Salem is one of those places in the world that is singular in its history and as singular in its ever present positive sense of welcome to anyone and everyone that crosses into its borders for a visit! It is a place that is truly set apart from any other and if you doubt that for one moment, just take the time to go there for a visit and see for yourself! If you do however, please do yourself a favor and book your trip for sometime in the month of October, preferably around the Haunted Happenings Halloween festivities when Salem defines itself best as do its wonderful residents!
This author's first foray to Salem was as a young child. The visit was all too brief and never really had the chance to leave an impression. All of that was corrected however many years later when the chance presented itself to go and to envelop into the culture and the history of this place! The color and the flavor of the culture there cannot be easily or simply defined with several sentences. Like the coastal Portland lobster that is not quite as palatable anywhere else and as the north end Boston pizzeria that is the only place in the world to occupy its flavor in a slice, Salem carries its own spiritual quality into the soul and the only way to truly understand this is to engage the experience.
Any review of this city must be appropriately accompanied by some mention of the history of this place, most famously remembered for its 1692 witch trials that by the time all of the hysteria ended, the trials resulted in the deaths of twenty four people, some hanged, some perished in a cold stone prison, and one poor soul was crushed to death beneath stone weights. The irrational hysteria that launched Salem's permanent reputation into the history of humankind began in the cold winter of February of 1692 and to this day the world has never forgotten. There is now a permanent memorial to those souls who lost their lives in that year. The Salem Witch Trials Tercentenary Memorial was dedicated in 1992. It can be found adjacent to the Charter Street old burying point and no trip to Salem would be complete without visiting this solemn spot and a bit of reverence quietly displayed.
There are many old and historical houses and buildings to be seen and plenty to fill the photograph album. The famous House of the Seven Gables built by merchant Captain John Turner in 1668 and occupied by generations of family is now still as imposing and as impressive so many centuries later as it must have been when it was first completed. It has been lovingly maintained by the city and a tour is a must see! You will feel the history as you walk through the house, as you smell the scents of the floors and the walls, and if you're lucky, you may as this author did sense the presence of the spirit in the upper portion of the house where servants once resided in their quarters! You will adore visiting the Gables! Just adjacent to the Gables is the birthplace of famed author Nathaniel Hawthorne which makes the visit even more worthwhile!
There are many other attractions and places to visit and to spend your time. The Salem Willows, which is a park located on the eastern edge of the City is a beautiful and sight filled tourist spot worthy of an afternoons walk where the seaside air will surely carry you into the sunsets grace. Right nearby is Winter Island Maritime Park which is a popular boat launch as well as a camping park that carries a due reputation for its cleanliness and its friendly staff! If you travel by RV or with a tent, this is the spot for you!
Salem is not in want for any of that signature traditional New England charm and character that has made the name New England internationally famous and the same can be said for Salem's many shops and their shop owners who are as welcoming to their visitors as can ever be expected! It is well worth your time opening at least one of your days to walking throughout the city center visiting, window shopping, and even spending some money on singular items that you won't find anywhere else!
There are tours and cruises to be added to your adventures while you are there! You can experience attractions abound some that were designed by some of the greatest Hollywood special effects artists in the field! This makes Salem one of the most original and fascinating places in the entire northeast to spend your time! There are absolutely colorful and positively delicious restaurants throughout the city, some providing fantastic ethnic cuisine and others defining to a true age old coastal New England seafood tradition! If you want pizza, the best of it is there also! You will not leave without your appetite being satiated and then you have the chance for a walking tour of one of the parks and many of the city's attractions!
No, Salem is not sparing its own sense of history and it is not withdrawing any parts of its charm to its visitors or to its own residents! Everyone that partakes of what it has to offer all come away with a wide smile and some stories to tell for the adventure!
It is one of the most endearing of places anytime of the year to spend your time, and during the month of October and right up into the Halloween celebrations, Salem and its residents along with its visitors alike, all make this place up to present Salem as one of the most positive centers of energy that this author has experienced in a very long time!
Do give it a try!
As Always,
WD Allan
© Copyright 2011, WD Allan, Spiritualitymoment.com
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