Grinny Goes to Gloucester
Like a pilgrim visiting sacred ground, in June of 1999, I visited Halifax, Nova Scotia to view for myself the "final destination" for many of the Titanic victims. It was a "must" for me after viewing several cinematic tellings of the story about the doomed ship in search of an iceberg, including the popular big-screen blockbuster by James Cameron. Even more gripping for me though, was reading "A Night to Remember" by Walter Lord, the highly-detailed tome that captured the minute-by-minute account of that fateful evening.
About a year later, I again became a sucker for a good sea-centered tale as I read Sebastian Junger's "The Perfect Storm" and then, saw the movie. So, I guess it was inevitable that I would soon spend a four-day vacation in Gloucester, Massachusetts - the home of an infamous maritime disaster: the loss of the Andrea Gail and her six man crew.
Founded in 1623, Gloucester, Massachusetts is the oldest fishing community on the Eastern Seaboard and lays claim that between 5,000 and 10,000 fishermen lost their lives since they started keeping track of such things in 1650 (Note: Depending on your source of information, the number of dead seamen changes. A plaque near the Fishermen's Monument states 5,000, but other sources state 10,000; even the town's Information Center can't say which figure is accurate).
| Actually, from the beginning, it looked like I would experience a "perfect storm" of my own on this trip. I love the sea and planned to spend a day on the Atlantic in search of whales. The weather forecast looked incredibly bleak: several weather sites on the Internet predicted "cloudy, dull, dreary, rainy" weather for the entire time I was to be in New England. Lucky for me, the weather forecasters were only 25% accurate as three out of the four days were absolutely clear, sunny and warm. Here I am at the Fishermen's Memorial on the rainy, dreary Friday I arrived in Gloucester. The plaque on the monument reads: "They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships 1623 - 1923." (Note from Grinny: I decided to travel light and did not bring any of my professional camera gear. All of these photos are taken with Fuji-brand one-time-use cameras, which give decent results with the utmost of convenience). | |
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The Fishermen's Memorial on a bright, sunny day and the names of the six seamen who perished on the Andrea Gail during the infamous "Perfect Storm" of October 31, 1991, from a nearby plaque. |
| This beautiful and unique marker is a striking monument to Gloucester fishermen at the Beechbrook Cemetery, City of Gloucester (established 1878). The message reads: "The lads have joined the silent majority and here lie in peace. Where no wind or wave can disturb their rest. Charmed by the sea, they fought many a gale with a courage and fortitude typical of Gloucester fishermen." | 
(Note from Grinny: I have another photo of a Gloucester grave, but for some strange reason, it won't allow me to insert it in this pictorial.......eerie!!!!)
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One night, I decided to drive up to Ogunquit, Maine, a
beautiful seaside community which boasts dramatic coastal scenery and a
quaint town of artists. It was dark when I arrived and there were no
vacancies at any of the dozen hotels I stopped at. Finally, I found
a lone vacant room at the Captain Thomas Resort Motel. I was
desperate and exhausted, so I took the room key and stumbled off to my
room in the dark. The next morning, I woke up, looked out my door
and saw a grave just outside in the parking lot!! What are the
chances?! Only to Grinny! The simple marker was for
"Oliver J." - a baby of only 7 days, who died in 1860.
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| Throughout New England, every town has its own historical
cemetery, with graves dating back to the 1700s. These gravestones are from The
Old Graveyard (1680) in Essex, Massachusetts, just behind the Essex
Shipbuilding Museum.
I usually don't plug the places I stay, but I had a wonderful time at the Cape Ann Marina Resort, just one mile outside of Gloucester (1-800-464-8439). The best restaurant in town, the Gull, is located at the same location, as is the Yankee Whale Watch (1-800-WHALING)....which I highly recommend! On my four-plus-hour cruise, we saw more than 30 whales, and a great deal of above water activity! One other stop worth making while in Glouceser is "The Crow's Nest," the tavern made famous in "The Perfect Storm." The tavern in the movie was created; the real "Nest" is on Main Street. |
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| Of all my photographs from this trip, this is my favorite. It reminds us to keep "balance" in our lives. |
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