Taste of the Wharf this Weekend

Join the wonderful restaurants on Pickering Wharf for Taste of the Wharf this Sunday, September 20th from 12:00 - 5:00 PM.

There will be live music from noon - 5pm, including the Jessica Prouty Band (noon-2pm) and Soul Baby (2-5pm). From 3pm-5pm you can sample tastes at Sixty2 on Wharf, Regatta Pub, Capt's, Victoria Station, and Finz.

Bring your canine companions to Living with Pets for their special treats and samples.

In addition, all of the restaurants will be offering 10% discounts on meals, retailers will be offering Taste of the Wharf discounts, and the kids can get their faces painted.

Admission is a $5.00 (or more) donation, and all proceeds will benefit St. Joseph's Food Pantry.

Good eats for a good cause! Come on down!

Hooray for April 1st!

The trolleys are running, and tomorrow The Witch Dungeon, Witch History, and New England Pirate Museums will open for the 2008 season. These are three indoor experiences, so don't let New England's chilly spring habits keep you away. If you plan to visit all three sites, you can purchase a combination pass that will save you a little money.

WITCH DUNGEON MUSEUM - REOPENING APRIL 1st. 16 Lynde St. Award winning live re-enactment of a Witch trial followed by guided tour of the Dungeon. Open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm, April through November. Contact: 978-741-3570 http://www.witchdungeon.com/

WITCH HISTORY MUSEUM - REOPENING APRIL 1st. 197-201 Essex St.The stories of 1692 are told through a live presentation followed by a guided tour downstairs where you will see 15 life size scenes depicting these stories. Open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm,April through November. Contact: 978-741-7770 http://www.witchhistorymuseum.com/

NEW ENGLAND PIRATE MUSEUM - REOPENING WEEKENDS IN APRIL A guided tour through the Museum where you will view historical artifacts, experience the adventures of New England sea-robbers, board a pirate ship and explore an 80ft cave. Open daily 10:00am to 5:00pm, May through October, weekends in April and November. Contact: 978-741-2800 http://www.piratemuseum.com/

Discover the magic of witches and pirates in Salem!

Enter a Giveaway for Two to Visit Salem!

The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, also known as MOTT, is running a sweepstakes right now for a trip for two to visit Salem. It's an exceptional prize package (if I do say so myself). Click here to enter the sweepstakes. I've copied the details of the package below.

Discover the magic of Salem in 2008!

Explore the interesting nooks and crannies of Salem, America's Bewitching Seaport. Be sure to enter now through March 31, 2008.

• An overnight stay for 2 - come from May through September, and you will stay at the Amelia Payson House Bed & Breakfast. , or come from November through April 2009, and you will stay at The Salem Inn;


• $25 Gift Certificate for lunch at the Tavern in the Hawthorne Hotel;


• Lunch at Caffe Graziani;


• Round trip tickets to Boston aboard the Salem Ferry. (May through November);


• Two passes on the Salem Trolley, includes a one-hour narrated tour and all-day, step-on and step-off service through the city;


• Two tickets to sail aboard the Schooner Fame (May through October);


• Two passes to the Peabody Essex Museum;


• Two combination tickets to the Witch Dungeon Museum, Witch History Museum, & New England Pirate Museum;


• Tickets from Historic New England to visit The Phillips House on Chestnut Street.

What a great weekend this would be! I wish I could enter! The sweepstakes runs until March 31. Here's the link again to enter: http://www.massvacation.com/specialOffers/win-salem.php.

Good luck!

Thinking Pink was Great for Salem!

I have to start by saying that I was exhausted by day's end yesterday. Things have been really busy at Destination Salem, and I was ready to call it a day by the time Girls' Night Out crept up on the clock. But, I rallied. I'm a true professional and if my job suggests that I should go out and sample wines and browse beautiful clothes, cosmetics, and gifts for the home, so be it!

And what a great event it was. Congratulations to Salem Main Streets and The Wellness Center for organizing what I hope is a (somewhat) regular event in Salem. I stopped by some of the stores I know and love on Essex and Front Streets, and then had the delightful experience of finding new places to love on Derby Street.

We went into Radiance Aveda first and received a tour of the fairly new salon/spa as well as mini-make-overs and hair analyses! Looking beautiful, we stopped by New Civilitea, which is a wonderful tea shop (don't ignore the scones) and I fell in love with a pomegranate green tea. After that, it was off to Rouge Cosmetics, where I was set up with some skin care samples and great pointers for how to use products.

The evening ended at Strega, where complimentary appetizers were passed - that Strega Pizzeta is to die for! And then a number of people headed off to Salem Film Fest, while I finally got to call it a day at 8:30 pm. It was a great evening that did what I suspect it wanted to - introduced me (and others!) to businesses that can now cultivate us into regular, devoted customers.

Discover the magic of Girls' Nights Out in Salem!

Plan Your Visit to Salem Online

When one is marketing and promoting a destination that's high season is June through October, winter is spent scurrying about preparing the new visitor guide, refining the web site, working with publications and businesses to make sure our audience (you) is receiving our message. It may be a bit quiet on the streets in Salem, but behind closed doors there is much work being done to create pieces that will make YOU want to come HERE.

And I'm very happy to say, the pieces are falling into place! The Salem.org web site has been undergoing a much needed overhaul to ensure it is not only user-friendly, but helpful. (Hence the addition of this blog.) A key component of the web site has been put into place this week, and that is the comprehensive listings of businesses in Salem. They are organized categorically and alphabetically, and they include links to the attraction's, restaurant's, accommodation's, shop's web site.

Pictures are coming soon to the enhanced listings, but for now you will find a great list of businesses in Salem who are ready to serve you! I want to thank Pickering Publishing for all of the great work they have done on the Salem.org site.

The 2008 Salem Visitor & Travel Guide will be out this week, and a printable pdf will be posted on Salem.org as well. I'm sure I'll be talking about that incredible accomplishment in the next couple of days!

In the meantime, browse all of the business listings... Use the calendar of events... Brush up on Salem's history. Discover all that Salem, Massachusetts has to offer, and discover the magic of Salem.org!