The Boston Area - Part III

by Steve W

Due to our extended stay in the Boston area in early to mid-October, we got to explore the surrounding communities and sights. While driving around without any particular place to go, we stumbled upon Walden Pond, made famous by writer Henry David Thoreau, who lived on the shore for several years in a very small cabin, a replica of which is on the property.

Unlike Thoreau, we are not moving into a tiny house.

The pond itself is very tranquil and a great place to commune with nature and view the Fall leaves, just starting to turn colors.

The locals call the tourists "leaf peepers", a term that, the sign notwithstanding, is not exactly meant as a compliment.

Not really.

 We saw a few people swimming across the pond and one man "pretending" to fish.

He's not fooling anyone!

A few days later, we visited the town of Concord, site of the "Shot Heard 'Round The World" that began the Revolutionary War in 1775. Warned by Paul Revere, William Dawes and others, the Colonial militia was waiting for the British at the Old North Bridge, site of the first battle between the Colonists and the British Army.

Now called Minuteman National Park, there are monuments to both sides of the conflict, and actors dressed in costume who act as guides.

In town were sites from the pre-war days, such as churches, hotels, and meeting halls, as well as a cemetery (the Old Burying Ground) with tombstones of some who died in the Revolutionary War.

Still in operation today.

We decided to go to Salem, home of the famous witch trials and the setting for "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

As we were there shortly before Halloween, many of the women wore the pointed witch's hats we are all used to seeing. We went to the Peabody Essex Art Museum, which had an exhibit on horror movies with memorabilia from the collection of Kirk Hammett, guitarist for Metallica.

We visited the Salem Witch Trail Memorial, where there were stones listing the "witches" who were hanged, including eight who were hanged on the same day, September 22, 1692.

One of many hanged that day.

As with many New England towns, there was a cemetery with tombstones dating back hundreds of years. On a more whimsical note, there is also a statue of (almost) everyone's favorite witch, Samantha Stevens, as portrayed by Elizabeth Montgomery on the TV show "Bewitched".

With that, we twitched our noses and moved on to another location!

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