Salem/Boston, Massachusetts (State #23)-Winter Island Campground

Before getting into all of the things we did in Boston and Salem, I have to tell you about the fun thing we did on our way there!  I was able to meet up just outside of Boston with my old coworker and friend, Shari.  We worked together for about 8 years at Dr. Hudson's office, my last place of employment.  We had a great time visiting over lunch.  It was so good to see her!

As our time in Boston approached, I was getting very nervous about staying at Winter Island Campground in Salem but I am happy to report that it was better than I expected. We stayed in an area on the water which is essentially a parking lot but there are some sites near the entrance of the park that are a little more “normal” as in near trees and on grass. My biggest worries were not really having any place to get out and play, even though we had the only little patch of grass in the parking lot, and that the bathrooms would be scary because the two showers were shared with the whole campground and the day use crowd. I am happy to report that the bathrooms were clean and sharing never seemed to be an issue. AND there was plenty of space to get out and play (weather permitting).

(boat launch and view behind our site)

(looking towards our site from the boat launch.  The building is an old Coast Guard seaplane hangar and barracks)

There are remnants of Fort Pickering from 1794 to explore,

a fun playground,

(Greg and the kids playing Gladiator)

a beach and trails around the shoreline. 

We climbed on the rocks, collected smooth glass and explored the tidal pools

AND really, Salem was a great place to stay. Had we stayed in Boston (really there are no RV campgrounds IN Boston), we would have missed out on another great town to visit. Everyone has heard of Salem because of the Witch Trials but there really is a lot more history in this little town and there is a commuter rail that would take us into Boston when needed.

In Salem, we visited Salem Maritime National Historical Site

There we would learn that by 1790 Salem was the 6^th largest city in the country and a world famous seaport. During the Revolutionary War, 158 of Salem's ships became privateers and captured over 445 British vessels! When ships grew in size, the ships would move south to Boston Harbor which is deeper and could accommodate them.

We toured the life sized replica of the Friendship, 

the Customs House where Nathaniel Hawthorne had an office, 

and several small buildings before heading to the Visitor's Center to collect our badges.

We also checked out Harbor Sweets for their chocolate factory tour. I wish that I could report that this was awesome, but it was not. Their "tour" was only a video! LAME! The "tour guide" did, however, spend a little more time with us after a big group left. From the front of the store you could see a few of the employees doing a couple of different tasks.  She gave us more details about what they were doing. But, while she did make the experience a little better, it still felt lacking. The positives: it was FREE and the chocolate was really good. But of course, I bought chocolate before we left so was it REALLY free???? Haha

Our next Salem outing was to take a Salem Harbor sunset cruise with Mahi Mahi Cruises (groupon for 4 for $48). There were only three other couples on the boat which made it nice since our kids were a little LOUD. It was a fun 1.5 hour outing but since summer hasn't really started in Boston, it was a bit chilly! For those who didn't see it, Greg posted this picture to Facebook with the caption “Drinking margaritas on a sunset cruise out in the bay..”

So funny because we really did have to bundle up in JUNE!

We also checked out Salem's 1630 Pioneer Village. This is a replica village that was built in 1930 to mark the tercentennial of Massachusetts. 

It was originally used for a play but when that ended locals decided that it was worth keeping and it became America's first living history museum. We arrived for the 1:30 tour and were the only ones so we got a private tour and were able to ask all the questions we could. Mainly it was a show of the living quarters and how they changed in the first years of establishing the colony. It was interesting and worth the $14 we paid for the three of us.

Our last day in Salem, we took the Trolley tour. We were hesitant about doing this and didn't want to hear about witches all day but we were pleasantly surprised. It picked up at the campground where we stayed and took us on an hour long tour of Salem. We were able to get off and on as we pleased and the timing for hopping on the next trolley worked out perfectly for us. We were able to see some of the areas and hear their history, when we would not have otherwise.

(This fountain area is a map of Salem.  Too cute!)

(home of Judge Jonathan Corwin where those accused of witchcraft would first be questioned)

And then based on what we heard on the trolley, we got off for the final time at Salem Willows which is an old Midway area long past its heyday. 

Our tour guide had recommended the popcorn, saltwater taffy and the $2 Chop Suey sandwich. The popcorn was very good, the taffy okay and according to Greg, the Chop Suey sandwich was like “warm snot with bean sprouts in it”. YUM!  But all in all, the area was fun and lively with some great views and areas to hang out.

Afterwards we walked back to the campground, stopping by this “neighborhood pool” to sit and watch the tide come back in.

We didn't really do much relating to witches while in Salem except for our drive by the Corwin home while on the Trolley and watching a video about it at the National Park Visitors Center. We had read a book together about the witch trials before arriving and while it is truly a scary and sad time in American history, we felt that was enough.

Boston was fun to visit as well. And what made it even better was that we knew someone who lives there and could give us a few tips and sometimes a place to park (a really big deal).

Pascal is a childhood friend of Greg's that we have been able to keep in touch with over the years. After college he moved to Boston and still lives there with his wife and two children. Visiting with friends is always fun and we were able to spend a few evenings and a Sunday afternoon with them.

(Jacob and Melanie had so much fun sharing Minecraft information)

Pascal and his daughter gave us a bike tour of the Brookline area. It was a beautiful area and they live in a great spot. I could totally see myself living there except for one major thing:  SNOW!.

(view of the Charles River)

Downtown, we took a Freedom Trail Tour through the Histrionic Society. I didn't love this due to the large crowd size and inability to hear the guide. I really wished that we would have gone on a tour through the National Park. We ended up leaving the tour a little early and checking things out on our own. There were a few historical areas not included on their tour that we did by ourselves and then we also revisited some of the places that we stopped at on the tour to get more information about them.  Here are a few of the highlights:

Old Granary Burying Grounds where John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel Adams are buried:

The Old State House.  The Boston Massacre happened in front of it

Faneuil Hall, an old market building.  Town meetings were held on the second floor and here Samuel Adams would protest against the taxes imposed on the colonists.

Paul Revere's Home:

By the way, did you know that Paul Revere was only one of three midnight riders?  The other two were William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott.  Revere is not even the one who made it to Concord to deliver the message that the British were coming!  That was Prescott. And Dawes' midnight ride story is even more adventurous than Revere's!  Revere became a well-known name thanks to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow when he wrote "Paul Revere's Ride" in 1861.
We also went to famous Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. It was a fun first time experience for the kids. 

Jordan even made it onto the Jumbotron!

And while out on a walk to dinner one evening, we stopped by the birthplace of John F. Kennedy. (It was closed, so no inside tour).

During our stay, we would also check out two other National Parks. The first was Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord. We had lunch at the North Bridge which was the site of the “shot heard round the world”

And Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site, which is the site of the first plant for cast and wrought iron in the New World. 

It operated from 1646 until 1668. We took a guided tour and were able to see the waterwheels in action as they compressed the bellows to the blast furnace 

and operated the 500 pound hammer head in the forge.

The buildings are all reproductions at the original site but interestingly they were able to locate that site after finding the original slag pile/hill that still remains.

In the past 14 days, we have earned 5 Junior Ranger Badges! I am so proud of them (and me ha ha) and we have had so much fun. While I know they don't understand it all, they are learning so much and I am so proud when they can answer the questions that the Rangers think might stump them!

This was another awesome place in our adventures and definitely worth revisiting!

Next stop is Narragansett, Rhode Island.