Isabella’s birthday lunch

It was a nice day today, not much more than warm in the high-60s, but sunny. And since tomorrow is Isabella’s second birthday we decided to go out and do something. So we went up to Essex, Mass., a classic New England shipbuilding town that has become a cottage bedroom community of Boston, for lunch at Woodman’s.

I’ve written before about this clam shack that claims to be the home of the fried clam. (By the way, ounce for ounce, fried clams are more expensive in the Boston area than any other seafood, including lobster. Why?)

We had some fun, we shot some photos, including a few at my expense, and then we drove home. It’s such a beautiful drive up Route 127 through Beverly Farms and Manchester.

This is one of the things I’ll miss when we move away from the North Shore. I really do like the scenery and locale.

But then the South Shore has some nice places and I can introduce them all to Melanie and the kids.