Summer is upon us, and our family has many traditions we rediscover. Of course, it is important to have a beach or swimming hole for when the heat and noise of the city overwhelm. But it has to be the right beach because when everyone else has the same idea, getting there and settling in might prove too much of a hassle for a few hours in the sun.

Rockport, Massachusetts at the tip of Cape Ann has many such beaches and so much more to offer besides. A charming seaport town, it bustles year round with an active fishing industry, artist community, and a picturesque shopping district. The beaches are scattered around and inside the town, and if you go far enough away from the town center, you may even find some free street parking.

Our particular favorite is Old Garden Beach as we usually find a parking spot halfway between the shopping district and the beach. Unlike its more famous cousin Cape Cod, the beaches on Cape Ann are almost all open ocean and hence quite a bit colder. They are also rockier as the name of the town suggests, but this can be an asset to those who like climbing rocks. If walking to town and shopping does not suit you, there is a harbor walk that extends through most of the town and its surroundings, adjacent to most of the beaches; it is really quite remarkable how much public land has been preserved for the average nature walker. Signs abound making it clear where public land ends and people’s private property begins.

Today we arrive around noon as the usual hour trip from Boston was lengthened due to traffic. We change at the beach and fool around with floaties and beach balls before eating a packed lunch. What is it about eating at a beach that makes food taste that much better? Once they eat, our two youngest want to go shopping into town at Bearskin Neck without leaving our spot on the beach, so mom takes them into town while yours truly holds down the fort. The weather is 80 degrees and dry; not quite hot enough to swim but definitely enough to wade.

The overall vibe of the town and its beaches is restful. One might think this aspect a given for all beaches, but the family atmosphere here makes it especially so. Rockport is a small town, so it is common to run into people you know without planning it (as we did today). So if you are coming to Boston and do not want the hassle of two plus hours out to Cape Cod, consider a trip to the end of a smaller Cape where so much more is rolled into the adventure!