In Brant Rock, The Shack is perfect for lunch. From left: Sean McDaniel, owner, Casey Laferrara, waitress and head chef Bill Esposito with burger and seafood delights. Gary Higgins photo/The Patriot Ledger

Brant Rock, Marshfield

If you need a break from your routine, head to the Brant Rock Esplanade, where, as the T-shirts say, “Our Life Is Your Vacation.” Take Route 3 to Exit 12. Take Route 139 east, straight to Brant Rock. Park on Ocean Street.

Cost: $15.45 for a cup of clam chowder, a fish sandwich, a soda and an ice cream cone; $3.99 for a Marshfield magnet.

Time: 60 minutes

WALK AROUND

Park your car on the esplanade and take in the smell of the ocean and the aroma of fish frying at nearby restaurants. Meander along Ocean Street, glancing at menus posted outside Arthur & Pat’s, Haddad's Ocean Cafe, The Lobster Tale and The Venus II. Not only will it help you decide where to grab lunch, it will inspire you to return for an after-work or a weekend dinner.

CHECK IT OUT

Pop into Shore Things, an Ocean Street gift shop, to go though a display of quirky Marshfield T-shirts. Spend $3.99 for a magnet bearing Brant Rock images and you’ll have something to remember your getaway by.

You should eat this for lunch. Gary Higgins photo/The Patriot Ledger

QUICK BITES

Head back to the Dyke Road intersection to The Shack, a restaurant with indoor and patio seating and take-out service. Order a cup of clam chowder and a fish sandwich or a clam roll, sit down at a picnic table on the patio (or inside on a piece of deck furniture), and people-watch while you eat. Glance up at the street sign on the corner, which has distances to Palermo, Fiji and Boca Raton, and plan a longer getaway for the future.

Then walk down the esplanade to The Latest Scoop for an ice cream cone.

RELAX

Cross the street and walk down to the beach, where you can gaze out at the water and at the dozens of people sunbathing on the sand. Sit down and relax or take a walk along the sea wall to the other end of Brant Rock. Ask yourself why those sunbathers get to spend all day the beach. Then head back to work.