Escaping from the snow in Salem

The historic Hawthorne Hotel

I have to share this post from the Hawthorne Hotel's Facebook page...

I slept here last night and can absolutely assure you that our beds are SO comfy, our pillows nice and fluffy and "smushable" and the water pressure is excellent in the shower. Our docking station/clock radio is awesome if you have an iPhone or the like, and our flat-screen TVs with HBO are terrific.

Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites

We're having a bit of a snowstorm here (the media has dubbed it the "January Nor'Easter") and when my neighborhood lost power, I immediately started to consider where I would evacuate to - should the power not come back on.  We have a dog, so the Hawthorne would be perfect.  We also have two kids, so the Waterfront Hotel & Suites - and its indoor pool - would also fit the bill.  

The Waterfront was, as of yesterday, offering a "Snow Deal" to help people get out of the weather.  Check out their Facebook page for more information.

Fortunately, our power came back on this morning and I was able to get the coffee, hot chocolate and pancakes going, to warm my snow-removal team up when they came back inside.

Both hotels are open today, serving up hot coffee, hot chocolates, and those stronger libations that you may just need after shoveling yourself out! 

What's open, and what's not, in January

I never like to promote what's closed (there must be a way to spin this to feature what's open, right?), but for these first two weeks of January, so many things in Salem are closed for cleaning, restoration, and repair that it's worth mentioning. 

In the spirit of wanting you to have a good experience in Salem, I submit to you the January 2011 list of

what's open, and what's not.

Visitor Center

Salem Regional Visitor Center, 2 New Liberty Street, is closed for repair and construction work until January 17.  The Orientation Center, 193 Derby Street, will be open during the vistior center closure.  The Orientation Center has public restrooms, a short, free film about the maritime heritage of Salem, and National Park Rangers on staff from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM daily. 

Salem Maritime, the National Park in Salem, will be offering regular tours of the historic buildings and tall ship Friendship on the weekends throughout the winter. nps.gov/sama

Activities...

CinemaSalem is open year-round.  Stay tuned for more details on the annual Salem Film Fest in February! 

Count Orlok's Nightmare Gallery is closed until March. 

The House of the Seven Gables is closed through January 13.  They will reopen with regular hours, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM on January 14. 

The New England Pirate Museum is closed until April 1. 

The Peabody Essex Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday and Holiday Mondays (like January 17, which is Martin Luther King Day) throughout the year.  This week they are open late - until 8:00 PM - so you can see the final week of The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City before it leaves for The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 


The Phillips House on Chestnut Street is open weekends, 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM, with tours on the half-hour.  Please call ahead, (978)744-0440, during a snow emergency, as they don't have parking when there is a parking ban.

The Salem Wax Museum is closed until Thursday, February 2nd, and will be open Thursday through Sunday in February and all of February vacation (February 21 - 25) from 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

The Salem Witch Museum is closed be closed Monday, January 3 through Thursday, January 6 and Monday, January 10 through Thursday, January 13.  It will be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. 

The Salem Witch Village is closed until February 20, when it will open for February vacation week 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

The Witch Dungeon Museum is closed until April 1. 

The Witch History Museum is closed until April 1.

The Witch House is open by appointment only in January.

Tours...

The Salem Trolley is on a well-deserved winter vacation. They re-open in April.  There are walking tour options during the winter, however.

Salem Strolls offers walking tours by appointment year-round, weather and ice permitting.

Hocus Pocus Tours depart at 3:30 PM in January and February. Advanced reservations (by 10:00 AM on day of tour) are required via phone, 781.248.2031, or Web site.   

Shopping... 

Artemisia Botanicals on Pickering Wharf is open daily year-round.

J.Mode on Front Street is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM and Sundays 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM.  Check out their "Serious Winter Sale" in January for savings of 30-75%!

Quintessentials on Pickering Wharf is open Fridays and Saturdays 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM, Sundays 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM and Monday holidays 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

Salemdipity on Pickering Wharf is open Thursday through Monday, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM.

The Trolley Depot is open Monday - Saturday 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM, and 11:00 - 5:00 PM on Sunday.

Ye Old Pepper Companie is open daily 10am - 5pm.  Come February, they'll have extra hours for Valentine's Day!

Food and Cheer...

Most of our restaurants are open year-round, and many, including Gulu Gulu Cafe and Green Land Cafe have live music during the week.   Adriatic Restaurant is planning a Game Dinner and a Wine Dinner - stay tuned for more information on those! 

Embrace winter by warming up fireside at Capt's, Finz, The Lyceum or The Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel.  The cold weather is nothing a comfy chair and a fabulous cup of coffee (or a Hot Toddy) can't cure.  

Accommodations...

The Hawthorne Hotel, The Salem Inn, The Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Northey Street House Bed and Breakfast, Morning Glory B&B and Clipper Ship Inn are all open year-round. This is a great time of year for getting away, enjoying Salem's restaurants (there are more than sixty of them now), lingering over exhibits at the Peabody Essex Museum, and taking walks on the waterfront and Salem Common. 

Snowy Salem

Salem was draped with nearly two feet of snow yesterday.  Today it is beautiful!  

Here are a few pictures I took along Essex Street this morning when I came into work.  The PEM is open, as is the Visitor Center, Salem Witch Museum, and The House of the Seven Gables.  The streets are cleared (but I recommend parking in the garage at 1 New Liberty Street or the South Harbor Garage on the corner of Derby and Congress Streets).  The sidewalks are a bit slushy, so wear boots, bundle up, and come out to explore Salem!

The return of the Bronze Witch

We were walking down the Essex Street pedestrian mall yesterday and was delighted to see the return of the Bronze Witch.  She must have had fun last year, because she brought a friend this year!

These women are so talented, and so much fun to watch.  While we admired the ladies, Cry Innocent pulled Bridget Bishop down Essex Street to her examination.  The two statue's reactions to Bridget and Cry Innocent were very entertaining!  They are so expressive.

Essex Street is always so exciting!

The Haunted Biz Baz | Family Fright Night Movie Series

This is the weekend that Essex Street is closed from Hawthorne Boulevard to Washington Street in order to make way for unique vendors who come from near and far to participate in the annual Haunted Biz Baz!

Products will range from the brilliant to the bizarre in this wonderful fall bazaar. Shop for jewelry, sweaters, art work, and t-shirts. Don't worry, there will be plenty of fried dough, popcorn, hot dogs, and hot chocolate, too!

The Biz Baz is presented by the Salem Chamber of Commerce.

Family Fright Night Movie Series!

After you've exhausted yourself at the Biz Baz, head to Salem Common for the first of three Family Fright Nights! Presented by Radio 92.9, there will be a FREE screening of the film Hocus Pocus. Bring a blanket and a chair, and come enjoy a beautiful fall evening in Salem!

Next Saturday they will show Ghostbusters, and on Saturday, October 23 the film will be The Addams Family. The films will start at 6:00 PM.

Salem Ferry is running this weekend, and all month!

Look at that beautiful blue sky! The weather has cleared and it’s time to enjoy the long weekend. I recommend spending your weekend in Salem, and, if you're coming from Boston, you should take advantage of The Salem Ferry. The Salem Ferry runs through October 31, connecting Salem's Blaney Street dock with Long Wharf North in Boston.

In addition to being a great mode of transportation, the Salem Ferry participates in Boston's Best Cruises' Cruise & Play program, which means you can save at Salem and Boston restaurant and businesses by showing your ticket stub.

The Salem Ferry, The Nathaniel Bowditch, departs Salem daily at 9 AM, 11 AM, 1 PM, 3 PM, 5 PM, 7 PM, and 9 PM (Friday and Saturdays only). The Nathaniel Bowditch departs Boston daily at 10 AM, 12 Noon, 2 PM, 4 PM, 6 PM, 8 PM, and 10 PM (Friday and Saturdays only). It is a 55 minute trip, and the ferry has a climate controlled cabin, concession bar, and restrooms.

Round trip price for adults is $19 and for children and seniors it is $17. Tickets can be purchased at BostonsBestCruises.com or at Boston’s Best Cruises’ Ferry Centers.

Be sure to take advantage of the ferry and all it has to offer before it’s too late!

Lecture Series at Old Town Hall

The North Shore’s rich and sometimes unexplored historical past now has a new “home”—the Old Town Hall Lecture Series, launching this Fall at Salem’s Old Town Hall and presented by Gordon College’s Institute for Public History.

The Old Town Hall Lecture Series will take place on the third Thursday of the month, from November 2010 through May 2011 at 7:30 pm, at Old Town Hall, Derby Square, Salem, MA. Subscription and individual tickets may be purchased online at oldtownhalllectures.com.

Thursday, November 18, 2010:

Judge Sewall’s Apology. Illustrated lecture and book signing with Richard Francis (retired prof of creative writing, Bath Spa University, England)

Thursday, December 16, 2010:

Witchcraft and Conflict in Early New England. Illustrated lecture and book signing with Emerson (“Tad”) Baker (Salem State College archaeologist and history professor)

Thursday, January 20, 2011:

Judith Sargent Murray: A New Era in Female History. Illustrated lecture and book signing with Bonnie Hurd Smith (independent scholar and public historian).

Thursday, February 17, 2011:

Salem and the Civil War: 150th Anniversary: Illustrated lecture by K. David Goss (Gordon College history professor and director of the Institute for Public History).

Thursday, March 17, 2011:

America, Europe and the Religious Divide. Illustrated lecture and book signing with Thomas A. (“Tal”) Howard (Gordon College history professor).

Thursday, April 21, 2011:

Opening of the New Museum of Salem. Featuring representatives of the museum planning team

Thursday, May 19, 2011:

Witch Hunting and Popular Religion of the 17th Century. Illustrated lecture and book signing with David D. Hall (Professor of New England Church History at Harvard Divinity School)

For more information on the lecture series, visit oldtownhalllectures.com.

Family Friendly Haunted Happenings

October is here! It's a most wonderful time of the year in Salem, and the first weekend was a beautiful start to the month of festivities.

If you are planning a visit to Salem to celebrate Haunted Happenings, you'll want to visit our festival web site at HauntedHappenings.org and download the free iPhone App.

Here are a few new family-friendly events for 2010 that are worth checking out:

Wizardly Wonders at the Witches Cottage... This magical show for children features a friendly wizard who takes the audience through a wonderful world of magic, wizardry, and Halloween fun!

Salem Kids Tours... This is the only walking tour in Salem just for children! The tour features tales of old Salem, including ghost stories and gross stories.

Free Family Fright Night Movie Series! Radio 92.9 will present family-friendly frightful films outdoors on three Saturdays in October. October 9 (Hocus Pocus), October 16 (Ghostbusters), and October 23 (The Addams Family). The films will be shown outdoors on Salem Common at 6pm.

Also for kids, The Grand Parade, presented by the Salem Chamber of Commerce, is on Thursday, October 7. Children's Day on Salem Common will be October 16. The Peabody Essex Museum is having an Edible Art Festival on October 9 and 10.

It's going to be a great month in Salem, with events for all ages.

FreePort [No. 001] - Contemporary Art at the PEM

“The job of the artist is not to invent something new but to reveal what already surrounds us.”

— Charles Sandison

This weekend the PEM will launch a new contemporary art initiative called FreePort with the installation of a work by Charles Sandison entitled Figurehead, and inspired by the PEM's collections.

Internationally renowned for his animated digital projections, artist Charles Sandison is installing a site-specific artwork created for the Peabody Essex Museum's East India Marine Hall. Sandison's work activates the words of 18th-century ship captains' logs to create an immersive environment drawing upon the trade routes, politics, competition and voices that led to the founding of the museum and the origins of PEM's remarkable collection. Organized by PEM's Curator of Contemporary Art, Trevor Smith, this installation marks the first in a series of contemporary art interventions in PEM's FreePort initiative.

Launch Party
The PEM will celebrate the launch of the new Contemporary Art Initiative FreePort and the installation of Sandison's Figurehead at a launch party on Friday, October 1. Admission is free, but please RSVP on the museum's Facebook page. The party starts at 8:00 and features DJ Flack, dancing, a cash bar, and dessert. Attire is cocktail/contemporary.

Visit pem.org for more information on FreePort, Sandison, and everything else happening at the PEM!

The History of Victoria Station

I'm lifting today's blog post right off of Victoria Station's new web site. I'm doing so because I didn't know all of the back story (for instance, Johnny Cash) for this landmark restaurant. It is the oldest restaurant on Pickering Wharf, and as Salem's restaurant scene booms, Victoria Station remains a cornerstone of the city's myriad dining options.

And, I must add, they serve beets in the salad bar. Like having a fresh salad bar isn't great enough!

So, here it is, the Story of Victoria Station:

As many of you that have visited Victoria Station in the last 30 years know, its story is a long winding one.

It was 1970 when three graduates from Cornell Hotel School created an exciting new theme restaurant Victoria Station. They were inspired by the world famous Victoria Station. The style was historic and nostalgic utilizing a bright red phone booth, English taxi cabs, historic train memorabilia and authentic train cars turned into dining cars creating a nostalgic, warm and fun atmosphere.

The first Victoria Station was opened in San Francisco to great accolades and success. The chain quickly became one of the fastest growing corporations in America. By the 1980's the company had grown to over 100 restaurants across the globe with thousands of employees and famous singer Johnny Cash as their spokesperson. (It was his inspiration for his song Destination Victoria Station). Victoria Station also has its own autobiography written by historian Tom Blake called Prime Rib and Boxcars. Once Victoria Station came to New England, Victoria Station on Pickering Wharf began to create its own architectural style utilizing the train station inspiration of the original restaurant and the famous train station with touches of the historic Pickering Wharf in Salem, MA. where it is located. Victoria Station Salem created its own specific style while honoring the traditions and standards that became synonymous with the chain.

Trains Keep a Rollin'

Victoria Station Salem is now the last remaining one in the United States. It is proud to continue the Victoria Station name and restaurant management continues to pay close attention to the historic and nostalgic atmosphere with a new approach and even higher standards than today's customers demand. They specialize in classic New England cuisine with a fusion of the once great Steakhouse and still offer Victoria Station's signature slow roasted Angus Prime Rib and "All you can eat" Salad Bar. Today they are proud to use as many fresh local ingredients as possible and receive their seafood direct from local vendors on a daily basis.

Today

Last year Vic's Boathouse opened, serving an even greater number of patrons with a brand new full service Oceanside bar and lounge, serving delectable cuisine and featuring live free local entertainment every weekend. This year the Boathouse has been improved with a fantastic selection local brews, spirits and an ever changing extensive wine and cocktail selection.

A combination of a passion to serve and satisfy along with storied traditions make Victoria Station and Vic's Boathouse a staple in the Salem culinary scene, making it a premier destination for friends and family to make life long memories.

Don't forget to watch Triple D on Monday!

Salem is having another brush with fame next week, and we have The Lobster Shanty to thank this time. The Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives will stop in Salem on Monday night's episode, which will feature host Guy Fieri at The Lobster Shanty.

You can watch at home (10pm Eastern, but check local listings to confirm) or join in the party at Cinema Salem, where the show will air on the big screen, and admission will be free!


Correction... and my apologies - the Lobster Shanty Triple D will air on Monday, September 27.

It's your turn to see the Emperor's Private Paradise at the PEM!

This week the Peabody Essex Museum opened the new, much anticipated exhibition, The Emperor's Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City.

The exhibition has received incredible coverage by Time, The Boston Globe, and the Financial Times.

The PEM created this excellent preview video (3:15, not too long!) to give you a sense of the grandeur and privilege associated with the pieces that have come to Salem from Beijing.

And, in this video (a longer 8:25) Matt Lauer visits and tours The Forbidden City in 2009 with Henry Ng, from the World Monument Fund.

Now that you are so excited to see this exhibition, you may need some place to stay... The Hawthorne Hotel has a Peabody Essex Museum package, and you will find additional accommodations on Salem.org.

The exhibit runs through January 9, 2011. That only feels like a long way away. Make your plans to visit Salem today!

Images from Salem's South River Walking Tour

While an awful lot of people were watching the Patriots win their first game of the season, about 25 of us were enjoying a fascinating walking tour hosted by Historic Salem, Inc. The tour, led by historian Margherita Desy, was entitled, "Looking South: Salem's South River."

We began at the Gedney House on High Street, which once faced the water, and walked to Central Wharf, which we learned was once called Forrester Wharf, at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. The tour was fact-filled, focusing on the changing topography of Salem over the past 200+ years, and touching on some of the devastation of the Great Salem Fire of 1914.

In the photo above, we are standing in the municipal parking lot in Riley Plaza. Much of the tour took us over landfill. This spot looks up to Mill Hill and over toward the police station which was once the Mill Pond. The mills in Salem ground wheat, snuff, and chocolate (not at the same time, we hope).

Here we are on the corner of New Derby Street and Lafayette Street. The building on the top left of the image where Engine House Pizza is located is the only building on this block that survived the Salem Fire.


From this spot (above) on the South River Harbor Walk, adjacent to Finz, we learned about the Pequot Mills (now Shetland properties), which was the largest building under one roof when it was built.

Adjacent to Shetland Properties is the Pequot House, above. This house was built for the 1930 tercentenary of the settling of Massachusetts. It is not a First Period structure. When it was built by the Pequot Mills, it was for interpretive purposes. They had costumed guides and decorations that they believed represented the 17th century (but apparently they really represented the 18th century).

I always new this house was a replica, but I never knew why. The information is particularly useful because we have received letters at Destination Salem from visitors who are horrified to see the picture window in a 17th-century structure!

And we ended on Central (formerly Forrester) Wharf, adjacent to the tall ship Friendship (which is on Derby Wharf).

This was one of two Sunday in September Walking Tours. The second tour will be on Sunday, September 26 at 2:00 pm at Salem State University. The tour will include the history of Salem State, from Normal School to Teaching School to Salem State College, now University. The September 26 tour will also go to the Forest River conservation area to talk about the former Salem Lead Mills.