My Visit To Salem Massachusetts

When I tell people that I would love to live in Salem and tell stories to tourists all day long they don’t believe me. But a job like that would make me so happy. I love retelling stories, research, history and architecture. I love old buildings with deep history and character. I like the old and I believe I’m an old soul my self. I have so much to share with you in this blog post. My short visit to Salem and the story of the scary dolls, the walk through the graveyard and much more. I had a short visit and I hope to return to Salem and spend more time there. I Would love to explore more.

My short trip to Salem Massachusetts 2019

If you have the opportunity, book in advance and go for the last week of October and Halloween. They have so much going on it is incredible.

A mug I bought from Salem 2019

In Salem you can check out the Salem Witch Museum, Night Tours, Peabody Essex Museum, Gallows Hill gallowshillsalem.com, Salem Haunted Happenings hauntedhappenings.org, Festival of the Dead festivalofthedead.com, Haunted Harmonies HauntedHarmonies.com, Haunted Biz Baz Stree Fair, Legacy of the Hanging Judge, Spirits of the Gables, Official Salem Witches’ Halloween Ball, and Halloween.

Town Hall Salem Massachusetts 2019

There is so much to see and do there. I just want to walk those cobblestone streets again and sit in a little cafe and write a book! It’s a very magical place with a lot of history and really amazing people.

Salem has three cemeteries related to the witch trials. I visited only one of them. I did a little research and found out the following:

Salem’s earliest cemeteries are established in the 1600s when Puritanism was widely practiced in Massachusetts. Puritans understood the Bible literally, and thus never used religious imagery (even in their churches). As a result, angels and crosses were not used on Puritan cemetery markers, instead they used Death’s Heads for mortality along with hourglasses and scythes to mark the passing of time culminating in death. -salem.org

“Hand (pointing up): hope for one’s soul to reach heaven.

Hand (pointing down): God reaching down from above for one’s soul.

Handshake: “goodbye” to earthly existence.

Hourglasses & Scythes: passing of time.

Lamb: innocence (Typically found on children’s graves)

Skulls/Skeletons:mortality

Sun (setting): end of life on earth

Sun (rising): resurrection

Wheat: “Divine Harvest: or the passing of time. “

-reference from Salem.org

Old Burying Point Cemetery 2019

So many stores, cafes and restaurants in Salem. It’s a really amazing place and I was only there for a few hours. I chose not to go to the museum and other things because I had my two girls and my niece and nephew and I didn’t want to freak them out in anyway. But I know that I’ll be back very soon in this marvellous and beautiful place.

On the way to our car we walked in a vintage store that had very old toys and board games. Something caught my eye. Very old dolls and some of them had sharp teeth. The kids ran out of the shop and the lady mentioned that the area is not appropriate for children. She then told us that the dolls were passed down to her from people who have passed away. She said that the dolls were haunted and that sometimes they change positions when she comes into work each day. She said that they look like they change facial expressions very often. She also said that I couldn’t take any photos of the dolls which I respected. I was totally fascinated by the dolls and she also mentioned not to touch them. We all know not to touch possessed items right? It was very amusing talking to the lady and her story was fascinating. I enjoy scary stories do you?

Do you see anything scary reflecting in the windows? 👻

I hope to return to Salem and visit all the museums, stores, cafes and restaurants. I would love to do the ghost walks and tours and all the tourist attractions.

Have you ever been to Salem Massachusetts? I would love to know.

Thank you for reading my blog post!

A Historical Outing! Scarborough Museum Toronto

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I planned to visit the Scarborough museum originally to find out more details about the ghostly encounters that it’s known for but to my surprise the day that we went the museum was open and ready to give us a lovely historical tour and delicious treats for the family. I’m so happy that the tour turned out to be more informative rather then a paranormal encounter.

Scarborough Museum is set along the walking trails of beautiful Thomson Memorial Park, once the farm fields of Scarborough’s first settlers and now a popular heritage community. The museum shows the history and development of Scarborough from its founding and early settlement to its growth and emergence as a major suburb in the 20th century. The site and its gardens are situated on property first granted to David and Mary Thomson, who settled in Scarborough in the late 1790s.

Scarborough Museum consists of four buildings that were moved to the site between 1962 to 1974. These include: Cornell House, a clapboard, Scarborough vernacular-style farmhouse; the McCowan Log House, restored to its 1850s appearance; Kennedy Gallery, a small former farm outbuilding; and the Hough Carriage Works, which houses a collection of artisans tools donated by the Hough family who operated the original shop at Hough’s Corners. – CITY OF TORONTO

McCowan Log House

A warm and cozy home, small and lovely. The fireplace smelled so good and it was so cozy. We were treated to warm baked apples with cinnamon. Delicious!

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Cornell House

We were welcomed with warm delicious apple cider and apple cobbler. We were given a lovely tour of each room and it was so incredible to learn so much about the lifestyle of the first settlers.

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Hough Carriage Works

Learned so much about tools and woodworking thanks to my hubby.

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Overall the weather was perfect the tour was so informative and very fun. It was incredible to see how the settlers lived. It was wonderful to be welcomed in the homes and offered lovely treats. I absolutely loved it and we had an incredible time. thank you apple blog

Dear August…

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Dear August,

You have been AMAZING! Travel and more Travel. So many adventures and now I seek more!  So many memories made and fun in the hot August sun. Time with family and friends. Yummy food and swimming. Beautiful Ontario Beaches. I wanted this since last summer. I still need to reach the ocean but Ontario Lakes are lovely too. I’m grateful and I look forward to being close to the ocean very soon.

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This summer we enjoyed delicious food and ice cream. Lots of ice cream. The kids had so much fun and spent time with their cousins. They had the opportunity to make decisions while they ordered their food and they slept in spaces that were not their own. I found it hard to sleep in hotels though. My youngest wanted to sleep with me so I didn’t get much sleep. Mom life is beautiful. These moments will not last for ever. I don’t like to complain but I accept it and cherish each moment.

Travel teaches you many things like taking chances, putting trust in others and being in the moment. It also teaches you what to do next time you travel or what you need to bring with you. I have some great tips from my sister-in-law Susy. She’s probably laughing at me now. Hopefully these tips will help you out.

Travel Tips

I learned most of these tips from my sis-in-law Susy who’s a travel junkie. lol

  1. Bring a sound machine. This is perfect if you don’t want to hear other people or noise in the hotel room. I hate that the walls are so thin you can hear everything. Also sometimes it’s too quiet and this too can be strange for my ears.
  2. Bring febreze and Lysol spray and wipes (not all hotels are clean even if they are rated 4 stars. Some hotels that are rated 3 are in better condition.)
  3. Keep disinfectant and wipes in your purse. If you are a parent you understand that kids get messy.
  4. Always check the sheets and bed. Make sure they are clean. One of my pet peeves is unclean sheets and pillows. To all hotels “YOU HAVE ONE JOB TO DO! MAKE SURE YOU CLEAN THE SHEETS AND PILLOWS AND BATHROOMS”
  5. Bring a diffuser if you don’t like the smell of hotels & Febreze.
  6. Buy a cooler that plugs in your car that way you have water and beverages any time you need and they stay cold.
  7. A great item to have for the beach is a buggy to carry all your things. My sis-in-law had one. Love this idea!
  8. If you are crossing the border make sure you have American change because they have tolls and you need to pay.
  9. Keep your passports with you at all times while you travel around the USA. Don’t leave them in the hotel because if you are stopped by authorities they will ask for your passports.
  10. If you are travelling long distance make sure you plan and book a hotel half way point. It makes things easier for the driver.
  11. My sister in law Susy used Hotels.com to book the hotels. I download the app and it gives you great options. You can actually get a free hotel after a certain amount of bookings.
  12. I used google maps a lot while I travelled and it offers a lot of places to eat and discover. I even added my own reviews which is pretty cool.
  13. Make sure you contact your phone provider if you are driving out of range. You can get charged so much if you don’t. I’m with Bell and we called them right away and they changed our plan so that we were able to use our phone freely.
  14. Pack some snacks for the journey.

Feel free to add more tips in the comments!


Port Stanley Beach

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ROCHESTER USA

MUSEUM OF PLAY

Read my review on GOOGLE MAPS if you like. 

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THE BEST BURGER!

ROCHESTER NEW YORK

RED ROBIN GOURMET

RANCH BURGER

I’m still drooling thinking about this burger.

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PORT PERRY ONTARIO

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LONDON CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

READ MY REVIEW ON GOOGLE MAPS 

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Food and more food!

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KEEP SMILING SUMMER IS NOT OVER!img_3683

Thank you for reading my post. It means so much to me. I would love to know what you did this summer. Much love to you all!

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Travel Toronto Guild Park & Gardens

Dear May, I enjoyed your beauty and bloom. I love the blossoms on trees so lovely, pink and fragrant. The sky oh so beautiful and blue!

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So much beauty in nature. We travelled to the Guild Park and it graced us with its magnificent Greek Structures and flowers. The Gardens full of breathtaking tulips and stunning bloom.

Guild Park and Gardens is a public park in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park was formerly the site of an artists colony and is notable for its collection of relics saved from the demolition of buildings primarily in downtown Toronto arranged akin to ancient ruins. Located on the Scarborough Bluffs, Guild Park and Gardens has an outdoor Greek stage and a 19th-century log cabin among the oldest in Toronto. The principal building in the park is the Guild Inn, a former inn and estate mansion. – wikipedia

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I was able to get my legs out and get some sun on them. The dress I’m wearing is an H&M  T-Shirt Dress and it is so comfortable. I also have another one with a red trim around the neck and sleeves.

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A beautiful park and the Architecture really captures my heart. The flowers and paths absolutely breathtaking! If you are traveling to Toronto I encourage you to visit The Guild Park.

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Seas The Day! How to Best Day a Nautical Collection Fashion & Style feat AVON

I’m very excited for nice weather to arrive. I’m inspired by Nautical Collections all around me. My most favourite one is by AVON. I really adore their Coast to Coast Summer Collection. So stunning!

Nod to Nautical! Let your style set sail with our latest collection of elegant, easy-to-wear fashion and accessories. AVON

Avon has an endless array of Nautical pieces and my first favourite piece is the Triple Ball Earrings. They are light and have stripes. I’m a huge lover of stripes. I also love big bold earrings. These look so lovely and move freely. They are not heavy and I love how they pair up with stripe or solid tops. I’ve come to love mixing patterns!

Triple Ball Earrings $14.00.

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The beautiful Sailboat Scarf is so light and soft. It has lovely tassels and sweet prints of sailboats. It is so lovely and measures 191 cm L x 114 cm W. This is best to be hand washed and line dry.  $16.99

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Photo Print available Here

I’ve been loving the Striped Print Watch. I feel wearing a watch makes an outfit come together. It looks fabulous with the stripes and I love the anchor.  The watch is $19.99.

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Bold and Beautiful! I love a good statement Necklace. This is a self-tie ribbon closure. Total length, 107 cm L. $29.00.

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TOTE AROUND TOWN WITH AN OCEAN-INSPIRED STYLE   AVON

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Seas The Day Tote is absolutely perfect! Large cotton canvas tote with rope handles. Magnetic snap closure. One inner zip pocket and two inner slip pockets. 56cm L X 20cm W X 38cm H. Handle drop, 28cm L. Fully lined for $34.99.

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*PR Samples. Thank you so much AVON CANADA!

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Do you like Nautical Style? Would love to know in the comments.

 

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