Last week, I talked about some of the ways that you could enjoy the Halloween season in Salem. In fact, I specifically discussed events that were relatively inexpensive (unless you bought your kids everything they wanted at the Bazaar) because there are a lot of people operating on an extremely tight budget at the moment. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’s something that’s going to change anytime soon, as the government is still shutdown, a ludicrous number of employees are still out of work, and a debt crisis of epic proportions still looms on the horizon. However, even though money is still tight for a lot of people and there’s nothing that we can do about the staggering ineptitude of our so-called “leaders”, there are still a number of things that we can do to keep ourselves from focusing too much on the financial issues that we cannot change.
One of the ways that we can prevent ourselves from focusing too much on the problems that are beyond our control, and hopefully retain some of our sanity, is to focus on something else. What should you focus on, you might ask? Well, it is the Halloween season, so why not focus on all of the stuff going on in Salem, and if you’re thinking about making your first trip or another trip to the Witch City, here are some things about the city that you should keep in mind:
1. Parking is Never Easy (or Cheap.)
Salem is a tourist city, and the Halloween season is definitely the city’s biggest draw. As a result, finding a parking spot gets harder as it gets closer to Halloween, and the harder it is to find a spot, the more it costs. In fact, most of the parking that is available in the downtown area of Salem costs somewhere in the range of $20 to $25 during the month of October. However, you can avoid these parking issues all together or, at the very least, significantly reduce them by parking further away from the downtown area and walking, taking the Newburyport/Rockport Commuter Rail train, or taking the Salem Ferry.
2. It’s Called the Witch City for a Reason (Two in Fact.)
Salem, MA is known as the Witch City for two distinct reasons. First, the City of Salem is one of the most famous (or depending on how you look at it, infamous) sites to actually try, convict, and execute people for the crime of witchcraft. In fact, 19 innocent people were hung and one person, Giles Corey, was actually pressed to death for their “supposed crimes” even though none of the people convicted were actually practicing witches or had actually done anything wrong. Secondly, in a rather amusing twist, the City of Salem now hosts one of the largest populations of actual witches in the world. These witches, which practice the Wiccan faith, are not like the witches you may have seen in The Wizard of Oz or on the TV show Bewitched, but are instead typical people with typical jobs trying to practice their religious beliefs in peace (well, as much peace as you can have in a tourist city focused on witches.) As a result, if you’re planning to come to the city in October, you should be prepared for a lot of witches, both real and imagined.
3. Expect the Unexpected
Salem is not your typical city, so it’s usually a good idea to expect the unexpected. In fact, on a normal weekend in October, you can expect to see the downtown area filled with vampires, monsters, witches (both real and imagined as stated above), living statues, people in colonial garb, and a whole lot more. The only thing to remember, however, is that if there is something that you want to see, you should check it out now. Things in Salem change pretty regularly, and there’s no guarantee that everything that you want to see will be there next year or even next week.
4. Not All Tours Are Created Equal
There are over half a dozen tours in downtown Salem alone, and each of these tours covers a different aspect of the city. As a result, even though some tours may have similar-sounding names, it is important to have an idea of what you want to know and what you want to see before you go looking for a tour. This means, for example, if you’re looking for information on the history of Salem, your best bet may be the Trolley Tour. If, on the other hand, you want to hear about some of the most frightening places in Salem, I highly recommend the Salem Night Tour.
5. Eat Like a Local
Finding something to eat in Salem is never a challenge but deciding what to eat is a whole another story. This is because Salem is filled with almost as many restaurants and food vendors as it is attractions, and you will be able to find American, Chinese, Greek, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Mediterranean, Mexican, Polish, and Thai cuisine without leaving the Downtown area. However, if you’re looking for a good place to eat without emptying your wallet, you may want to steer away from some of the larger chain restaurants and head to the smaller family-operated restaurants where all the locals eat. For example, if you’re looking for some pizza or a sub, the Engine House on Lafayette Street right next to the Fire Station has some of the best pizza, subs, and wraps around. If you’re looking for some Mexican food, the Howling Wolf on Lafayette Street across from the Fire Station is one of the best (and cheapest) Mexican places you’re going to find. Other restaurants that are definitely worth checking out include:
Cafe Kushco (Frozen Yogurt, Sandwiches, and Wraps)Fresh Taste of Asia (Chinese and Japanese)AndThe Lobster Shanty (Pub Fareand Seafood)
Photo CreditsWitch House Photo Credit:
openroads.com /
Foter /
CC BY
Witch Trial Memorial Photo Credit:
Smart Destinations /
Foter /
CC BY-SA
Living Witch Statue Photo Credit:
bunnygoth /
Foter /
CC BY-ND
Lobster Shanty Photo Credit:
Mr. T in DC /
Foter /
CC BY-ND
