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Sunday, September 23, 2012

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.
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The grounds between the homes were beautifully landscaped with an assortment of blooming plants.
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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.
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Since my pictures were so blurry I am thinking something must have been in these pictures trying to block my shots. hahaha
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Sorry but I have forgotten who lived in this pink house below in Salem. 
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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.
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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

22 comments:

Sweet Tea said...

Hi Miss Maggie - I've loved reading about your vacation and also seeing the great photos. That's the kind of vacation I would have enjoyed too. What wonderful memories of a great time...Welcome home, Friend!

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Thanks for the tour of Salem! I grew up in Andover, MA - about a half hour away. Andover also had a bad history of witch hysteria. Salem is a fun town though. I also lived in Boothbay for 7 years - in East Boothbay (Lobsterman's Wharf, Ocean Point, East Boothbay General Store). We had a gallery at our house over there on School Street.

Dan said...

Hi Maggie!

It looks like you had a wonderful trip! That is one place I would like to visit someday. New England looks like it would be right up my alley. I hope you are doing well! Thank you for stopping by my blog. It is always wonderful to hear from you!

Love ya!
~Dan~

My name WAS Female, I shit you not! said...

:0( Salem,MA is my birthplace.
(((hugs)))Pat

acorn hollow said...

I have been to salem mass once. I think if you had more time you would have liked it.
I can't wait to see more pictures of boothbay which is were is was born and my dad's family is from.
and camden i sooo lovely one of my favorite Maine places.
Love the picture of a silly christi.
It is getting pretty cool tonight in the 30s today was in the 70's and beautiful I got lots of house work done.
Cathy

Julia said...

Thanks for sharing all those nice photos of your vacation with Christie. She looks like she having a good time too.

I've visited only two cities in Maine. Calais and Bangor and they border on our province of New Brunswick. We used to go for shopping trips until it got to be a hassle to travel with all the waiting time at the border since 9/11.

You have some serious mowing to do. I think that you need a haybine to cut that many acres..

I hope that your feet have recovered from all that walking. Take care sweet friend.

Hugs

JB

Gorges Smythe said...

I wonder if I still have that book? I sort of think I don't.

Gail said...

Not being able to slow down and soak up the history and the sites would affect my enjoyment too.

I've seen none of this so thanks for sharing.

Caddie said...

I hope you show us all the pictures and your whole trip. Plane ride? Yes, everything, step by step. All so delightfully interesting. I too wish to see New England but never will. I just read a bit about Hawthorne; he changed the spelling of his name Hathorne, adding the W so to be disassociated from his grandfather, Judge John Hathorne, who was the only one who had no regrets with his participation in the Witch Hunts. Interesting. Google 'Project Gutenberg' and you will find thousands of books to read online freely. Go to http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=1441383 to read "The House of Seven Gables". On opening the above link it will show the alphabet to choose any author under a letter. I was surprised at the long list of Hawthorne's books and "Wow!" How did he accomplish so much writing in his 59 years. You have such a beautiful face, Maggie. Keep those eyes wide open for the camera from now on. Give us more story of your NE adventures.

Kim said...

Hi Maggie,
I'm so glad you had a nice trip East. And this was a great time of year for that area. I'm behind in keeping up with you. Loved seeing Stephen Kings house, but the gate was creepy. Cool, but creepy!

Paula said...

Thanks for showing us your vacation. I find that interesting about the nails in the doors.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for showing us your pictures. I believe those punishment implements are called 'stocks'. Wow. What a place to put your kids to paddle them!
I have always wanted to see Salem.

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

I love your vacation pics! Makes me feel like I was tagging along...

You have to stop for pedestrians in Utah also, STATE LAW!

yaya said...

Salem is another of my bucket list places to see! Those blurry pics are great...maybe that's a ghost image and not blur! Booooo! What a fun trip and I've enjoyed the photos. We have those pedestrian signs in our streets too.

A Tale of Two Cities said...

Pretty fascinating--I've never been there, so thanks for the tour.

Darlene said...

My goodness but you had some real adventures, didn't you? I was extremely interested to see your pictures of Salem. I'm glad you got to take some pictures before you were told you couldn't. Sorry though that you had to walk so much. I would never have made it, for sure.

I know I will never get back to that area of our country again, so thanks for the pictorial tour.

momto8 said...

I have never been to salem, but it is on my list!! Your pics are great. i think hawthorns grandma was tried and burnt as a witch?

Welcome to the Garden of Egan said...

Such an amazing trip for you.
Beautiful.

Were the leaves turning yet?

Taos Sunflower said...

Hi Maggie: I'm with you...that was, indeed, one of the many low points in our country's history. Maybe someone else already said this, but those contraptions are called stocks. I'd like to think we're a lot more civilized today, but sometimes I wonder. I loved Camden the one time I got to visit there. Didn't know about Peyton Place (didn't see it). So picturesque. What a great country we live in.

Connie said...

Hello, What a lovely tour . . . I've never visited the New England states, but always wanted to. Thanks for letting me tag along, Connie:)
I am your newest follower, and looking forward to getting to know you better through blogging.
Have a marvelous weekend.

June said...

Leave it to you to be the naughty photo taker : ) So glad you didn't know the rules when you snapped these.
I think you must have been possessed when you stuck your head in the stockade..so funny!
I would love to visit Salem sometime, because some of Dale's ancestors are from there. So this was wonderful for me to see.
Have an awesome week sweetpea!!!
love from here...

Unknown said...

So enjoy your bringing back memories of all our trips to Massachusetts. Yup! just down the street means nothing .... Glad you & Christie had such a grand time but I still am going to whine you were soooo close AGAIN, & I couldn't quite reach you.

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