My annual trip to Salem for haunted happenings. Every year for the last several, I’ve made the trip on the non-work day before Halloween. yes, Salem is just up the coast so I could go any time, but there’s just something about going this time of year, something magical.
This day is a day off from school, and the only time I can go into Salem without any monetary restrictions self-imposed.
Didn’t start out so good. I missed the train I had planned to take (10:42am). It was early, and I was there at 10:43am (got delayed by cat spoilage). Didn’t see it go by while I was walking up market Street, and I was looking. Sneaky train! 😦 So, I took the 459 bus to Salem depot.
There in time for lunch at Caffe Graziani (Shout out! 🙂 ). Pasta soup to start, homemade lasagna with meat sauce, green tea, bread, a tall glass of cool water to cool down the mouth (the food is hot!). Paula, the waitress, remembered me from previous visits–where I like to sit (by the window) and what I like to eat. Dessert–apple pie a la mode (pumpkin pie had just come out of the oven so it was too hot to even slice). Amount–$16.80. Left a nice tip (but not too much ’cause I’m not rich) because they’re nice people.
Stayed away from the Army Barracks; never a good idea for me to stop in. I did stop at the Trolley depot (also not a good idea), but only bought an owl charm, the put-in-your-pocket-but-not-wear kind.
To the waterfront. Going for the junior ranger badge for the ship ‘The Friendship’; got the booklet, did some activities, asked the park ranger a few questions. Got lighthouse and waterfront postmarks. Also got a track book and a sheet of park passport stamps.
Also stopped at the psychic fair. Not sure what I expected but this was very low-key and crowded. Crowded as in a lot of vendors in a small space. I was tempted to get some cut stones, but I passed. But I did get SHIELD comics #8-10 at the shop in the mall.
4pm, heading home by train. Still have some $ left. How’d that happen?
Train’s not until 4:35pm, but I have a ticket about to expire, so I’ll wait.
Not many costumes other than witches, so it wasn’t very Halloweeny. May be different on the Night. Not a disappointment, just quieter than I expected. Maybe if I had more $ and could’ve done the museums and tours and even had a psychic reading, it’d be different.
To home and cat (not black, a torti girl) and finding out what happened to Gemma!
Home at 5pm. Still have my train ticket; no one ever collected it.
carolynsworld 