On to Massachusetts’s

Kittery Maine Last Chance for Maine Lobster  THEN On to Massachusetts’s

A walk from our Kittery mooring in the Back Channel brought us to Fort McClary.  This block house and fortification protected Portsmouth and its shipbuilding during several wars although it never saw action.  We learned that Lincoln’s first VP chose to enlist and serve here rather than sit around Washington DC doing little.  Today it is a park with a view of a lobster shack and open water.

After our brief stop in Portsmouth, NH/Kittery ME – the towns on the New Hampshire/Maine boarder, we headed into Massachusetts. Our first stop was in Rockport Harbor where we had anchored on our way north.  This time we were joined by five sailboats one of whom organized a docktail party.  It was interesting to visit a 50+ foot sailboat and meet sailors since all too often we hang out with fellow power boaters.  The group was especially unique since three of the couples were just starting on their adventures as fulltime cruisers while the other was a charter captain of 15+ years.  Mining the deep experience and comparing plans – quickly filled our evening.

With some favorable winds and a light fog, we rounded Cape Ann and headed into Salem Harbor. This was new territory for us and a welcome surprise.  Although few cruisers talk of making this detour, we enjoyed our time in this bewitched town.  The harbor holds hundreds of moorings and with a little help from the Brewers Hawthorne Cove launch “Bounce” we managed to find a vacant one. The marina has a spanking new lounge and bathhouse with new laundry machine conveniently close to the dock. Better yet, the docks are a few short blocks from the heart of downtown Salem with their FREE bikes.

  

While many come here to learn about the famous or infamous witch trials of 1692, we also enjoyed the historic homes, the Peabody Essex Museum and the National Historic Site on the water front.  Our visit was especially enjoyable since friends, Laurie and Bob, from Peace Corps days drove up from Boston to spend some time with us.

The highlight of our Peabody tour was the Chinese House which the museum moved and have incorporated into their complex.  We could not take photos inside, but want to mention the courtyard style with craved lattice screens was curiously similar to homes of the middle east. Although this Chinese house is 8000 miles from its birthplace, it does seem appropriate for it to be in Salem.  As we learned from the National Park tour guide, Salem was the first port to send ships to the far east after the Revolutionary War. The treasures of the Orient brought back to Salem helped build the wealth of the local merchants and fueled the love of all things oriental. We saw evidence of this appreciation of fine artifacts from the Far East in the Peabody as well as the Derby and the Phillips houses.

Although we left the House of Seven Gables for another trip, we did stop to see the Custom House where Hawthorne worked and admire his statue in the center of town.

Neither did we neglect the witch story although we did avoid the many offerings of psychic readings, haunted tours, and magic trinket shops.  The film on the witch trials and a stop at the wall of remembrance was sufficient to recognize this tragic story of misguided justice. A sad year in Salem history that the modern town has mined to become a major tourist destination and memorialize those who lost their lives.