Salem and Boston Massachusetts

We planned two days in Massachusetts, not enough but for this trip we got a taste of the area. We spent one day in Salem and one in Boston. Definitely destinations we will need to return to in the future. Let me give you a bite from our experiences to savor and possibly tempt you to journey to this beautiful area.

We parked the motorhome at Spacious Skies Minute Man RV Park, 264 Ayer Road, Littleton, MA. This provided a beautiful wooded area with full hookups. They had a pool but as it was late in the season, it was closed. The staff was friendly and we enjoyed our stay. We chose to stay here because the travel time to both of our destinations was about 45 minutes depending upon traffic. Be aware, traffic can be awful so plan to travel during nonpeak times.

Salem

The Salem witch trials started in 1692 but the memory still haunts this area. The spookiness factor depends upon your beliefs in ghosts and the afterlife. Both the community and the visitors embrace the stories from history - some for fun, some for economical reasons, and some because they are true believers.

The streets are filled with eclectic personalities. There is no normal dress code, maybe because we visited in October and Halloween is around the corner but I imagine what we witnessed is the norm. The streets were crowded with shoppers and tourist. For those interested, witching products are widely available: wands, brooms, hats, capes, etc. One store carries every item imaginable associated with Harry Potter.

Randy and I partook in a ghosts and witches tour. Our guide shared the history of the area and coupled it with interesting stories. He strongly believed in ghosts and when we passed another tour group waved to a friend, another tour guide, and mentioned to us, "He is a real witch."

We stopped in front of graveyards where he pointed out famous people and some not so famous who still impacted the history. We explored monuments, original homes, haunted buildings, and memorials. At the end of the tour, our guide shared pictures of ghosts he had captured while ghost hunting.

The movie Hocus Pocus was filmed in Salem so he made several references to it. We stood in front of one building from the movie. When I sent a picture of it to my daughters they both remembered it from the movie.

I don't believe in ghosts but I also do not not believe. I remain neutral. However, when I looked back at my pictures from that night, this one caught my attention. Randy says it reflects my photography abilities but who knows?

Boston

We arrived in Boston just in time for our Tea Party Tour after fighting rush hour traffic and locating a parking spot. We discovered parking is NOT cheap in the city giving me a little understanding how the colonist must have felt when they were getting taxed without representation for the tea. But luckily our destination was only a short walk away.

The tour began with the ringing of a bell and a proclamation that the meeting was set to begin. When we entered the hall, each person was handed a card that explained the part he or she were to play. Only three visitors were given a line to read and the rest of us were assigned an identify so we could simulate what it was like on the night of the rebellion.

Once everyone was gathered in the meeting room a speaker emerged who gave a speech and rallied us to a common purpose. The tour guides were all dressed in apparel of the time and stayed in character throughout the tour. His speech also provided the backdrop for the event to set the mood before we were escorted to a ship in the bay, a replica of the actual one raided during the Boston Tea Party.

I was amazed at the ship's small size and that only 10-12 crew were onboard. After another rallying speech everyone pretended to throw boxes of tea over the side of the ship. Mostly the children got into the activity. The tour ended with a tour of the ship.

Following the tour, Randy and I walked around Boston exploring the area. We found interest in the contrast of the historical buildings sitting beside the modern skyscrapers.

We ended our city visit at the iconic Mikes and ate, you guessed it, cannolis. Because it was raining, we found some scaffolding to sit under to stay dry and devour our sweets before heading out of the city.

Our first visit to Massachusetts left us satisfied but craving more in the future.