Salem, Massachusetts

During our visit to Maine we decided to drive to Salem, Mass., for an afternoon.  It’s sad but when I think of Salem I immediately think of the  horrible time in our country’s history when there were massive witch hunts.

The trip was just a last minute decision so by the time we arrived in Salem it was late afternoon and crazy as it sounds for such a big city almost everything closes at 5PM. We were parking our car at 4:40 so left us no time to see any of the Museums or shops.
The only historical place open to visit was the House of Seven Gables and the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne’s home where he lived as a child.  Since he was famous for writing the novel House of Seven Gables his  home was moved to the same property where the House of Seven Gables sits so we were able to tour both.



The grounds between the homes were beautifully landscaped with an assortment of blooming plants.


Below are pictures taken inside his boyhood home. I did not know at the time these pictures were taken that no camera’s were allowed.  I had arrived earlier than the others for the tour and I just did my own little walk thru and was happily snapping pictures. Not until the actual tour were we told no picture taking allowed. Oops.


Since my pictures were so blurry I am thinking something must have been in these pictures trying to block my shots. hahaha



We enjoyed the tours of these homes but the whole time walking around these homes I was wracking my brain to remember more of the book The House of Seven Gables.
  After the tour we walked back toward downtown Salem with me complaining the whole way back because we were told the House of Seven Gables was just down the street.

I learned just down the street is common for people from this area to say when in truth it could mean 5 miles down the street.

If I had known we were going to walk so far I would of worn better shoes but you know how the last minute plans will leave you unprepared. I found walking on gobble stone streets is not for an old lady.  After about two miles my feet were really begging for a break.

Not sure if you can see the nails in this door I took on our walk back to downtown. While touring the Hawthorne house we were told that the nails in the front doors were put there to protect the doors from expanding in the rigid temperatures of the East Coast but also a person with lots of nails in their doors were considered very wealthy in the community. I found that very odd! So I wanted to try and show you a door taken on an old house near downtown Salem. 

The last owner of the House of Seven Gables had twice as many nails in their front door compared to this door.
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We also came across an old cemetery where supposedly some of the women accused of witchery were buried.
 
Outside of the cemetery were these things used back in that time period for public punishment. I have to look up what their called. Anyway of course Christi and myself had to stick our heads inside for a picture.

This picture of me freaked us both out.  My eyes are wide open and for the last few years no one can capture a picture of me with my eyes open. Plus look at the way my hand is curled up. I find this very creepy. lol

As you can see Christi’s picture was normal. lol…. Maybe I have been in one of those before and it brought back bad memories.
Of course I could not leave  Salem without a picture of their coastal area.




Sorry but I have forgotten who lived in this pink house below in Salem. 

Do you see the little sign in the road that says Stop. All over Maine and I guess other East Coasts states they have these in the middle of their streets for pedestrians to cross. In Maine it was a state law that if there was a person trying to cross the street you had to stop and let them cross.

Christi and I both thought this was just so neat. It sure made walking around the cities and villages a lot easier.

Well friends I know you must be tired of all the vacation pictures. I promise I will not show you all two hundred of them. I do want to share with you the villages of Booth Bay Harbor and Camden before I stop. Camden is where the old movie Peyton Place was filmed.
Thursday and Friday I mowed the heck out of the North Forty and covered maybe 12 acres but have at least 20 more to go. I am planning on trying to finish by Wednesday if possible. The temps are still in the high 90’s so I try to not mow all day. Just to hot.
I am seeing from your post a lot of fall decorating and I love your pictures. It just seems like it is still summer here.
Must run but wanted to take a moment and say hello and to show you a few pictures of Salem. I hate to say it but Salem was my least favorite place to visit. Maybe because it was late when we arrived and it was a hurried visit.
One more picture of Maine before I close. Have a wonderful week and do something creative and that makes you happy.

I told Christi to be silly in a picture and here she is acting like she is falling to the rocks and water below.
Love to all
Maggie