Now Plymouth Rock customers can connect with us on the go, right from a mobile device*. Our new Mobile website is easy to access and allows customers to:

• Log into their online account to pay a bill or view a policy
• Find or call their Plymouth Rock agent
• Click to call Customer Service during normal business hours
• Report an accident 24/7 with just one click

Check out our Mobile website in one of three convenient ways:

• Enter plymouthrock.com into your mobile web browser
• Text GOROCK to 95495
• Scan this special QR code* with your mobile device

Not a Plymouth Rock customer? Learn more about how we can make your life easier by visiting plymouthrock.com!

Mobile access from Plymouth Rock – just one more way we offer more than just insurance.

*Mobile device must be web-enabled and requires QR code-reading software. Refer to your owner’s guide or the manufacturer’s website for details.

A view of Duxbury Beach.

If you’re ready to hit the beach, we have the place for you. Duxbury, Massachusetts is located along the Atlantic coast in Plymouth County, and it’s the perfect spot for a weekend drive. Widely known for the beautiful Duxbury Beach, the town is visited by thousands each summer who come with towels in hand to take advantage of the 6-mile long barrier beach extending from the north to Gurnet Point and Saquish in the south. After a long day in the hot sun, nothing can beat a stop at Farfar’s Danish Ice Cream Shop for delicious home-made ice cream, a summer staple in Duxbury.

The downtown area.

The town is also known for its rich history, as it was founded in 1637 and settled by the Pilgrims, John Alden and Myles Standish. Just by driving around, visitors can take in historic architecture since many homes from the Pilgrim era still exist. Alden’s home, built in 1653, is one of those still standing today as a historic house and history museum. Alden’s House Museum can be visited at 105 Alden Street in Duxbury. Built much later, though certainly still worth a visit to take in its history, is The King Caesar House, a federal-style mansion built in 1808.

If you’re heading to Duxbury from Boston, be sure to use Plymouth Rock’s Gas Price Finder to find the least expensive gas available near you. One suggestion is to stop off at the Shell Station at 1154 William T. Morrissey Blvd, just off I-93 at exit 11. You can fill up your car there today for just $2.80 a gallon. Once on the road, here are some directions to help you get to your destination:

• Take I-93 S toward Quincy (9.6miles)
• Take exit 7 on the left toward Cape Cod (0.8 mile)
• Merge onto MA-3 S (19.9 miles)
• Take exit 11 for MA-14 toward Duxbury/Pembroke (0.2 mile)
• Turn right at MA-14 E/Congress St (0.2 mile)
• At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit and stay on MA-14 E/Congress St. Continue to follow MA-14 E (1.8 mile)
• Continue onto St George St (1.1 mile)
• Turn right at Washington St (0.4 miles)

Click here to get custom directions from points outside Boston.

Once you’ve shaken the sand out of our towels and started your trip back, stop off at Osborn’s Country Store Gulf Station at 632 Summer St in Duxbury. It has the lowest price in town (as of today July 2, 2010) for $2.80 per gallon.

Provincetown Portuguese Festival Parade - Commercial Street – Provincetown, Cape Cod. Photo from Provincetownlive.com

Now to jazz things up a bit – this week’s Weekend Drive post features Provincetown, MA, the town at the tip of the Cape. Provincetown is similar to Chatham and Sandwich before it in that it is a popular seaside tourist destination, however, the atmosphere is entirely unique. As one of the most diverse communities on Cape Cod, Provincetown is known as a center of artists and intellectuals. Its shops and galleries feature original works and reproductions in media ranging from watercolor and sculpture to jewelry and wearable art.

Quaint Commercial Street, reminiscent of Provincetown’s days as a fishing and whaling village, Provincetown, MA. Photo by city-data.com

If you decide to spontaneously make the trek to Provincetown this weekend, you will be just in time for the annual Provincetown Portuguese Festival. It’s held from June 24 – 27 in honor of a culture that has brought vibrancy to the town since its early days as a fishing and whaling village. There will be a waterfront concert on Saturday where you can take in soulful Portuguese blues, and activities geared towards a younger audience will include puppets, games and fishing. Be sure to indulge in a taste of authentic Portuguese cuisine including delicacies such as kale soup or paprika-rich linguica sausages along with other specialties at the Portuguese food court.

If you’re from the Boston area and need to fill-up before heading out, you’ll want to take advantage of the low-priced gas found at the Shell station at 1154 William T. Morissey Boulevard, just off of I-93 south at exit 15. You can fill up your car there today for just $ 2.799 a gallon. Once on the road, here are some directions to help you get to your destination:

• Head northeast on Harrison Ave toward Thayer St (0.3 mile)
• Turn right at Herald St (0.1 mile)
• Slight left to merge onto I-93 S toward Quincy (8.9 miles)
• Take exit 7 on the left toward Cape Cod (0.8 mile)
• Merge onto MA-3 S (26.7 miles)
• Continue onto US-44 E (0.9 mile)
• Continue onto MA-3 S (14.6 miles)
• Continue onto US-6 E (36.2 miles)
• At the traffic circle, take the 2nd exit onto US-6 E/Mid-Cape Hwy – Continue to follow US-6 E (18.7 miles)
• Turn left at Massachusetts 6A W/Shore Rd – Continue to follow Massachusetts 6A W (6.2 miles)
• Turn right at Howland St

If you’re coming from somewhere other than the Boston area, click here to get custom directions.

Before heading back, be sure to fill up your tank at the Blues Quick Stop, located at 42 Conwell Street. It has the lowest price gas in P-town (as of today June 25, 2010) for $2.749 a gallon.

We at Plymouth Rock are pleased to learn that Massachusetts legislators are taking important steps to help eliminate distracted driving. Yesterday, the Massachusetts House and Senate agreed on a bill that will ban all texting while driving whether you’re headed down the road, or stopped at a light. But that’s not all — the legislation calls for a stop to all mobile phone use for drivers under the age of 18, and lists new requirements for older drivers. The penalties for breaking these new rules are steep. Drivers who text will be fined $100. Drivers aged 18 and under caught on their phones will face a similar fine of $100, in addition to having their license suspended for 60 days.

Though both the House and Senate passed different versions of the bill earlier this year, they have only now been able to come to an agreement. The compromise was announced yesterday afternoon in a news conference held at the State House, and legislators expect the bill to be passed within the next few days.

This legislation is momentous as Massachusetts joins many other states in addressing distracted driving, which, as the Boston Globe pointed out in its June 15 story on distracted driving, is a contributing factor to many fatal automobile accidents. When the bill is passed, Massachusetts will be the 29th state to ban texting for all drivers and the 29th to ban all phone use for drivers under 18, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.

Plymouth Rock supports Massachusetts legislators on this issue by continuing to advocate for safe driving practices with the hope that the number of incidents related to distracted driving will eventually decrease to zero.

Scenic view of historic Sandwich, Mass. Photo by Flickr member "smkybear".

This week, we’d like to highlight another distinctive Cape Cod destination for a quick (or extended) getaway – Sandwich. Similar to Chatham, the bayside town of Sandwich retains a quintessentially old-world Cape charm. It may have something to do with the fact that Sandwich is the oldest town on Cape Cod, and one of the oldest towns in the United States, settled by European immigrants nearly 150 years prior to the American Revolution.

Aside from sunny beaches overlooking the Massachusetts Bay, there are many historical attractions that are worth checking out. The Sandwich Glass Museum, which is particularly beautiful on a sunny day when the glass really shines through the windows, features a glass blower who lets you watch this fascinating process.
Stop by the Heritage Museums & Gardens and you can enjoy more than 70 acres of gardens after visiting the art and history museums. For lodging, look into a weekend stay at one of Sandwich’s several charming, historic bed and breakfasts, including Annabelle Bed & Breakfast, Isaiah Jones Homestead Bed & Breakfast, and The 1750 Inn at Sandwich Center.

Glass blower at work at the Sandwich Glass Museum. Photo by Flickr member "sneakerdog".

If you’re from the Boston area and need to fill-up before heading out, be sure to take advantage of Plymouth Rock’s Gas Price Finder to find the least expensive gas available near you. One suggestion is to stop off at the Shell Station at 1154 William T. Morrissey Blvd, just off I-93 at exit 11.You can fill up your car there today for just $2.81 a gallon. Once on the road, here are some directions to help you get to your destination:

1. Take I-93 S toward Quincy (8.9 miles)
2. Take exit 7 on the left toward Cape Cod (0.8 mile)
3. Merge onto MA-3 S (26.7 miles)
4. Continue onto US-44 E (0.9 mile)
5. Continue onto MA-3 S (14.6 mile)
6. Continue onto US-6 E (0.8 mile)
7. Take exit 1C toward Massachusetts 6A/Sagamore (0.2 mile)
8. Slight right at Mid-Cape Connector (0.3 mile)
9. Turn right at Massachusetts 6A E/Sandwich Rd – Continue to follow Massachusetts 6A E (3.1 miles)
10. Turn right at Jarves St (79 feet)

If you’re coming from somewhere other than the Boston area, click here to get custom directions – just enter your starting point!

Enjoy your stay in Sandwich! Once you’ve had your fill, you can fill-up your tank before returning home at the Hess Station at 336 Route 130, Sandwich, MA 02563. It has the lowest gas price in Sandwich (as of today June 18, 2010) for $2.82 a gallon.