We picked up the hire car and drove out of Boston, stopping a short way up the coast at Nahant Beach in Lynn, just to breathe the sea air, stretch our legs and feel ourselves relaxing now we were away from the cities.
We continued to Salem, obviously famous for the Witch Trials of 1692, but we found lots more here too. We began with the harbour and a spot of lunch watching the world go by.
Salem had a thriving maritime past importing tea, silk and porcelain from China and the East India and the Customs House still stands.
One of the customs officials there was Nathaniel Hawthorne, who was also a novelist, and wrote a popular book called the House of the Seven Gables in (later made into a film with Vincent Price). Unsurprisingly it is a spooky tale of greed, curses, love, obsession, and murder…all set in one big creepy house … which is still standing … so we went for a visit.
So the house inspired the book, but then the book inspired the house as several features have been added to make it fit with the novel. The tour was really engaging, especially for younger people what with secret stairs revealed by a concealed lever, and a visit to the attic!
We also popped in to the Witch House, the the 17th century home of Judge Jonathon Corwin, involved in the Witch trials, where we learnt a bit more about what happened.
Did you notice the colour of the tree beside the house … looks like the foliage is starting to colour up nicely!
I guess the witch connection makes it a magnet for all things spooky at the best of times and here we were, last Sunday of September and Halloween just round the corner so there was spookiness everywhere!
A little further to drive and we’ll stop next at Gloucester.
Off Travelling Together 