Newburyport, MA - Great New England Destination

Hi all,

After a 4 day visit by the FEADSHIP YACHT "GOLDEN RULE" this week, I thought I'd take this opportunity to promote our historic and picturesque New England port town. The owner of "Golden Rule" said Newburyport is his favorite port-of-call in New England and what he enjoys most is that the city-owned dock is located in the heart of downtown. The dock is literally steps from an abundance of unique shops and restaurants.

Historic Newburyport, Massachusetts, is a small coastal city 38 miles north of Boston. It is located on the south bank of the Merrimack River, at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. A historic seaport with a vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport also includes part of Plum Island (a barrier island off the coast). The Coast Guard was started here over 100 years ago.

Newburyport was originally settled in 1635. And in the early 1970s, a number of civic groups restored Newburyport's downtown to its original state. The city is frequently cited as an example of how to preserve a city's historic architecture, while still allowing it to be liveable and functional.

I'm including a few photos of the GOLDEN RULE'S visit and a couple that I took of downtown Newburyport this morning.

Newburyport Website
http://www.newburyportchamber.org/

Newburyport from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newburyport,_Massachusetts

Absolutely! My favorites are The Grog and Rosie O'Sheas.

Here are a couple more photos that I couldn't fit into my first post. In photo #3, you can see where the the dock and water is located in relation to downtown. It's at the very end of the brick path that's leading away from you, in the center of the photo (you walk past the wooden statue of the fisherman).

Hey Kevin... Not too many of your typical "touristy" things, but A LOT of shopping, eating, historic sightseeing, kayaking, bird-watching, and beaching in the area. Take a look at this link below for things to do in downtown Newburyport.

http://www.newburyportchamber.org/

There is also PLUM ISLAND about a mile to the East, at the mouth of the river. It's a small barrier island just off the coast and virtually the entire oceanfront is 6.5 miles of beautiful public beach. The southern half of the island is encompassed by the Parker River Wildlife Refuge...in which there are boardwalks that take you through the dunes and out onto the beach; these are great for sightseeing or birdwatching. The Audobon Society also has a brand new educational center right on the Merrimac river, on the way to Plum Island. See all the links below for details and photos.

On the map at the bottom of this post, you can see Newburyport is 1 mile west of the Merrimac River's wide mouth. And you can see Plum Island (in green) along the coast.

Photos of Plum Island
http://newburyport01950.com/plumisland/gallery.html
http://newburyport01950.com/plumisland_2/gallery.html

Plum Island Description
http://www.plum-island.com/description.htm

Plum Island Visitors
http://www.essexheritage.org/visiting/placestovisit/listofsitesbycommunity/parker_river.shtml

Plum Island - Parker River Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/parkerriver/

BirdWatching with the Audobon Society
http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Joppa_Flats/index.php