Witches, Ship and shooting

Trip Start May 01, 2009

Trip End Sep 27, 2009

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Flag of United States Andover, Massachusetts, United States
Thursday, June 4, 2009

This is our second night staying at a state forest in Andover Mass. We are close to Boston but on the north side. We decided to stay here and extra night as we had a very long day driving from Rhode Island (which is the smallest of the US states) The reason it took so long was that we stopped in Concord which is really the location of the first battle of the Revolution 1776. Remember Paul Revere and his ride to warn the colonist that the British were coming we it was to Concord from Boston that he was riding. This part of American/British history is really very interesting. We never truly understood the events but now have a much better grasp on the events.

Rather than drag the RV all the way to Gloucester through Salem and Rockport we thought just having a day trip would be great. So off we went to see Salem the location of the Salem witch trial but more importantly (so we found out) a real hub of the shipping in and out of Nth America

Salem

. Fortunes made and lost right up to 1812 and then a transition into manufacturing after that time.

There is all the witch stuff but Salem seems to be down playing that event somewhat. The old grave yard with graves from the year 1692 when the innocent people died due to fear and intolerance are still very much there.

We did most of our moving around in Salem by bike, which again has proved to be the best way to see houses and historical plaques. Chestnut Street was just beautiful full of homes from 1660 upwards. It is a very wide 3 lane one-way street with magnificent houses and trees.

Today we experienced a shooting by the Salem police. Well kind of. Down at the maritime area of Salem a racoon came walking by which is very unusual as they generally only come out at night. A member of the public called the police worried that it may have rabies. I got within 6 ft of it and I have to confess it did look a little unusual. Anyway we continued down another wharf when the police car arrived and next we heard a gun shot. Our first shooting in North America.!!!

Bewitched

Then off to Marble Head, which is really, just around the corner from Salem. Her we had New England Clam Chowder very yummy before driving around the tiny narrow streets full of colourful houses. This area of New England is very proud of the past and a large number of houses have plaques which name whom the house was built for originally and in what year. Makes for fascinating reading and just adds to the history of the area. Marble Head is very cool and I think we liked it better than Salem probably because of the maritime sea faring feeling.

I read somewhere that Cape Cod was over rated and that really you need to go to Cape Ann so off to Gloucester and Cape Ann. It was not very far but the road is windy but well worth the little detour.

This whole week we seem to have encounter rush hour and today was no exception. Being Friday it was not bad but glad to get back to the woods where the RV was waiting. Open the door and we were HOME again funny that.