Trip to New England: Salem, MA

Day Two in the Boston area, we headed out of town to Salem.  It was a a thirty minute drive from Boston.  Of course, I wanted to go because of the famous 'witch trial' that took place here, but also, I was curious to see one of the first settlements.  A lot of the Witch Trial sites have been turned into more commercial Halloweenish sites instead of historical buildings for sharing the stories of a town that got caught up in a lie that ruined the lives of so many in their town.  We decided to opt out of most of these tours, but just like the Freedom Trail, there was a red line on the side walk that led us by some of the famous city sites and ports that told the story of the town.  One of my favorite stops....the country's oldest candy store. 

We also walked by the House of Seven Gables.  We saw a little bit of blue sky here for the first time in two days. 

There are two National Park sites, one is along the sea ports that welcomed in commerce once upon a time as the Boston area built up and blossomed...and eventually spilled over into the rest of America.

There was a memorial area for the victims of the witch trial.  The entrance is stamped with the last words of the victims, all stating their innocence. 

We only spent a few hours in Salem, but it was a pretty little town with a history to celebrate and learn from, before leaving we did grab lunch at a great little place called Custom House Rotisserie.  I had yelped it before going and it had great reviews.  You know what?  All those reviews were right.  I got my 'Thanksgiving' meal in the state that hosted the first Thanksgiving.  The cornbread tasted like white cake.  The staff was super friendly and welcoming.  There are only two tiny tables inside, and a few more outside.  We got there when it opened, so we were able to sit, but I would have done take out and found a spot to enjoy this food.  The food was awesome, but the service put it over the top.  If you are ever in the area.  Go!