its many boating and fishing activities, whale watching, several lighthouses along Cape Ann, a walkable waterfront, fresh seafood, a local live theater, shopping (think record store, independent bookstore, and a local artist colony), and a 1920s-built medieval style castle called Hammond Castle.
With limited time, we headed straight for Gloucester’s iconic 8-ft-tall bronze fisherman’s memorial statue along the waterfront and walked through town, which was an interesting combination of working fishing village and summer destination.
Back in the RV, it was dusk before we arrived at Manchester-By-The-Sea. This upscale coastal town with its pretty park, quiet harbor (pictures top of page and below), expensive looking summer cottages, and boutique-and-restaurant-lined streets, somehow still manages to make you feel like you’re home. It inspired us to watch the movie (with the same name) once we were tucked into our camping spot in the Harold Parker Forrest that night.
The next morning, it was a hop and a skip into Cambridge. We made our way to a square, Cambridge Common, where we parked the RV, so we could stroll through the Harvard campus. It was beautiful, but sprawling!
Cambridge Commons 
Harvard
We moved to Wompatuck State Park and got a good night’s sleep in preparation for the ferry ride to our next major stop, Boston!
