Adam Sandler -- Another Gloucester Fan

Adam Sandler and his movie star buddies were here this summer filming Grown Ups, and while one actress (andi poland) who was a guest at the Shutters and another actor (Jonathan Loughran) who we ran into at dinner, the big celebrity sights never happened. But there's still a chance. According to the Boston Globe, Sandler has made an offer on the place he rented out on Eastern Point. The Globe goes on to talk about some of his favorite places in town -- the Y, Long Beach Dairy Maide (just down the street from the Shutters), Dragon Light and Frank's SubZone. Maybe he'll add the Blue Shutters to the list next time around.

Old Friends are Back Again...Having More Fun Every Year

One of the benefits of innkeeping is making new friends -- and continuing those friendships from year to year. The past few weeks have provided many examples of this -- there were friends who returned from Ohio, NJ, Pennsylvania and western Mass. And in every case, there were more in their groups -- and more days a the Shutters than past years. Just yesterday, we said goodbye to our "girl scout jamboree" and Dave and his family -- between the two groups, they took up nearly every room at the Shutters. And best of all, every one of these folks have signed up for next year. We're already counting down the days.

Sea Glass Hunting on Gloucester Beaches

There's no end to the beach activities friends of the Blue Shutters find to fill their days here, and some are pretty obvious (sunny on the sand, body surfing, walks along the shore, kayaking). But here's one you may not have thought of: searching for sea glass that can be used to make jewelry. That's what Betty Hamilton does when she's here. You can see her work in an album at the Shutters, or online at her Mermaid's Tears website. And you can read about her in the news; her local NJ newspaper just did feature on Betty's work -- and mentioned her sea glass hunting in Glouceser.

Food, Farmers and Fishing History

We've had a few rainy days this summer -- fortunately, fewer in recent weeks -- and when the beach isn't an option folks always find fun activities. One couple had this suggestion -- check out the Farmer's Market (every Thursday on the Harbor Loop) and the Maritime Heritage Museum. They did both yesterday when the clouds rolled in and had a great time. They also caught the "Seafood Throwdown" at the Market, where local chefs competed with their best dishes. There are two more of these events schedule -- on September 19 and October 8. Mark your calendars!

Connecting on Cape Ann -- Web Links to our Friends

We recently added a new feature to the Blue Shutters website -- a page of web links to our friends around Cape Ann. You'll find things to see and do "on the water", "on the shore" and "on the town". If there are any places you think we should add, let us know -- and if you want to link to our website, please do. Enjoy!

Check out the Blue Shutters Photo Album

If you haven't seen the latest additions to our website photo album, you owe it to yourself to take a few minutes to check it out. There are photos from quests (the sandcastle shot was taken by Ann Marie's cousin Susan), from special events (one of our wedding parties, the wine and food tasting and the spring Brews & Blues), and new pictures of spots around the Shutters. There are also some new photos on the "Our Rooms" page. Enjoy!

Lights, Camera....Gloucester

One of the reasons for the resurgence of Gloucester as a tourist destination is the movie (and the book) the Perfect Storm. In recent years, Cape Ann has been the setting for many other movies, most recently the Sandra Bullock film, The Proposal(I haven't seen it, but others report that there is a scene with the famous Rockport Motif #1 -- with a snow-capped Alaskan mountain digitally added to the background. The current buzz is the Adam Sandler movie, Grown Ups. Sandler appeared on the Conan O'Brien show tonight and mentioned the movie -- and Gloucester. The former Saturday Night Live star is trotting out a bunch of buddies for this movie, and actors are being spied all over the area -- including Chris Rock buying green tea at our local Stop and Shop, and Salma Hayek enjoying the carnival at the St. Peter's Feast. We ran into one of the actors, Jonathan Loughran, at Rocky Neck's Madfish Grill, and actress Andi Poland spent the night at the Blue Shutters. The movie continues filming for awhile, so now there's even more reasons to visit the Blue Shutters -- you may run into Adam Sandler in the frozen food aisle at Shaws.