Nothing says Valentines like a trip to Salem, MA. Oh wait, I think my holidays are mixed up.  I’d been excited to see Salem ever since I moved here. I remember reading the Crucible in high school, and learning about the Salem witch trials both in school and on television. I guess the best image in my mind was the one cemented by the movie Hocus Pocus.  Witches eating children, talking black cats, and cemeteries filled with zombies all crowded my thoughts as I ventured my way to one of the oldest cities in Massachussets.

Despite all the images in my head, Salem was a lot more than witches. Don’t get me wrong, witches are big in Salem, but they didn’t consume my day.  Getting to Salem is no easy task. It’s not on a major freeway so you have to do a lot of city driving to get there. It’s a part of the Boston metropolitan area for which there is no rhyme nor reason to the layout of the streets. I did arrive, and found a nice public garage to leave my truck. Most of the things to see in Salem are centered around the downtown area and are easy to walk to. Outside the parking garage, I found the Salem visitors center that offered helpful information on tours and attractions. A scale model of an 18th century trading vessel was on display.  Tours for the actual vessel that anchored in the harbor were also available, and I made a mental note to take advantage of that.  Across the street from the visitor’s center was the Peabody Art Museum. Though I would have loved to have wandered through the collection, I knew my time was precious and that would have to wait for another trip. I wandered down the main street was amazed at the number of fortune telling and occult related shops.  This place really plays up its connections to the supernatural. A few months later I was sharing a row on the plane with a young man who’d attended college in the neighboring town. He said Halloween is quite the celebration in Salem with many people coming from all over the country to join the festivities.

Behind the main street, I found the grounds where twenty citizens of Salem were hanged after being convicted of witchcraft. A memorial stands at the grounds as a testament to the innocent lives that were lost during that period.

After lunch, I wandered down to the wharf to tour the ship Freedom and the customs house at the end of the pier. Like the Mayflower, this sailing vessel offered a glimpse into the life of a seaman prior to the mid-18th century.  At the customs house, I learned that the famous novelist, Nathaniel Hawthorn, worked as a customs agent. The guide shared with us that he hated the job, and used the time to draft manuscripts of his novels. I walked down the street to Hawthorne’s home, The House of Seven Gables, saving a tour of the inside for another day.

My last adventure in Salem was the Witch Museum. Located in an old stone church, this museum holds artifacts from the 1620’s as well as a Disney like presentation of the events of the Salem witch trials. The audience sits on benches in the middle of the room while dioramas are lit around the room telling the events of the story.  I thought the presentation was excellent and perfectly ended the day.  Salem is a true tourist adventure that requires a second, or possibly even a third visit.

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“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller