The 10 Most Memorable Things To Do on the Massachusetts North Shore

Squeak Your Feet on the Singing Beach

The unique natural sand at the Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, squeaks out a tune beneath your feet.

© 2007 Kim Knox Beckius

Musical sand isn't the only thing that makes this a special beach. Its small parking lot, which is open to the public Monday through Thursday but reserved for Manchester-by-the-Sea residents only Friday through Sunday, makes this Boston North Shore beach rather exclusive, although Manchester Parks & Recreation Director Matt Casparius assures me: "Anybody can go to the beach."

A few hints:

• Arrive early; the parking lot is usually full by 11 a.m., even on weekdays.
• Take the commuter rail from Boston to Manchester, and the Singing Beach is just under a half-mile walk from the station.
• Head to the Singing Beach in the off-season: before Memorial Day or after Labor Day.

• Sail Out of Gloucester Aboard a 65-foot Schooner
• Dine at the Top of a Lighthouse
• Drink Watermelon Beer
• Hold a Sea Star in Your Hands
• Feast on Fried Clams at the Place Where They Were Invented
• Squeak Your Feet on the Singing Beach
• Meet the Artists at the Rocky Neck Art Colony
• Shop for Vintage Jewelry and Other Antiques in Essex
• Taste the World's Best Popcorn
• Spy on Shorebirds at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge