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A tour through the House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts, fascinates and educates visitors.
Below is a replica of what the house looks like:
Furniture is attractive.
Everything is functional.
One can imagine what it must have been like to live in those times.
The wallpaper shown below is quite ornate:
We enjoyed the stories about the house, such as how entire sections were added and removed, during its day.
It's quite a huge residence, as so many homes were in that era.
Love the paned windows.
WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DO YOU KNOW ABOUT NATHANIAL HAWTHORNE?
Historical tours are the best.
It's so interesting to learn about houses and the people who once lived there and what their lives were like.
Or to see decorating styles from long ago, or walk through a canopy of old wisteria vines.
A visit to the House of the Seven Gables, of Nathanial Hawthorne fame, has a lot for visitors to see.
The garden is truly magnificent. There are flowers galore and the sea can be seen in the distance.
We will have more posts on the House of the Seven Gables visit so if that is of interest to you, stop by again!
DO YOU ENJOY HISTORICAL TOURS?
A fun part of taking a vacation is discovering new shops.
Yes, admittedly, shopping is a passion of mine.
Some people love hiking, kayaking, or boating on vacation.
Me? Give me a few bucks, put me in a town that has lots of shops, and I'm happier than a lark.
Rockport, Massachusetts, is chock-full of interesting little shops.
The prices of items in some of them would raise your eyebrows, but others have affordable treasures.
These days, my purchases are mostly for grand kids.
These sparkling, spinning thing-a-ma-jigs fascinated but with self-restraint, they remained in the shop.
This pretty glass seahorse appealed to me but I didn't bring him, either.
A sweatshirt, for fall, on a clearance rack in one shop, did make it into my shopping bag.
We had so much fun shopping in Rockport and all the kids loved their gifties.
WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DO YOU BUY WHEN YOU ARE ON VACATION?
Rockport, Massachusetts, is a delightful town on the sea that is a summer destination for hundreds of people.
We recently came back from a few days in this charming place.
Yes, it's a bit touristy in the summer but I still love it.
It's quaint, picturesque and quintessentially New England in style.
We stayed, once again, at Captain Bounty by the Sea, which is right on a lovely beach.
Yes, the water was very chilly but quite refreshing on a hot, summer's day.
The shops along a main street are filled with all kinds of doodads and the view of the ocean at the end of the street is breathtaking.
Ahhhhhh, Rockport. It stole a part of my heart.
We will have other posts on Rockport so, if interested, stay tuned.
WHERE DO YOU LOVE TO ESCAPE DURING SUMMER VACATION?
When a sister visited from her home in California this summer, we went on an excursion to Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.
The main attraction there is the Bridge of Flowers.
Volunteers grow numerous kinds and colors of gorgeous blooms on an abandoned bridge!
This blog has had previous posts on this unique attraction.
(If interested, you can check out one here .)
This year's Bridge of Flowers did not disappoint.
It is a testimony to the planning and hard work of volunteers.
They put on a truly spectacular display of blooms and deserve medals for the resulting project.
If a lot of money ever came my way, I'd definitely share it with this public endeavor.
The day trip was a blast from start to flowery finish.
WHAT IS THE LAST UNIQUE PROJECT YOU SAW?
In the sleepy little New England town of Dalton, Massachusetts, one can find the Crane Paper Company.
Can you believe that all the paper used for currency and bank notes throughout the USA, including all the bills tucked inside your wallet, is made right there?
Yep, it's the only town in the entire country that makes the paper for bills used by millions of Americans.
We took a delightful tour of the Crane Museum of Papermaking recently.
You can read about the little museum in detail here.
It's a great place to go with kids.
The main educator and historian, Pete Hopkins, has the patience of Job and a welcoming personality.
He's just a great guy all the way around.
On the day we were there, he had a little pint-sized helper, chosen from the audience, to help make paper out of small squares of denim.
The small, rather quaint building in which the museum is located is the former rag room of the company's 1844 Old Stone Mill.
Nearby is Housatonic River. According to museum's website, the river supplied the water to wash the rags and drive the machinery of Crane mills, back in the day.
It's a cool little spot to visit.
DO YOU LIKE TO GO TO OFF-THE-BEATEN PLACES TO EXPLORE WHEN TRAVELING?
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