It’s been awhile since I’ve written down some travel goals, so welcome back! I struggle making good lists when I’m not feeling inspired, so when the inspiration hits I must put metaphorical pen to paper. That’s exactly what happened when I started planning a birthday trip to Salem, MA for Halloween. Rather unfortunately (but not entirely unexpected), everything is booked full. I decided to harness the inspiration and make a list of goals for when I travel to Massachusetts. This list just barely scratches the surface of all the amazing things that Massachusetts has to offer. I could do a list like this for just Salem, but without further ado…
Salem
I’m giving Salem its own section because I want to literally do everything and see everything there. It is such an old city (compared to the rest of the US) that not only does it have its fair share of spooky, it has an overwhelming amount of history attached to it.
A big determining factor in not taking a trip this Halloween is that the place I want to stay is booked up (for this year AND next). That would be the Daniel’s House. It was built and has been occupied since the 17th century, making it one of the oldest houses in Salem. Its also reportedly haunted. That’s 2 for 2. There’s a handful of other houses from the 1600’s that I’m dying to see here. I’ve never experienced anything from that era, as living in the west everything is pretty new comparatively.
Now, I enjoy ghost tours as much as the next person, (okay, probably more) so I like to look for tours when I’m looking for things to do. What I didn’t expect to find, however, is a tour of the film locations from the movie Hocus Pocus. I’m a huge Hocus Pocus fan and usually I’m not particularly interested in the “this movie was filmed here” kind of tourism BUT…Hocus Pocus is too good. Its a must!
And on the topic of witches, we can’t ignore why Salem is such an attraction in the first place. It was a major player in the witch trials. A lot of its tourism is focused around that (though, honestly, very few if any of the people hung during the trials were actually witches). I definitely plan to check out the Salem Witch Museum along with so many other landmarks I don’t have in the list above. I will also definitely be channeling my inner witch and visiting as many witchy stores and oddities shops I can find!
Massachusetts Food
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the food scene in Massachusetts is really big. Some states I struggle finding dishes that are really central to their culture, but I had no issues with Massachusetts. I didn’t include everything on the list because of space, but I was able to fit a few (and I plan to eat a few more).
First up is, of course, the bagel. I feel like when we talk bagels, I hear both Boston and New York come up a lot and I want to get an opinion straight from the horses mouth, if you will. I was trying to decipher the difference between the two and I struggled, so I think until I make it to Boston, the verdict is out. Bagels are my love, though, so I’m sure there’s no way I can be disappointed.
Next up is the griddled blueberry muffin. I thought this was an interesting take on a muffin. It appears this is a pastry you don’t often see outside of Massachusetts, which means I have to try it. Thankfully, I’m a big blueberry muffin fan and they look really good. To make them, you apparently use a steak press to weigh them down while they cook.
Then, we have maple sugar candy. It sounds pretty self explanatory but I’ve never heard of this. When I saw the picture my mouth immediately watered and I had to immediately rush to find a recipe. It sounds phenomenal!
History
Massachusetts offers a wealth of historical significance. It has many of the oldest, or almost oldest, places in the entire country. For example, the Plimoth Plantation is a living history village modeling what a pilgrim town would’ve been like. It looks so cool and the interpreters are there to live as they would have when pilgrims first arrived here.
If you’re in Boston, you can walk the Freedom Trail which takes you past 16 major historical sites, many of which surrounded the Revolutionary War. At the end of the trail/tour, if you’ve timed it right, you can see the USS Constitution fire a cannonball. If there’s anything that can make you feel patriotic, its a cannon!
Concord is home to a different type of history – a literary one! It was home to some very well-known authors including Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Now, that’s cool, right? What’s cooler? The fact that you can visit Alcott’s orchard home where she wrote Little Women and something like 80% of the furniture in the home is original to the home. I was honestly not super interested until I read that and immediate thought…sign me up!
Nature
Last but not least, I want to touch on some of the more natural wonders Massachusetts has to offer, or at least some of the more outdoorsy attractions. Not mentioned is Cape Cod (or any of the other capes), but I did see some pictures of Plum Island and it looks so serene! I’m positive you can’t go wrong with any of the beaches Massachusetts has to offer.
You know I like me a good waterfall, and this waterfall has an awesome name – Bash Bish. I think my head canon will always be “bad bitch falls” and I’m okay with that. Bash Bish Falls is the tallest single-cascade waterfall in Massacusetts and its really pretty too! This one barely makes it in as it falls along the New York-Massachusetts border.
There is plenty to do in Massachusetts and I didn’t even scratch the surface. I barely even mentioned Boston! Places to eat? Didn’t make the list! What am I forgetting and what did I miss? Let me know your must-sees down below!
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