Philip J. Thornton

If you’re visiting, you’ll get to try “candlepin bowling,” and you won’t believe how fun it is. And everyone should get the nachos.

Thanks for taking this trip with me.

Final in the series: Mass Route 127 / “Cape Ann Lanes."

You’ve made it to the end of my Route 127 Facebook Tour. Just go through the roundabout and take your first left. You’ll soon see a big blue sign that commands you to “BOWL.” It’s good advice.

35 of 36 in the series: Mass Route 127 / "CAM."

The Cape Ann Museum’s main building is in downtown Gloucester, but they recently built a campus at the very end of Route 127 to display bigger, more modern work. I had never been there before last Saturday. They were having a show about pipe organs.

Fast forward 150 years to the Great Depression. Meet Roger Babson (entrepreneur, inventor of the MBA, founder of two colleges, and almost-inventor of the parking meter). He hired some of the local stonecutters for an art project, in which he directed that inspirational words be carved into boulders

Number 34 of 36: Mass Route 127 / "Dogtown."

When the Europeans first settled here, they had to worry about pirates. So, some families moved further up into the woods. 100 years later, while the husbands were off fighting in the American Revolution, the wives kept dogs for protection: "Dogtown."

33: Mass Route 127 / "Washington Street."

If you can find parking, park. And then walk up and down these insane twisty streets. It's all just sweet houses on a winding road with granite fences. You'll wear out your camera, even though there's really nothing here. Just charm. And no parking.

No. 32: Mass Route 127 / “Lane’s Cove.” The roads are crazy, up and down hills and around corners. At the edge of this chaos is a quiet little cove. My daughter comes here in the summer and jumps off the rock walls with her friends. Every teenage movie should be set in Lane’s Cove.

31 in the series: Mass Route 127 / “Lobster Pool.”

At some point, you’re going to want lobster. This is the point where you should. Order your food, and then grab a picnic table on the lawn. Since you’re on a peninsula, you even get a sunset over the ocean (which is not easy on the East Coast).

Sailors used to yell "haul about" here to tell their crew to move the sails as they passed this spot, hence "Halibut." New Englanders are so funny.

30: Mass Route 127/"Halibut Point." This park gives you an easy hike past a photogenic quarry. Keep going through some twisty trails between brambles and over puddles until you get to the ocean. You'll be able to climb around on giant slabs and boulders while waves crash and seabirds paddle around.

29: Mass Route 127/“Rockport.”

Heading up 127A, you'll eventually hit Rockport and want to grab some taffy and see an art gallery. Also, find your way to the beach behind Shalin Lu Performance Center for the best seaglass hunting that we've found.

28: Mass Route 127/“Good Harbor Beach.”

After a beautiful drive/bike-ride along Atlantic Road, you can find this big sandy beach with waves just big enough to attract a few surfers. Build a sand castle and watch a seagull steal your Doritos.

Directions to the lighthouse from downtown Gloucester: Head north on 127. Turn right onto East Main Street and follow the coastline. Watch for Eastern Point Blvd to your right. Ignore the “Private” signs. It’s okay. It usually isn’t, but it is.

27 in the series: Mass Route 127 / “Eastern Point Lighthouse.”

You have to drive past a dozen signs that say you are not allowed to drive past the signs, but you are. Hike out on the half-mile-long sea wall for the best views. Winslow Homer lived here for a while in 1880. You’ll understand why.

No. 26 in the series / Mass Route 127. “Gloucester” / America’s oldest seaport. Perfect Storm. St. Peter’s
Festival in June. Whale watches.

25th in the series “Mass Route 127. “Stage Fort Park.”

If you’ve been to see Plymouth Rock, you were—like everyone else who has been to see Plymouth Rock—disappointed. What you had hoped for is, instead, here.

Directions to Ravenswood Park from Hammond’s Castle: Drive northeast on
Hesperus Avenue until you hit 127. Turn left and drive about a half
mile. Ravenswood will be on your right.

24: Mass Route 127/“Ravenswood Park.”/ 600 acres of forest
allow year-round hiking on 10 miles of easy trails. Ferns, magnolias,
hemlocks, boulders. Dog-friendly. The park was donated by Gloucester
native Samuel Sawyer. He also started a program that introduced music into the public schools.

Directions to Hammond Castle from Rafe’s Chasm: Pull out of the lot
(Carefully! You can’t see the traffic from either direction until your
passengers start yelling.). Continue northeast on Hesperus Avenue,
slowly, until you see the sign to your right.

It resembles a European castle and is stocked with Old World sculptures
to give visitors an introduction to European style. Don’t expect a real
castle—think of it as a sampler castle, built by a guy who could have
just made a big house for himself but, instead, wanted to share his love
of science.

No. 23: Mass Route 127/“Hammond Castle.” You’ll pass by a lot of mansions. But this is the one you want to see. John Hays Hammond Jr. was a genius inventor. His success allowed him to build a house in 1926 that also serves as a museum of technology to inspire people to fall in love with engineering.

Directions to Rafe’s Chasm from Coolidge: Take 127 a short distance
northeast to 127A (a sign will point to downtown Magnolia). Drive
through Magnolia and watch very carefully on your right for a tiny dirt
parking lot with a tiny sign.

No. 22: Mass Route 127 / “Rafe’s Chasm.” It’s a short hike to bright
orange rocky cliffs. It was named after a man (probably “Ralph”?) who
was freed from slavery in the early 1800’s, moved here and made his
living as a builder of stone walls.

Directions to Coolidge Reservation from Singing Beach: Get back on 127.
Head north-east. It’s all so pretty along here that you will get distracted, but have someone in the car keep an eye on MapQuest. There is a sign and a tiny parking lot on the ocean side of the road.

No. 21: Mass Route 127 / “Coolidge.” This was the location of a summer
mansion for Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, grandson of President Jefferson. A powerful guy, lots of money, big summer houses, houses torn down, descendants sell the land, now you go there and take photos of sunsets.

Directions to Singing Beach from downtown Manchester: The
highway takes a sharp left turn near the town’s cute little grocery
store, but you should go straight. Follow the road as it curves to the left. Off-season, you can park near the beach. During the warmer months, you’ll need to walk from town.

No. 20: Mass Route 127 / “Singing.” The sand on this beach squeaks when you walk on it, so it is called Singing Beach. Long after you don’t care about that anymore, you will find other reasons to
love it.

Even the name is so perfect that it’s funny. See the movie. Visit the town. / Directions to Manchester: 127 runs right through the main street.

Number 19 in the series: Mass Route 127 / “Manchester by the Sea.” The movie “State and Main” was a comedy released in 2000. The plot: a movie crew is trying to make a movie in a town so cute that its very cuteness becomes a running joke. They found the perfect location in Manchester by the Sea.

Directions from Beverly Farms to Tuck’s Point: Stay on 127. Drive slow
and enjoy it. Keep an eye on your Map-app and turn right onto the
easy-to-miss “Harbor Street.” At the T intersection, turn left.