They began the day at the shipbuilding museum in Essex, MA. After a false start in what Colleen THOUGHT was the video room (an alleged DVD on a 1947 film on shipbuilding was more like an old guy narrator rambling about the sea and a second DVD labeled "Shipbuilding in Essex" had horrible screeching audio) Jon and Colleen got to the ACTUAL video room to see the "classic" "The Shipbuilders of Essex" film. They are glad they did because the film was HILARIOUS. It was basically a plug for Essex with all kinds of random NOT shipbuilding stuff ("Lois and Everett learned just like with a ship, good things come to those who wait,") and social commentary "I don't who'd want to work in a factory, but I guess someone needs to." (A staff member later told Jon and Colleen the guy who commissioned the ship in the film was actually an actor. Which made sense. Otherwise he wouldn't have said lines, "Of course I found something to complain about even though it was perfect.") Jon and Colleen did learn some stuff though, like that there's a "steam room" that bent the wood used in the ships.
There was also one of only 7 Essex-built ships that are still surviving on the grounds,
although the circa 1927 Evelina M. Goulart was in pretty rough shape. It had been sunk for five years and then pulled out of the mud in 1990. Colleen really enjoyed the exhibit on caulking as well.There was a schoolhouse, cemetery and "Hearse House" that was also part of the museum, a little bit aways from the rest of the museum. You could only see the exhibits in the schoolhouse if you were on the guided tour, but you could get to everything else. The Hearse House demonstrated how before embalming, they had essentially a drawer underneath for ice so they could keep bodies literally "on ice." Cool, but creepy stuff.
Jon and Colleen then headed to the Hammond Castle in Gloucester.
Fortunately for them, they had extended hours for Labor Day weekend - otherwise they wouldn't have been able to make it through the whole thing. The tower alone had three different levels of exhibits. John Hays Hammond Jr., who was an inventor, built the castle (which had components of various European castles and, in the case of the courtyard, shop fronts) in 1926 as a wedding present for his wide Irene, who, the guide map said, was a famous portrait painter. A year after they moved in, they opened it as a museum. What you see in the house was all that they collected. Apparently they had a thing for medieval churches, because that made up most of the motif. (Although there was the infant sarcophagus out by the pool in the courtyard.) With the multiple levels and narrow staircases throughout, it actually felt pretty cluttered and foreboding. Clearly Irene felt the same way as the guest rooms were decorated in NON medieval styles and felt a lot better.The self-guided tour complete and looking for instructions on the grounds outside, Jon and Colleen had another run-in with the ticket taker/gift shop clerk who previously told them he'd see them on Wednesday (implying it was a crazy maze of rooms as we visited on a Sunday.) He asked if they were coming back on Halloween as the last two weekends in October they set it up as a haunted house of sorts - candlelight, and killer clowns (although they won't be killer dentist clowns this year as that scared the kiddos last year.) He then said, "You know who I am?" and pulled out a fake business card as Hannibal Lecter.
Turns out the Schooner Festival was happening in Gloucester so Jon and Colleen got to see a view of a lot of boats while they were there. They did see Mr. Hammond's grave site, although the Mrs. was nowhere to be seen.
It was now 4:30 and Jon and Colleen were starving so they dug into the popcorn take home treats from the wedding and went to town in search of ice cream. Colleen was able to convince
Jon, who only eats chocolate ice cream, to try the Almond Joy. After a walk along the waterfront, Jon, Colleen and Garmin went in search of the Annisquam Harbor Lighthouse, one of only two in the area that apparently can be accessed by car. The lighthouse wasn't marked very well but, thanks to a helpful neighbor, we found it. 
We went down to the beach level to get a closer view, but at least someone didn't want us there.
After the lighthouse it was off to Jon's brother's house for dinner.Essex Shipbuilding Museum: B+
Hammond House: C+
Annisquam Harbor Lighthouse: B+
--POSTED BY COLLEEN
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