Continuing our tour of the east coast of the USA we made the most of our penultimate day. Our travels from Washington to Boston via New York and Philadelphia already seem a long time ago. Our guide around Boston was our friend Jessie, who showed us life as a local. This included putting up with a lot of rain! Welcome to the final instalment of 4 Days in Boston.
Day 3 – Salem
On our third out of the 4 days in Boston we decided to head out of town. I wanted to a go little further into the New England countryside. Although we toyed with hiring a car, in the end we opted to hop aboard the train. This gave me time to sit back, relax and look out the window as we travelled up our destination – Salem.
The trip was not a long one, about half an hour. We soon arrived into the station and from there set off on the short walk into the town. It seemed that plenty of people had had the same idea as us and were making the most of the pleasant weekend weather to take a day trip out of the city.
The coastal city, located in Essex County within Massachusetts is one of the most significant seaports in Puritan American history.
Salem is also known for a very different historical reason, most notably the Salem witch trials of 1692. The city has formed much of its cultural identity around its role in these trials. Pretty much anywhere you go in the city you will be met by something associated with them. Even the police cars are adorned with witch logos. There is also a local public school is known as the Witchcraft Heights Elementary School, where the athletic teams are named the Witches. Here, Gallows Hill, a site of numerous public hangings, is currently used as a playing field for various sports.
We spent a good few hours exploring all that Salem had to offer. To start with, I went to the historical sites such as The Witch House/ Corwin House, the Maritime National Historic Site and the Peabody Essex Museum. We then moved on to investigating the vibrant downtown which contains plenty of restaurants, cafes and coffee shops.
Eventually we decided it was about time to head back to Boston. We had a relatively chilled afternoon before heading out for dinner at UNO Chicago Grill. We had to ordered an out-of-state tradition, a Chicago deep crust pizza! I would definitely recommend.
Day 4
It was the final day in Boston and what better way to start a farewell than with a delicious brunch?! Our friend recommended Stephanie’s on Newbury Street, a stylish yet authentic American restaurant. Their menu revolves around home-style American favourites blended together with a fresh, local twist. The food, as expected was delicious although I will warn you now that the portions are gigantic!
Filled to the brim with all sorts of brunchy goodness we decided to make the most of the good weather (the nicest of our whole time in Boston). I wanted to head back into town to revisit some of the sites. We re-explored the beautiful streets of Beacon Hill and strolled around the quiet Sunday streets in the Financial District. I also popped into Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market to lust over the delicious food one last time!
On the way back to the apartment we enjoyed the bright green hues of Boston Common. I spotted the lovely ‘Make Way for Ducklings’ statue dressed up in their Easter bonnets. I also stopped off at Fenway Park for a look at the iconic Boston Red Sox stadium.
It was soon time, however, to collect our bags and to say goodbye to our lovely hostess. We hopped into our Uber and headed off for the airport.
Our 4 days in Boston, and America in general, you were incredible. I will definitely be back soon!
I really hope you enjoyed hearing about my tour of the East Coast – there will be plenty more city guides and top tips coming shortly! I’d love to hear what you think, and if there is anything in particular you would like to know about any of my destinations, in the comments below!!
