It's pretty easy to get caught up in the "popular" spots, the things you think you "should" do, and what looks really cool in photos when planning a vacation.  The more I work on being less of a people-pleaser, the more I discover the difference between the things I really want to do and the things everyone else wants to do.  I've discovered more of how it feels when I put a truly personal spin on plans that focus on what I (and the people traveling with me) are truly interested in.  It's helped me learn more about who I am and what I want, which is valuable information for someone who was literally beaten for not conforming.

I watched a lot of YouTube videos and read multiple blogs about "Things To Do In Salem".  There are always insights for me in those, even if I find out I don't want to do any of what that person is talking about.  We had very limited time to spend in the area, but we tried to make the most of it.

Our schedule worked out perfectly for me to visit Salem in celebration of being ten years out of radiation. I took the opportunity to celebrate myself, including buying myself trinkets, getting a reading from a medium, and truly accepting my spirituality.  It was a bit of a Pagan Coming Out trip for me, and I had a wonderful day!

On our second day in Boston, we rented a car and drove to Salem, Massachusetts.  There are a variety of ways to get to Salem from Boston.  From May 24th to October 31st, you can take a ferry.  You can take the Commuter Rail from North Station in Boston (the Newburyport/Rockport line) to Salem.  The round-trip ticket is roughly $20 for the 30-minute ride.

Sean and I chose to rent a car to see as much as possible from Point A to Point B.  It gave us more time to enjoy our day without the stress of adhering to a strict schedule for transportation and the like.  Car rentals within the city all have a return time of 5PM at the latest.  This just wasn't conducive to the day we planned, so we had to do it more complicatedly.

Sean and I both got up wicked early to prepare for the road trip.  We had our Dunkin' goodies and eventually, he had to leave to take the hour-long T ride (the subway) to the airport to rent a car.  I stayed at the hotel and continued getting ready while he kept me aware of his approach.  (You can share your drive on Google Maps with someone so they know where you are and when you arriving.)  As he drove closer to the hotel, I made my way down to the lobby, and then the sidewalk, so that he wouldn't have to attempt to park anywhere.

I figured driving in Boston might be a bit maddening for Sean, but he's driven us around Scotland so it wasn't too bad.  He said he wouldn't attempt to drive in New York City though.

We made excellent time to Salem and arrived before most shops opened. I will also add that we visited on a Tuesday in mid-March, so a good chunk of the shops I wanted to see weren't even open on a Tuesday.  I've still included all the shops I wanted to visit in the above embedded Google Map, but I will review some of my favorite stops below.

We found a parking spot along Norman Street, then walked towards Lappin Park and the 'Bewitched' Sculpture (the seventh season of the show was filmed in Salem.  I have also marked the public parking lots and restrooms on my map.  You have some options!)  On the way there, we stopped at HausWitch, a bright, cheery shop with lots of fun home decor, candles, rocks and gems, and other items.  They only do aura readings on specific days, so I missed out.  You can check the schedule on their website.

Just up the street, we popped into Gulu-Gulu Cafe for a coffee.  The website calls the cafe an artisan sandwich shop and craft beer bar, but they also have coffee, light breakfast foods and small plates, cocktails, and wine. The artwork and laidback vibe of the place is great, but we only stayed briefly.  After we grabbed a coffee, we headed off to walk around Salem.

Because so much of this trip was centered around me - seeing Westlife, meeting up with my friends, and exploring where I used to live - I made sure Sean had a few just-for-him things, like going to every comic shop we came close to.  Harrison's Comics is right across the street from the cafe.  It is much larger inside than I expected with tons of comics and collectibles! It was fun to look through and very exciting for the nerd in your life!  (Which is also me.  I found a Gizmo figure I had to have.)

OAK + MOSS was also bright, cheery, and fun to look through.  They carry a variety of plants and pots, and some home decor.  I saw so many things I wanted to take home, but none that would fit in my suitcase.  

Whimsy's Sweet Life is part ice cream shop and part artisan gift shop.  This was one of my favorite shops in Salem!  Though small, there are so many pretty little items from self-care products to jewelry, stickers to candles, and more.  The owner was fun to talk to and helped me find a ring that fit my finger well.  I was also delighted to find Yo Soy Candles stocked at Whimsy's.  They are a candle company based in Portland, Oregon with a candle creation bar Sean and I have visited!

We stopped to admire Old Town Hall, which you might recognize from Hocus Pocus, and paid our respects to victims of the Salem Witch Trials at the memorial just off the Charter Street Cemetery (also known as The Burying Point). 

As part of my gift to myself to honor the 10-year anniversary of going through radiation for thyroid cancer, I had my first reading from a medium!  I chose to go to Pentagram for my reading, though multiple places throughout Salem offer readings of various types.  At Pentagram there is the option of psychic, mediumship, couple, or astrological readings.  This is the first time I've ever done a reading of any kind, so I was excited and curious about what it would be like.

The shop was so fun to look through with so many great books, tools, and jewelry for all things witchcraft.  I signed up for my reading and looked around the shop while I waited.  I was paired with Matt the medium who led me to a little curtained alcove upstairs and introduced himself.  Each medium may have a slightly different way of doing things, but I thought Matt was friendly, direct, and really easy to talk to.  I felt comfortable with him, though I shared minimal information because of my healthy skepticism (even though I do identify as a witch and a Pagan).

Overall, the experience was a really lovely, positive one.  I did cry a little, but I held myself together well as Matt shared messages from my grandma and my dogs Miss P and Rusty.  It was very special for me to hear their messages and feel their loving energy.  I would definitely get a reading again in the future.  Should I find myself in Salem again (fingers crossed), I would also revisit Pentagram.

After my reading, I met back up with Sean and we sat in a nearby park while I told him about my reading and cried.  I took the time to make notes of every message and point I remembered before we continued on our way around Salem.  

At this point of the day, we were a bit hungry and needed to refuel.  Red Line Cafe was quiet when we walked in, but quickly got busy after we sat down.  Sean and I shared a delicious chicken mushroom hand pie and a mango-peach smoothie.

We got back to shopping with a walk through the Witch City Mall, an old mall that still smells like the 80s with a few little shops tucked inside.  There is a t-shirt shop called Witch Tees with great prices and up to 4X in a variety of options.  I bought a hoodie that came in handy later on my trip.  For being a touristy town, the prices in Salem were really reasonable.  There are a few gem stores and a jewelry shop in this area, among many other places.  We also stopped into Pamplemousse, a wine store with ciders, beers, cheeses, and all kinds of treats.  Sean found some Tunnock's Tea Cakes, a favorite little goodie from Scotland, that we snacked on later on our trip.

East India Square is just outside the mall.  This area has a fountain that was built in 1976 and is the location of one of my own personal ghost stories.  Back in 2000 when I lived in Boston, my roommates and I drove out to Salem for the day.  While we walked around, we stopped to take photos at the fountain.  Back then we only had film cameras, so we took turns in groups of two or three to get our photos taken together.  An older man in a tank top and shorts came over and asked if we wanted him to take a picture of us, so we agreed.  There was nothing notable in that moment, but when I got the pictures developed my jaw dropped.  In the group photo of the four of us, you can clearly see the same man waving in the background of the photo.  But he's the one that TOOK the photo.  It is still so bananas to me to this day!

Emporium 32 was a little gem with so many fun and fascinating finds, worth a visit for sure!  Moon's Gift Shop is more touristy with lots of knick-knacks, hats, tees, and so much more.

This main city area is very small and totally walkable.  It is flat and the sidewalks are well-maintained, though there are bricks and stones, so wear comfortable shoes.  I sat aside four to six hours for us to walk around, eat meals, get a reading, etc.  Because so many shops were closed on a Tuesday, we made good time and were never rushed.

After four hours of walking around Salem, we went back to the car and drove around the coastline to see what we could see.  A stop at Salem Willows Park was short-lived because it was incredibly windy and cold.  This area must be hoppin' in the summer with an arcade and a very 80's boardwalk-type feel.  The park is small, but we had fun trying to keep the wind from pushing us over.

From Salem Willows Park, we drove back down the peninsula, back through Salem, and on to Marblehead.  We had a relaxing afternoon driving around the neighborhoods, checking out expensive houses and yacht clubs before stopping at Chandler Hovey Park, located at the mouth of the harbor.  This is another small park with rocky outcroppings, benches, and the Marblehead Light Tower.

We drove back to Salem to wait for Turner's Seafood to open for dinner.  While we waited, we popped into Die With Your Boots On, a shop catering to the more goth and darkly quirky among us.  While I didn't belong because it isn't my aesthetic, the staff was still friendly and welcoming.  They carried some plus sizes in-store and had fun jewelry, prints, stickers, purses, and other items to keep me entertained and fascinated.  It's worth a stop!

Turner's Seafood at Lyceum Hall was our dinner stop.  We were seated by the fireplace just off the bar and had a friendly and humorous server named Denis.  I ordered the Baked Stuffed Shrimp with spinach and crispy potato wedges.  Sean tried the Finnan Haddie because he'd never seen it on a menu before (It's smoked Haddock in a pearl onion au gratin sauce), with the risotto cake and jasmine rice as his sides.  Our meals were yummy, and we left very happy!

Lyceum Hall is where Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the first long-distance phone call in 1877.  This was a fun historical aspect that made our dinner even more special.

With full tummies and empty energy stores, we drove back to Logan Airport to return the rental car.  It was a smooth process, so we lugged our store-bought goodies through the airport to the T station and along the roughly hour-long ride to our hotel.  My anxiety was flaring up, my knee was sore from hurting it the day before, and I just couldn't sleep.  While the CBN gummies made me sleepy, they didn't help shut my brain off enough to lessen the anxious thoughts.  It was a long night. 

But I was determined to start as fresh as I could the next day!