One of the benefits of growing up along the New England coast is always being near a beach. And Gooseberry Island and Horseneck Beach in Westport, Massachusetts, have always been two of my favourite places to go. As a kid I loved building sandcastles and chasing waves, in my teens the beach is was where we all went on our days off to kick back and relax, and in my early 20s Gooseberry Island was my go-to spot for thinking and de-stressing.

Unsurprisingly, not being within a twenty minute commute from the coast was one of the most challenging transitions for me when I first moved to London. So last November when I was home for Thanksgiving with Jeff and his mum (I couldn’t wait to show them where I grew up, and no way was I going to miss a trip to Westport!) we all piled into my car and made the journey down Route 88 to the coast.

Here’s my photo diary from the morning:

Gooseberry Island

Horseneck Beach

It was late November and we were lucky that the morning was clear. But the wind was strong and stung our face while the crashing waves sent salt spray towards us, resulting in the light taste of salt on our lips. I can almost smell the ocean just thinking about that memory!

As we walked further from the car, the World War II watch towers on Gooseberry Island came into view. They’ve always been covered in graffiti (well, for as long as I can remember, anyway!) and they were covered in a fresh coat with new designs. Once we were right up close to them I could see that they’d really been put through the paces over the past decade, and the sections we used to climb when I was a teen had fallen away.

After we’d had a wander around Gooseberry we headed over to Horseneck Beach, where there were a few people kite surfing, others jogging and some, like us, enjoying the view and taking photos. Horseneck is known for its dunes, so I had to take a couple pictures of them (above) to share with you.

There weren’t many people out that morning (of course, it’s always busier during the summer with so many tourists visiting to enjoy the coast!), but one of the best parts about vacation towns is that the locals are always so friendly – every person we passed smiled and said hello, and I got to pet a few happy pups enjoying a stroll along the beach.

As a kid I used to dream of growing up and buying a house in Westport so I could go to Gooseberry and Horseneck every day. Perhaps it’s not too late to make that dream a reality… if I can ever come to terms with leaving London forever!