Holiday Lights Cocoa Drives #GloucesterMA Houses 2022 – Merry and Bright Batch #3 Mapped🚗☕🎄

UPDATE

100 more homes mapped as of December 9, 2022. New streets (and/or newly lit homes on previously mapped streets), especially in East Gloucester, include:

Abbott Road, Abbot Place (off Harrison), Bass Ave., Brightside Ave, Chapel St., Crestwood Terrace (off Harrison), Davis St., Decatur St., East Main St., Grapevine Road, Green St., Harrison Ave., Hartz, Haskell, High Popples, Jacques Lane, Mt. Pleasant Ave., Perkins St., Rocky Pasture Rd., Skywood Terrace (off Harrison), Witham

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Map

**Raindeer are trending in East Gloucester**

Yes, Joan, there is a dinosaur

Understandably there is no Middle Street Walk 2020, so Middle Street looks different this season. There is an endearing Dinosaur visiting. Ho Ho Ho ha ha ha!

Joan of Arc WWI memorial statue by Anna Hyatt Huntington in back

fun fact- building behind dino corner of Middle & Wash. Streets was one place artist Edward Hopper roomed in for Gloucester visits

**The Sun newspaper editorial board response to “Is there a Santa Claus’ query from an 8 year old was published September 21, 1897 on page 6 (Library of Congress). Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Also twinkling nearby (Middle, Pine, School & Proctor, Chestnut)

More lights? Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map- tour from your car or keyboard.

p.s. Perkins St. extravaganza completed

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Map additions- Perkins and Ledgemont

Holiday Lights and Cocoa Drives 2020 map #GloucesterMA 🚗☕🎄✨⛄Update 2 – Portuguese Hill, other stretch Essex Ave

NEW photos in this post include: the second stretch of Essex Avenue from Richdale heading up to Farnham’s; Portuguese Hill neighborhood; don’t miss Happy Santa indigo up on Perkins; Harrison; and sweet charm of Hartz. Check the map for updates. Still to come: East Gloucester, Annnisquam, Lanesville, Magnolia.

annual beauty Concord/Essex Ave

Holiday lights & cocoa drives Gloucester Mass as of Dec. 2, 2020

What a gift our neighbors have shared for the community! There are so many festive houses in Gloucester it’s easy to plan multiple merry excursions.

  • For families and friends, eyespy challenges could switch nightly. Can you find a Santa? A peace sign? Snoopy?
  • How about a Bring the Cuddlies Christmas Light Tour- children can help their toy friends see out the car window. This one may be a given: Happy to share photos of your precious travelers :).
  • Pick a specific route by color lights or house style.
  • Bring art supplies to sketch a view.
  • Older homes make it fun to wonder about what it was like in the past. For families that like Old Timey winter scenes–imagine New England Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, Winslow Homer, and Currier& Ives– pretend the car is a sleigh or horse and buggy. Find some dress up attire that looks vintage (or go all out and find some duds at Bananas). Add a hot water bottle for the feet. A towel or blanket can wrap around like a hand warmer muff. For fans of Louisa May Alcott, point to Braewood* on Essex Avenue (across from Pauline’s gifts) and Rocky Neck, where she stayed on Gloucester holidays. Picture a winter skating rink in front of the UU Church on Middle Street. *For more about the history of Braewood and Alcott in Gloucester, search “Braewood” in this prior post.
  • For the train and dinosaur train enthusiasts, all aboard! The express car might even time with the T or train.
  • Switch off date night driving so the passenger can enjoy a festive eggnog.

These are special outings just outside your door. Don’t miss them!

Illustration for Louisa May Alcott Jack and Jill, 1880 – distant town and harbor suggestion of Gloucester from a property like Braewood at the time

happy Santa indigo

More photos

Plower’s Hill Challenge – Perkins and Mt Vernon Streets

As I drove around today, I thought the Streets up on the Hill must be a real challenge for the plows.

I wonder what other Monster Hills exist in Gloucester that create a challenge for the Mighty Plow Men of Gloucester.

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