Have you ever had a whirlwind trip? You know with a group of people driving a long distance, possibly even in shifts in a short period of time. Most people I realize probably do something like this in their twenties or even early thirties. Silly me I agreed to it when I was older. Much older. I guess insanity comes with age, why waste it on the youth.
Even though it had been a planned trip it had the feel of being spur of the moment. All six us of loaded up into a van in the middle of the night to begin our adventure. Most of the driving would be via the turn pike. There were many stops along the way for energy drinks, coffee and bathroom stops. Our first stop along the way was Niagara falls. It gave us a little bit of a much-needed break to walk around and stretch our legs while enjoying the beauty of the area.
We got out and walked through the park next to the falls. The sound of the rapids was overwhelming at first. They were also mesmerizing to look at. You could see the swills of water along with the white caps as the water moved ever faster towards the edge of the cliff. A thick mist rises from the basin created by the falling water. You could see rainbows form on the river as well as between the two falls. The six of us went up onto the observation deck and bridge to get a better view.
We did not stay to take a boat out to view the falls since there were several hours of driving yet to get to our Air B & Bi n Beverly, MA. Once there we all quickly picked out our beds and went to sleep. We wanted to get up early in order to head into Salem and be there when everything opened. Our trip was only four days. Two of which would be spent driving. No time to waste.
We went for a morning walk from Salem Common down to the end of the pier across from the historic liquor store called the Bunghole and the renovated Salem Maritime Historical Site. After coffee and breakfast at JAHO Artisan Coffee shop we walked to the Salem Armory and Regional Visitor Center. There we caught the tourist trolly. While the tour was interesting and pointed out things to do in the figure eight know as Salem the tour guide and bus driver were most memorable. Both were older gentlemen and lifelong residents of Salem. Neither missed a thing. If there was a tourist that was odd or something or someone out of place, they were humorous as well as quick to comment.
We did go to the Witch Dungeon and the Witch Museum. Both are reputable tourist traps. While entertained by my nieces I would have rather spent time touring some of the older historical homes and sights. I prefer actual history to hokum and theater. Not to mention creepy outdated mannequins.
I find ghost tours entertaining as well as full of valuable information, so we did stay for a haunted tour of Salem. The tour guide provided details about various buildings and known haunted sites throughout the town. Plus, we got to go to a few of the older graveyards after dusk when they were closed. The ambience made for a creepy evening. Even a non-believer would acknowledge that there could easily be ghost walking around the streets or peeking out from windows of the local buildings.
After our ghost tour we returned to our Airbnb. I am pretty sure we slept like dead after all the walking we did. The next day we were up again early and eager to go back to Salem to shop and learn more about some of the local practitioners of witchcraft.
The two things that affected me the most were the Salem Witch Trial Memorial and The Burying Point. Witches could not be buried in a sanctioned cemetery in the 1600’s. Many of them were buried in either an unmarked or mass grave just outside of the town cemetery. The Witch Memorial acknowledges this in design by being a wall surrounding the cemetery. It’s a physical separation of the accused and their accusers. The memorial is also outside church sanctioned burial ground. They have twenty markers with some of the last words of those sentenced to death for being a witch. It is as if the spirits of the dead accusers who went on with their lives are now forced for eternity to look upon the innocent people they condemned. It was a powerful reminder of what fear can do to society.
After some more shopping we went back and took a nap. At 3 a.m. we were all up and in a fully packed van heading back to Michigan. Because we were tired and Sunday road travel traffic, it took us almost seventeen hours. I was grateful that I did not have to go to work until noon on Monday. While I enjoyed my family as well as some of the very unexpected conversations and laughter, I wouldn’t do a road trip like it again. For those of you who love to travel and do long road trips in the car you’re very brave indeed.
Tea,Travel & Spirits 