It’s been a few months since I started to write about Mike and my 5-year anniversary trip. Last time I wrote was around Thanksgiving, then the holidays and New Year swooped in, then I was cast in a play production in January, and then my birthday month took over in February. With the spring season coming to the forefront and winter slowly fading in the distance, I’ve been wanting to reflect again on one of the things that makes me happy; which is traveling.
As Covid-19 vaccinations are becoming available and more states opening up for tourism, my excitement to travel again has taken over. In my previous blog post, I explained that Mike and I were able to travel to the Northeast for our 5-year wedding anniversary back in October. Our first stop was Boston, our next stop was Salem, Massachusetts.
SALEM
Salem – known as the City of Witches and home of the infamous Salem Witch Trails. As a little girl one of my favorite movies to watch was Hocus Pocus. I used to pretend I was one of the Sanderson sisters (usually Sarah Jessica Parker’s character) and I would ask my dad to fly me around our backyard on a broomstick. One of my hopes throughout my life was to visit Salem in October for the Halloween festivities and to learn about this historic town. My dream came true this past October, and it’s an experience I’ll truly cherish.
Salem is known for attracting thousands of tourists for their extravagant Halloween celebrations; think what Mardi Gras is to New Orleans, Halloween is for Salem. However, Salem was different this past year due to Covid restrictions. Even though I wanted to get the full Salem Halloween experience, I’m glad Mike and I visited during a pandemic when tourism was lower than usual. We actually got to absorb what the city had to offer; and not from a Halloween tourist destination where we may have felt bombarded by all the numerous partygoers in costumes. It felt more like a romantic fall weekend getaway to a seaside historic town.
We were only in Salem for one day and night so we took in as much sightseeing as we could. We rented a quaint Airbnb that was in walking distance from majority of all the sites and attractions. The first thing on the list was to visit the Witch House and the houses that were filmed in Hocus Pocus (i.e., Allison’s and Max’s houses). The Witch House, aka Jonathan Corwin House is one of the only houses left standing that has direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. We also visited author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace and The House of Seven Gables. You’re able to take a tour inside these houses, but we were cut short on time so we viewed them from the exterior. From The House of Seven Gables, we walked along the water to the Derby Lighthouse Station on Salem Harbor.
From sightseeing historic homes, we explored Essex Street where we saw the Bewitched Statue and were surrounded by alchemy and magic shops, as well as other souvenir shops and restaurants. As we strolled down other streets, we came upon the Salem Witch Trials Memorial, which contain 20 benches each inscribed with a name of one of the innocent victims and their execution date.
In between sightseeing we grabbed an appetizer at The Lobster Shanty where we sipped on a lobster-tini that was garnished with a lobster claw. We also grabbed a bag of goodies at Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie, which is America’s oldest candy shop.
For dinner we dined at the Tavern on the Green inside the historic Hawthorne Hotel where we drank some craft cocktails and ate some Salem staples, such as fig risotto. After dinner before heading back to our Airbnb, we took an evening stroll around Salem Common eavesdropping in on nighty ghost tours as we awed at the Georgian-style Salem houses lit up with their Halloween décor.
The next morning, we ate breakfast with our Airbnb host and then took a tour at the Salem Witch Trial Museum before driving to our next destination. For an overview of the history of Salem, I would recommend the museum because it gave an in-depth summary of the trials and how that event impacted Salem and its residents for the rest of time. I knew somewhat about the history of the Salem Witch Trials from books I’ve read, but one of the main lessons I learned from visiting Salem was hearing the stories of these innocent people and how mass hysteria can take over a community. Looking back at this haunting occurrence, it made me draw the comparison of how the Salem Witch Trials itself was one of the first so-called “cancel cultures” in United States history, and that even through modern history to today there are still witch-hunts of some form or another.
If you are a history and architecture buff, Halloween fanatic, or have an interest in the practice of wicca or pagan witchcraft, I’d highly recommend you visit Salem!
WHAT TO WEAR
Since I was traveling to a city that is associated with Halloween, I knew I wanted to wear a combination of black and/or orange. Without looking like a jack-o’-lantern, I wore a black turtleneck, dark denim skinny jeans, my autumnal plaid coat and topped it off with my burnt orange beret. The muted burnt orange color helps to tone down the bright pumpkin look.
Style Tip: When packing layers, such as cardigans or jackets, pack items that are versatile and can be worn with numerous colors and/or neutrals. My plaid coat is neutral based so it can be worn over many colors, such as navy, black, white, taupe, etc.
If you enjoy this trip to Salem, please stay tuned for the next destination as we cross into Maine!
Khameleon Magazine 