Reply #5: I live in Southern Essex County, Massachusetts and I abhor [View All]

[TaleWgnDg]

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I live in Southern Essex County, Massachusetts and I abhor anything to do with witches as it's depicted in the tourist-claptrap of Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is much more than that crap about tourist-witches. (No, I have nothing against the religion of wicca.)

Salem, Massachusetts has a brand new museum in an attractive brand new building. It honors Salem's rich nautical history. Its 1700s-1800s international trade (Did you know that Salem was on the international map as one of the largest and richest seaports in the entire nation? Salem, not Boston!). It's fantastic. It's called the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) and it has nearby covered parking.

BTW, Salem has a pub-brewery too at this location.

There's also The Rockmore Floating Restaurant & Bar which is a restaurant and bar afloat in Salem Harbor overlooking Salem and Marblehead. Great place to escape the city on a warm afternoon and evening. I don't know if it has begun its services this early in the Springtime or not. However, check out its website for its other Salem Restaurants.

Take your friend to the *horror* shows that line some Salem streets, or to those equally deplorable junk-tourist witch-crap places, but I'd rather take my friends and relatives to a full afternoon at the PEM, a lazy afternoon at the floating bar & restaurant, or to other historical sites, all w/i Salem.

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edited to add: Oh, and don't forget the newly re-created merchant schooner Friendship in Salem Harbor not too far from the U.S. National Park Service ranger/station along Derby Street, Salem, MA as well as historic tours available, all within a small area
http://www.nps.gov/sama/indepth/exhibits.htm