Fried Clams

Today was a beautiful day, so we decided to drive to the North Shore and explore the towns of Essex and Ipswich.  We ate a sinful lunch at a place in Essex called Woodman's, which has been "doling out seafood since 1914".  We ordered their fried clams, onion rings, and french fries and they were absolutely delicious!  We ate them outside, overlooking a pretty salt marsh, and felt that life was very, very good.

Next on the agenda was a short drive to neighbouring Ipswich, where we visited Castle Hill -- an amazing "summer place" built in the 1920's for the wealthy Crane family.  The 59 room house is situated on 2000 acres of land overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and it was used for only 8 weeks each year!  Very Great Gatsby-esque.  I've added a photograph of the house taken from the far end of the Grand Allee which stretches half a mile to the dunes and beaches.  Unfortunately, the house was not open today, but we could (and did!) walk in the grounds -- something we definitely needed after such a gluttonous lunch!