Salem, Part Two

Last week the Mad Marchioness and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary by making the first of many planned returned visits to Salem, Mass., where we had such a witchin' time two years ago (read of that earlier trip here). This will be a cursory post, I'm afraid. I'm bust with other pursuits and put this up mainly so I don't forget what we did!

We stayed at the Salem Inn once again.I took very few photos this time (both the memory and thee batteries on my phone have been dicey) but this storefront display across from our hotel was irresistible. Whether it's left over from Independence Day (a month ago) or is meant to be there through the duration of the present Presidential administration is unknown to me.

We arrived midweek, had a seafood dinner on Pickering Wharf and walked out on the adjacent, picturesque piers (that's me out by the lighthouse). 

The following day we began to sightsee. Whereas last time we concentrated on witch related sites, this time we focused on Salem's past history as America's biggest, richest seaport. We returned to th Peabody Essex Museum, so the Marchioness could spend some more time with their nautical paintings and artifacts, although some of them, notably stuff normally installed in East India Marine Hall were down, due to the construction of a new wing or garden or something. On the plus side, there was a wonderful exhibition called Ocean Liners: Glamour, Speed, and Style, which was not irrelevant to either of our interests. We also took in some of the historic houses which the PEM maintains: The John Ward House (ca. 1684), the Crowninshield-Bentley House (ca. 1727), and the Gardner-Pingree House (1804). The museum has another ten or so historic houses we haven't seen yet. Another time.

Next, we returned to the  U.S. Customs House where Nathaniel Hawthorne worked, and the nearby Hawkes House and Derby House, though they were closed. We revisited the Salem Maritime National Historic Site across the street but were disappointed to learn that their sailing vessel Friendship was in in drydock up in Gloucester but we enjoyed but we enoyed their gift shop and information center Waite and Pierce. 

The next day (I think) we retook the popular Salem Trolley Tour, and revisited the New England Pirate Museum . But we also broke new ground:

We went to the historic  Salem Athenaeum (where Hawthorne researched many of his books, to see the small exhibition What Hawthorne Read, and visited Phillips House (1821), as well as Ropes Mansion, which was also closed, although we did stroll their lovely garden.

We paused again at the Witch Trial Memorial, this time pausing to honor a family connection of mine, Susannah North Martin. We hadn't known about the relation last time. We also ate at the bohemian restaurant and coffee house The Gulu Gulu Cafe, which seems to be the big hangout with all the young people.

On our last day we lunched at Finz Seafood and Grill, which I'd had my eye on since our last visit, and I snapped this at the marina nearby.

As we said before, we envision many future visits: I'd like to make a special trip devoted to nearby Danvers (site of Salem Village, where the original events of 1692 went down); a visit devoted to the hokey Haunted House attractions; a visit to see all the things that were closed this time; a visit during the chaos of Halloween; perhaps a visit with a bunch of friends; a chance to go on all the ghost and witch walking tours; a trip devoted to shopping; and perhaps yet another Halloween visit to experience a genuine Wiccan Samhain ceremony. Maybe we should just move there!