Last month, I told you all about our amazing trip to Gloucester. That was only the first two days of our adventure in North of Boston. On the third day, we visited Salem, which is just south of Gloucester. We have heard stories about Salem and its witches but we had no idea what to expect.
Many thanks to North of Boston and Destination Salem for this incredible experience. All opinions are mine.
We started our visit by hopping on the Salem Trolley. It was definitely the best way to immerse ourselves in Salem’s history. During this one-hour narrated tour we learned a lot about Salem, its history, and where the main attractions were located. We all agreed to visit everything witch-related.
After the tour, we stopped for a quick bite at Red’s Sandwich Shop. We tried their famous enormous pancakes and we are glad we did. It was absolutely delicious!
As we walked out of the restaurant, I noticed the Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour sign on the sidewalk.
We walked around the streets with a very knowledgeable tour guide telling us detailed stories about some of Salem’s famous ghosts.
Our favourite story was about a man who died from being struck by lightning. A tree growing over his grave has also been struck (several times!) by lighting and is still alive. Coincidence? Spooky but really fascinating.
Just a few steps away, we stopped by the Witch Dungeon Museum where we saw a live reenactment of a witch trial.
The trial, adapted from the 1692 historical transcripts, was very informative and well acted.
We also walked through a replica of a witch dungeon with a tour guide who told us about the horrible conditions the prisoners were kept in. I must admit that it was hard to watch the mannequins behind bars of tiny cells and imagining how much the accused must have suffered. Sad, so sad.
After the Witch Dungeon Museum, we tried to visit The Witch House but it was already closed for the day. Many attractions close at 5pm so make sure to visit the ones you absolutely want to see first. We have no choice but to go back as there are still many things we didn’t have time to do.
As it was already time for dinner, we drove to Marblehead to eat at The Landing Restaurant. On the way there, on Washington street we noticed that Halloween decorations were being installed. It was were impressive. There were balloons, pumpkins, and skeletons everywhere and even ghosts in trees. Was this Halloween in July? It turns out that Adam Sandler was in town filming his latest movie, Hubie Halloween! How cool is that?!
When we arrived at The Landing Restaurant we noticed the view right away. The English-style pub is located right on the Marblehead Harbor. Spectacular! Not only is the view amazing but the food and service were also excellent.
We ordered the Black Angus steak and the lobster roll, among other delicious dishes.
After dinner we drove back to our motel, The Vista, and called it a night. We had to sleep early to get ready for the following day. Next destination? Salisbury!
