Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Salem, Massachusetts

Statue of Bewitched's Elizabeth Montgomery
Statue of Bewitched's Elizabeth Montgomery

The woman bumped into me and the first thing I noticed was the five-pointed pentagram on her necklace. I was in Salem, Massachusetts, home of the famous witch trials, and now I was face to face with a possible witch.

As we each went our own way, I walked side streets to the Witch Trials Memorial and passed shops offering séances, psychic readings, tarot cards and ghost tours.

Although the weather was a bit cold and drizzling, I soon smelled the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and my nose led me into A & J King bakery on Hawthorne Street. Somewhat relieved to find a bakery offering delicious-looking treats, I bought a piece of caramel bourbon bread pudding and noted the olive bread baguette and slices of carrot cake filled with mascarpone cheese. The sweets were a delight – not knowing what laid ahead in this town known for witches.

Sponsored
Sponsored

A few short blocks away I walked into the Witch Trials Memorial, a little U-shaped park with a row of stone slab benches that's inscribed with names of those who had been hanged in 1692. The name “witch” has always been one of interpretation, and the trials marked a period of injustice not to be forgotten.

A fun statue of Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched sits near Lappin Park. Having grown up watching the show, I thought she looked every bit as kind as I thought her to be, twitching nose and all.

Salem is reinventing itself as a suburb of Boston and a destination travel spot with trendy boutique shops and eateries. By car or ferry, bustling Beantown is only 17 miles away. Popping in and out of stores on the cobblestone Essex Street, I couldn’t resist buying regionally made bath products in Scrub and talked with owner Kate Leavy. She excitedly told me Salem is now more than witches because of the development on Front Street and the effort to save brick-and-mortar storefronts.

Sure enough, I peeked inside Seed Stitch Yarn shop with women gathered around a table knitting and talking, and found time to taste locally made Richardson’s ice cream in Maria’s Sweet Something’s. The annual poetry contest with poets reciting their works was underway close by in Derby Square, where people casually gathered to share a reading and a few laughs.

Each October is big business for Salem but besides that, year round, there are maritime events, an artist’s row with local artists and free workshops, chocolate and ice sculpture festivals, and tours of the infamous House of Seven Gables.

After exploring the progressive downtown area, I met family at Finz’s Seafood restaurant on Pickering Wharf, where we dined on fresh oysters and potent Bloody Marys.

All in all, the town of Salem offers hospitality, New England character and maybe even a few witches!

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

March is typically windy, Sage scents in the foothills

Butterflies may cross the county
Next Article

2024 continues to impress with yellowfin much closer to San Diego than they should be

New rockfish regulations coming this week as opener approaches
Statue of Bewitched's Elizabeth Montgomery
Statue of Bewitched's Elizabeth Montgomery

The woman bumped into me and the first thing I noticed was the five-pointed pentagram on her necklace. I was in Salem, Massachusetts, home of the famous witch trials, and now I was face to face with a possible witch.

As we each went our own way, I walked side streets to the Witch Trials Memorial and passed shops offering séances, psychic readings, tarot cards and ghost tours.

Although the weather was a bit cold and drizzling, I soon smelled the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread and my nose led me into A & J King bakery on Hawthorne Street. Somewhat relieved to find a bakery offering delicious-looking treats, I bought a piece of caramel bourbon bread pudding and noted the olive bread baguette and slices of carrot cake filled with mascarpone cheese. The sweets were a delight – not knowing what laid ahead in this town known for witches.

Sponsored
Sponsored

A few short blocks away I walked into the Witch Trials Memorial, a little U-shaped park with a row of stone slab benches that's inscribed with names of those who had been hanged in 1692. The name “witch” has always been one of interpretation, and the trials marked a period of injustice not to be forgotten.

A fun statue of Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched sits near Lappin Park. Having grown up watching the show, I thought she looked every bit as kind as I thought her to be, twitching nose and all.

Salem is reinventing itself as a suburb of Boston and a destination travel spot with trendy boutique shops and eateries. By car or ferry, bustling Beantown is only 17 miles away. Popping in and out of stores on the cobblestone Essex Street, I couldn’t resist buying regionally made bath products in Scrub and talked with owner Kate Leavy. She excitedly told me Salem is now more than witches because of the development on Front Street and the effort to save brick-and-mortar storefronts.

Sure enough, I peeked inside Seed Stitch Yarn shop with women gathered around a table knitting and talking, and found time to taste locally made Richardson’s ice cream in Maria’s Sweet Something’s. The annual poetry contest with poets reciting their works was underway close by in Derby Square, where people casually gathered to share a reading and a few laughs.

Each October is big business for Salem but besides that, year round, there are maritime events, an artist’s row with local artists and free workshops, chocolate and ice sculpture festivals, and tours of the infamous House of Seven Gables.

After exploring the progressive downtown area, I met family at Finz’s Seafood restaurant on Pickering Wharf, where we dined on fresh oysters and potent Bloody Marys.

All in all, the town of Salem offers hospitality, New England character and maybe even a few witches!

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Best Kratom Capsules: Top Brands, Benefits & Where To Buy

Next Article

Centennial Salute to San Diego’s Military, East Village Block Party, Birding Basics Class

Events March 29-March 30, 2024
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.