Started the day just before sunrise - about 6am - heading out onto Rte 93N after filling up the tank. It was clear and cool with a bit of fog over the Zakim Bridge (sunrise at 6:26am).
Rte 93N and 1N aren't particular pretty, but once you cross over Rte 128, the bucolic rolling fields and farmland buffer the old money enclaves of Beverly Farms, Prides Crossing, Magnolia and Manchester by the sea.
As 128 narrows to a two lane road, I turned off into Beverly Farms and stopped at the West Street Cafe just as they opened. I was greeted by a friendly couple from Albania who ran the cafe. I figured they were European because when they gave me my marvelously steaming hot cup of coffee, there was a little cookie on the side - very much the way coffee is served in parts of Europe - particuarly eastern Europe. I had a delicious poached egg on avocado toast, a hubcap sized banana nut pancake with real maple syrup and a side order of bacon they way I love it - burned to a crisp. It was wonderful.
I headed on to Great Neck loop in Ipswich - another enclave of seaside "cottages" (none for less than $1M) high atop a bluff overlooking estuaries and surrounding marshes.
Moving on I made my way towards the Castle Hill estate - and passed by Russell Orchards. I stopped in just to smell the ambrosia that is their cider donuts. It's a great farm with pumpkins and apples to pick - and all kinds of baked goods, honey, maple syrup, etc. Regardless of whether or not you want pumpkins or pies - go there and just smell the donuts. Euphoria!
A little further ahead, along a beautiful winding, hilly, country road where you'll pass several estates complete with horses grazing in fields, I ended up at Crane Beach. I parked only long enough to snap this picture and then headed home through Topsfield - past the fairgrounds, on to Rte 1 and then back home. I began today's journey at 615am or so and was home by 11am. A lot of beautiful miles before many others were on the road.
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