An afternoon in Salem MA area -- what to do first?

[grasswire]

A West Coast friend will be in Boston for several days and wants to hit Lexington-Concord on a morning and must be back in Boston for an evening wedding. What historical site would a local recommend for the afternoon? The Witch House museum? The maritime museum?

[snowbear]

1. I'll betcha..

that most of the Bostonians are snoozing about now.. What it it, 3:45 a.m. there? :boring:

If they don't respond, maybe you could bump this post up in the morning.. :)

[Erika]

2. Book a night in the Hawthorne Hotel

But, eat early, that region seems to close up for the night at 7:00 p.m. The witch shops are especially interesting.

[Erika]

3. The House of the Seven Gables is also in Salem

a must see.

[grasswire]

4. good point

I've spent a lot of time in Western Massachusetts, but not much in the Salem area.

[TaleWgnDg]

5. I live in Southern Essex County, Massachusetts and I abhor

.
I live in Southern Essex County, Massachusetts and I abhor anything to do with witches as it's depicted in the tourist-claptrap of Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is much more than that crap about tourist-witches. (No, I have nothing against the religion of wicca.)

Salem, Massachusetts has a brand new museum in an attractive brand new building. It honors Salem's rich nautical history. Its 1700s-1800s international trade (Did you know that Salem was on the international map as one of the largest and richest seaports in the entire nation? Salem, not Boston!). It's fantastic. It's called the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) and it has nearby covered parking.

BTW, Salem has a pub-brewery too at this location.

There's also The Rockmore Floating Restaurant & Bar which is a restaurant and bar afloat in Salem Harbor overlooking Salem and Marblehead. Great place to escape the city on a warm afternoon and evening. I don't know if it has begun its services this early in the Springtime or not. However, check out its website for its other Salem Restaurants.

Take your friend to the *horror* shows that line some Salem streets, or to those equally deplorable junk-tourist witch-crap places, but I'd rather take my friends and relatives to a full afternoon at the PEM, a lazy afternoon at the floating bar & restaurant, or to other historical sites, all w/i Salem.

_______________________________

edited to add: Oh, and don't forget the newly re-created merchant schooner Friendship in Salem Harbor not too far from the U.S. National Park Service ranger/station along Derby Street, Salem, MA as well as historic tours available, all within a small area
http://www.nps.gov/sama/indepth/exhibits.htm

[Squeech]

6. I couldn't agree more

The Peabody-Essex Museum was exactly what I was going to suggest. Their exhibits will tell you a lot about the China trade as it was in the 19th century, and a lot of the craftsmanship is just amazing.

Also there's a way cool no-kill cat shelter in Salem, but it's not really a tourist destination.

[TaleWgnDg]

18. Squeech, what is the name of that no-kill cat shelter in Salem?

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Squeech, what is the name of that no-kill cat shelter in Salem? Is that the one on Highland Avenue? Northeast Animal Shelter? Or some other shelter that I don't know about? Yes, I know that the Massachusetts chapter of the ASPCA moved its shelter from Highland Avenue, Salem.

[grasswire]

7. thanks for the links

Isn't there a museum in Gloucester, too? I always liked Gloucester, although I never could find a parking place by the waterfront or a decent cup of coffee.

[TaleWgnDg]

17. grasswire, you are welcome . . . as for Gloucester . . .

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grasswire, you are welcome . . . as for Gloucester . . . the most well-known site in Gloucester is a bronze statue of a fisherman ("The Man at the Wheel") looking out to sea that stands at Stacey Boulevard, Gloucester, created by Leonard Craske in 1923 for a dedication ceremony honoring the town's 300th anniversary. It is a familiar landmark that serves as a memorial to all the fishermen who have been lost at sea:


The inscription at the base of the statue is taken from the 107th Psalm and reads:
"They that go down to the sea in ships,
that do business in great waters: These see
the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep."
As for museums in Gloucester, here's a website that should be helpful to you that enumerates museum's in or near Gloucester. Coffee?

There's lots of nooks and crannies in Gloucester that serve excellent java! Try Middle Street and Main Street (running parallel w/ Middle Street) for a short walking-tour of shops and such that serve great coffee; however, parking may be a negative factor along this area.

And, then there's the artists colony in and around Rocky Neck that's always fun as well as the restaurants along the water in Rocky Neck's artist colony area. Grab a beer or two, a few oysters on the half-shell, and a great 2 or 3 lb lobster overlooking the Harbor! Yikes, what a treat!

P.S. As an afterthought, are you aware that the rightwing political extremist and North Korean "Reverend" Sun Myung Moon has bought up much of the fishing industry, some restaurants, and other related wholesale and retail corporations in and around Cape Ann including Gloucester? This, of course, occurred after Moon fleeced the monies of naive unsuspecting middle and upper class kids (aka "Moonies") during the 1970s. Moon has since learned how to "launder" his monies through legitimate businesses, such as the Washington Times newspaper and the old sage UPI (United Press news wire service), and a wide plethora of other legit businesses including the fishing industries on both coasts. Moon is a heavy contributor to rightwing causes including political contributions to both George Jr. and Sr. (Bush).

___________________________

edited to correct wikipedia urls

[grasswire]

20. yes, yes, and yes

I AM aware that Moon has infiltrated Gloucester.

And I have seen that statue many times on trips through Gloucester. I just can't ever find a parking place or coffee nearby.

And I've been to Rocky Neck, and to Rockport too. It's a beautiful area!

[Goathead]

8. Are you familiar with Lowell's Boat shop?

I am thinking about buying a dory from there.

[TaleWgnDg]

11. No, to my knowledge there is no "Lowell's Boat Shop" . . .

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No, to my knowledge there is no "Lowell's Boat Shop" . . . in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem has several great boat shops but no "Lowell's Boat Shop."

However, there is the well-known and long-standing Lowell's Boat Shop (Museum) in Amesbury, Massachusetts along the Merrimack River (also the north shore/Northern Essex County). This Lowell's Boat Shop is the oldest operating boat shop in the U.S.A. It is a museum as well as a teaching facility. It used to sell items. I do not know if Lowell's Boat Shop Museum and its related teaching workshops presently sell items to the public. Their wooden dories are known internationally and were the basis of the original Gloucester (Massachusetts) fishing industry. Contact information including telephone numbers and email addy are available on their "about us" website.


"Built in 1793, Lowell’s Boat Shop is the oldest operating boat shop in America.
It is located on the banks of the Merrimack River in Amesbury MA. This working museum continues to make wooden boats in the more than 200 year-old tradition of Lowell’s craftsmanship. It is on both the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can view boat builders at work, schedule a guided tour, go rowing or view exhibits."
http://www.themaritimesociety.org/anmviewer.asp?a=1&z=1

[Darth_Kitten]

9. Yes, go to the Witch House museum!!!

Lucky you!!! :)

[CBHagman]

10. Visit cemetery downtown...

...stop by the memorial to the victims of the witch hunts, and walk around the cove. Near the House of the Seven Gables, you can stop in a local confectionary and buy delicious fudge.

[graywarrior]

12. Take the train to Lynn and buy drugs ha ha

Go to Gloucester (and buy drugs) or just hang out downtown. Eat lobster, go to the Crow's Nest where Perfect Storm was filmed and getting rip roaring drunk then get beat up.

Seriously, Gloucester is a great place to cruise around during the day. Awesome coastline. Salem has some good clubs. The Chase House is nice. Ipswich is a nice town, so is Essex. Branch out from Salem.

[davidinalameda]

13. burn witches

what else is there to do in Salem?

[Dervill Crow]

14. Hang it all.

The witch burnings happened in Europe. They were hanged (hung?) in Salem, with one male witch being "pressed" to death under rocks.
That kind of crap always happens when religion gets mixed up with politics.

[graywarrior]

15. I think it was more of a community "activity"

[Dervill Crow]

19. Reality shows at their worst! eom

[sleipnir]

16. Get drunk.

That's always a good first thing to do.