Salem
Let’s kick it off with my Salem trip tips. We flew into Boston, rented a car and drove to Salem. It took about an hour. We rented an AirBnb, but I’d say I would have been very happy staying in a hotel on one of the main roads most things took place on. EVERYONE is in the spirit there. We went in October, and it was truly a blast. I think a weekend is more than enough time there, unless you want to explore more of Boston. My top recommendation is to make every food reservation in advance. I don’t have a ton of food recs because we didn’t, and it backfired. It’s such a small town FILLED with tourists, so it’s hard to get in to restaurants.
On day one, we walked around the main streets in Salem, had dinner (at Turners which was great), and I bought a modern witch hat of course (they sell these everywhere, and I bought mine from a street vendor). Then we watched Hocus Pocus at our AirBnB.
The streets were packed with people in costume, taking tours, truly enjoying Halloween. There were people who wear costumes like Pennywise, Freddy Krueger and more! They had a place where you could get professional “witch looking/costume” photos if you’re into that. Again, reserve that in advance.
On Day 2, we took pics at all the #HocusPocus filming locations. I can’t wait for Hocus Pocus 2!
Here’s where we went:
1. 🪦 Old Burial Hill Cemetery. Established in 1638, it’s one of the oldest Graveyards in New England. It’s also where Jay and My-Name’s-Not-Ernie-Anymore-It’s-ICE stole Max’s cross trainers. (Orne St., Marblehead, MA)
2. 🛖 Salem Pioneer Village. Pioneer village is America’s first living history museum, and it’s the set of the first scene in the movie when Thackery sees “EMILYYYYYY!” follow Sarah into the woods. (310 West Ave)
3. 🏛 Old Town Hall. Remember when Max and Danny’s parents partied until dawn? They “dance, dance, dance until you die!”-d at Old Town Hall. Today, it hosts the Salem Museum and live music performances. (161 Essex St.)
4-5. 🏯 Ropes Mansion and Garden. When Max and Danny go trick-or-treating, they end up at a party for “rich people” at Allison’s house. Turns out, it’s one of the most prominent 18th-century homes in Salem. The garden in the back is free to visit and open to the public. (318 Essex St.)
6. 📚 Phillips Elementary School. Remember when Max, Danny and Allison devised a plan to burn the Sanderson sisters alive inside their high school’s furnace? It happened here. This iconic building is no longer open to the public, but it sits across from Salem Commons, where many outdoor scenes in the movie were filmed. (South Washington Square)
7. 🏠 When you search ‘Hocus Pocus House’ on Maps, Max and Danny’s house pops up. It’s privately owned by a family that doesn’t mind if you stop by and take photos. (4 Ocean Ave.) Credit goes to my friend, Raven for this detailing of our Hocus Pocus spots! @ravenbrinson
We ended the night with a Salem ghost tour. They have them EVERYWHERE there! It ended at a house that the board game Clue was modeled after which also included a murder! I highly recommend to do one of these. You never know how much of the “haunting” portion is true, but there’s a ton of history there.
Mind Blown!
Did you know that your phone shows you where to walk? Let me explain…I have put in directions for walking before, and I always start walking because I don’t know which way to go to see if my blue dot is going the right direction. I realize MOST of you already knew this probably, but a girl I follow on Instagram posted this, and it blew my mind!
A couple of things I’m VERY into this week:
@kismethouse on TikTok. She does home renovations, and she is SO good and SUPER funny! I started following her early on, and she’s BLOWN up!
Sungold Kiwis. I found mine at Trader Joe’s, but someone told me they were on-sale at Costco. I don’t have a membership, and again, you probably already know about these, but OMG! They aren’t green like normal kiwis, they’re gold, and AMAZING! If you didn’t know, you can peel kiwis with a spoon fyi. That’s how I do it!