I have been obsessed with the idea of taking a day trip to Salem, Massachusetts for the past year. I could think of no better way to get into the fall and Halloween spirit than to walk the streets of such an interesting and historical New England town. This past weekend, I finally got a chance to go.
My amazing friends supported my dream of going on a Salem adventure. They let me drag them on a tour of the city to see the significant places and figures from the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Our tour guide, “Justice the modern practicing witch,” peppered our tour with anecdotes about the names I read about in The Crucible or heard about in history books.
By touring places like the original Witch House, where people were interrogated to determine whether or not they truly were witches, we came to understand the long journey the town of Salem has been on to recover from the trauma of the trials. Learning about the event and remembering the victims will hopefully stop it from happening again.
Both during and after our tour, we got to see beautiful colonial-style houses that have been maintained beautifully through the centuries and took tons of photos in the garden behind Ropes Mansion. The weather was wonderfully sunny and clear, which gave the whole place an air of hope and idealism. The fall foliage, my favorite thing about the current season, was transforming into cascading waves of crimson and gold.
After getting food from an outdoor vendor, we sat and people-watched while children and adults alike showed off their costumes, making it feel like a real-life version of Halloweentown. I lost count of all the dogs we got to see, and many of them were dressed in costumes to match their owners. The town was bustling with tourists and locals alike, but everyone was enjoying the contagious Halloween spirit.
The shops seemed to have something for everyone. In a little boutique called HausWitch, my friends and I perused the special crystals, essential oils, and coffee table spellbooks. There were outdoor markets set up on side streets, with lots of white tents and specialty witch stores. One of my friends spent some time in a fancy cheese shop, while I examined some expensive maple syrup.
We finished up our lovely day in Salem the only way my friends and I know how––by standing in an absurdly long line for ice cream at a place called Melt. Roaming the streets seen in Hocus Pocus and learning about the haunted happenings in this quaint and seemingly normal place was the perfect way to get myself excited for this fall season.
I highly recommend taking some friends on a day trip to Salem to explore the many exciting places and hearing the many spooky stories the town has to offer!
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