Focus on the Pocus

Here we are. It’s mere days before Halloween. Yet, I’m not sure if we’re even celebrating this year.

What do you write about when the rule book has been thrown out of the window? Half the world is bracing for a tsunami of virus that the other half of the world believes doesn’t exist. Should we talk about the origin of All Hallows Eve? Oh, you’re right. We did that last year. Wait! We could go over Dia de los Muertos! Sigh, right again. We did that on a different last year. Ok, I think I’m onto something. Lemme tell you about the Halloweeniest place on earth! Because, one time, I went to Salem (cue thunderbolt, lightening, and a maniacal laugh).

When Roger Conant led a group of immigrants from Cape Ann into the Northeast Coast of Massachusetts, he named the area Naumkeag after the nearby river. The settlers of 1626 wanted something that rolled off the tongue a bit easier, and chose Salem, the Hebrew word for peace. Yet, peace has never come easily for Salem. Just 70 years after the hopeful appellation was given, 19 innocent people were hanged in America’s first, but not last, bout of satanic panic. You looked at me weird and my chicken died? You’re a witch. You walked by my window and my bread didn’t rise? Witch. Smallpox outbreak gotcha worried? Yep – everyone and their grandmother must be a witch. Still, we were miseducated on the deets. For instance, most of the trials were held, not in Salem, but in Andover. Also, Americans accused of witchcraft were hung. It was the European witch trials that resulted in burning the condemned at the stake. Think Joan of Arc in 1431. Incidentally, Joan was killed more for the embarrassment she caused the aristocracy when she dressed as a man and led a liberation of fighters than of witchcraft, though she was accused of all that and much more. Still, Salem became the mecca for all things bewitching. And, just like anything mysterious and dark, Salem lost a lot of its originality to the tourist industry. Yet, the parts it managed to keep are extraordinary, haunting, and totally worth a trip.

Salem is best seen on foot. Everything is within walking distance. We were fortunate to stumble upon a newly renovated apartment unit on Air B&B. We were the first renters, so our stay was deeply discounted, since they weren’t sure what would or wouldn’t go wrong. This was our 15th anniversary trip, so we were there in late June (the price quadruples in October). Days were sunny and beach worthy, but the evenings were perfect for a sweater. Daytime highs averaged 85 and EVERYONE who wasn’t us was complaining about the stifling heat. We did all the touristy things. We went into every witchy store. We walked through every museum. We posed by the Elizabeth Montgomery statue and laughed over all the people who thought she was a 1692 accused person, having never heard of “that sitcom” from the 60s. Salem has cobblestone streets. Salem has gorgeous colonial homes. Salem is rich in maritime history. So, when you look beyond the doors expelling dry ice clouds and the costumed hype men begging for your entrance and the 3rd identical Ouija board that was supposedly made by a direct descendant of Sarah Good, Salem will manage to pull at your heart in a spooky good way. Here are some don’t miss highlights.

Salem attracts creatives like no other place I’ve visited. Find the “El Punto” neighborhood and walk through the open air museum where you can see 75 large murals created by over 50 world and locally famous artists. It is breathtaking. Not far from the open air museum is the Old Town Hall. The self-paced museum is well worth the admission, and this is where the Halloween Ball took place in Hocus Pocus. If you’re an HP devotee like me, be sure and drive by: Max & Dani’s house, Allison’s house, and Thackery Binx’s house. Hocus Pocus was filmed all around the Salem/Marblehead area. Literary aficionados, you’re in for a treat! Head straight to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace. If you’re more of a historical witch buff, you mustn’t miss the Witch House, the only structure remaining with actual trial significance. Judge Jonathan Corwin resided there during the trials and was believed have questioned some of the accused in this very house, thought to have been built between 1620 and 1642. Yes, this home is still standing, furnished with period correct and relevant pieces. You can walk through it! Furthermore, you can walk the hallowed grounds of Burying Point where Judge Hathorne (most hated judge of the trials) is buried. You can visit the grave of Richard More, a Mayflower passenger, and Simon Bradstreet, founder of the Puritan community. And, finally, don’t miss the independent bookstores. That’s where we found out about the hanging place. There’s no marker, no sign or plaque at all. But, grab wine and cheese from the amazing fromage shop, cop a squat behind the Walgreens, and watch the sun set on the spookiest area of all. Be careful. It’s not the greatest neighborhood. See that place that looks like an overgrown thicket? That’s where they hung the innocent (NOT at Gallows Hill), 84 years before we were even an independent country. Now, go get some sleep and take advantage of the fact that New Hampshire and Vermont are within a brief drive. Do it all, that is, after the world reopens and we can travel safely. Because, Halloween can get scary, but the world right now is downright sinister.