A Cape Ann Day Trip: Gloucester to Essex Along Route 133

Cape Ann packs a lot into a short drive. You can start the morning by a working harbor and end the day on a long sandy beach, with a good stretch of shipbuilding history in between. Here is an easy day plan that follows Route 133 from Gloucester into Essex and beyond. It also leaves room for a stop at Best Budz, if that is part of your trip.

Route 133 begins in Gloucester and runs through Essex into Ipswich. That makes it a natural spine for the day.

Morning in Gloucester

Start on Stacy Boulevard, along the harbor. This is where you will find the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial, the bronze statue known as the Man at the Wheel. Sculptor Leonard Craske made it, and it was erected in 1925. It remembers the fishermen the city has lost at sea over its first three centuries. The harbor-facing base carries the words "They That Go Down To The Sea In Ships."

Take a few minutes here. Look out at the water, then walk the boulevard before the day gets busy.

Drive to Essex

From Stacy Boulevard to the center of Essex is about 12 minutes by car, roughly 7 miles. Pick up Route 133 where it meets Route 127, just west of the Blynman Canal bridge, and follow it west. You will cross Route 128 and leave the harbor behind. The land softens into marsh, and the road starts to feel like Essex.

Essex shipbuilding and the Essex Shipbuilding Museum

Essex was once a major shipbuilding town. In 1852, one out of every 28 American ships was built in one of its 15 shipyards, according to Essex National Heritage Commission. The town built schooners for Gloucester and other Atlantic fishing ports.

The Essex Shipbuilding Museum, at 66 Main Street, tells that story. The museum sits on the old Story shipyard at the river's edge, where it still teaches, builds and restores boats. Hours change through the year, so check the museum's website before you go.

The Essex River and the Great Marsh

The center of Essex sits on marshland around the Essex River. That marsh is part of the Great Marsh, a long salt marsh that runs from Cape Ann up to the New Hampshire coast. It is a fine place to slow down. Find a safe spot to stop, look at the water and the grass, and take in the view.

Antique shops on Route 133

Essex is known for its antique shops, many of them along Route 133 in the center of town. Browse for an hour. Even if you buy nothing, it is a fun way to see what Essex is known for.

A stop at Best Budz

If you are an adult 21 or older and want to stop in, Best Budz is at 242 John Wise Ave (Route 133), about 5 minutes from the center of Essex. We are a family-owned recreational dispensary. We grow cannabis upstairs and sell it downstairs, and the window behind the counter looks out over the Essex marsh.

A few tips:

• Bring a valid government photo ID. Every visit.
• Bring cash or a debit card. We do not take credit cards.
• Order online for in-store pickup if you want to skip the wait. We do not take phone orders. No appointment is needed.
• We are open Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm.

Coming from the Gloucester side? Our page for a dispensary near Gloucester has directions. You can also see our full Cape Ann dispensary guide.

Afternoon at Crane Beach

Crane Beach in Ipswich is about 7 minutes from Best Budz, on the Castle Neck peninsula. It is managed by The Trustees of Reservations and is roughly four miles of sandy beach, with trails through the dunes. It is open daily from 8am to sunset. Advance passes are required on weekends and strongly encouraged at other times, so check The Trustees' website before you drive over.

Crane Beach is also a nesting site for piping plovers, a threatened bird. Stay out of the fenced nesting areas, and dogs are not allowed from April 1 to September 30.

Use cannabis responsibly

A good day trip depends on a clear head, so plan this part before you go.

• Do not use cannabis in public. That includes beaches, parks, sidewalks, harbors and parking lots.
• Do not use cannabis in a vehicle, including a parked car.
• Never drive impaired. Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination and judgment.
• Plan a sober driver before the day starts.
• Use only at a private residence where it is allowed. If you are staying in a rental or hotel, check the house rules first.
• Keep your purchase sealed and out of reach while you travel, such as in the trunk.
• Start low and go slow if you are new, and never use more than you planned.

For the full rules, read our guide to Massachusetts cannabis laws for Cape Ann visitors.

Putting it together

• Morning: Stacy Boulevard and the Fisherman's Memorial in Gloucester.
• Late morning: Route 133 to Essex, then the Essex Shipbuilding Museum and the marsh.
• Midday: Antique shops along Route 133.
• Afternoon: Crane Beach.
• On the way home: Best Budz if you are 21 or older, with your purchase sealed in the trunk.

Drive times in this post are estimates and will vary with traffic, especially on summer weekends.

For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of reach of children.