Newburyport, Massachusetts is a small New England coastal town that effortlessly balances a sense of warmth and comfort with a biting seaside breeze in the winter. Its dotted with small shops and gaze worthy views. The town is just south of New Hampshire and less than an hour’s drive from Boston, making it a great day trip in the winter or summer.
Newburyport has a conveniently located parking downtown along the Merrimack River, which opens out into the Atlantic. For a small parking fee, you can leave your car and walk straight into town. First however, make a stop at Oldie’s Marketplace, which borders the parking lot.
Oldie’s Marketplace is an enormous warehouse chock full of antique style, thrift store finds, anything from lobster traps to crystal bowls and comfy armchairs. The items casually displayed in front of the warehouse draw you in to see the rest of the goodies inside. Keep your coats on, though. Its cold in there!
The trip is best combined with a drive out to neighboring Plum Island. For a small park entrance fee you can drive along Plum Island’s 11 miles of sandy beaches and its marshes full of wildlife. Before you head over, grab a cup of coffee or a salted caramel hot chocolate (yumm…) at Soufflés Kitchen Essentials and Great Coffee. Here you can peruse some adorable coastal themed dishes while sipping on hot chocolate. I still wish I had bought that fish dish serving platter!
Don’t let the winter cold keep you in the house. If you live nearby and are not buried under five feet of snow, bundle up and make a day of it. Wander around the town, pop into a few stores, grab that hot chocolate (one is plenty to share between two people), and check out Plum Island!
THE RUNDOWN:
What: Newburyport, Mass: a small coastal town
Where: An hour’s drive north of Boston
When: Year round, but it has a special winter charm
What Else to Know:
- Be sure to combine the trip with a drive along Plum Island.
- Duck into Oldie’s Marketplace for some thrift store finds.
- For a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate head over to Soufflés.
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