One if by day, two if by night

We returned from Salem last night. Having had a day to process our trip, here is my impression of that old city:

By day, Salem is a quaint, almost quintessential New England town, with a heavy dose of history. The streets and public spaces are immaculate and designed in such a way that tourists and locals alike might walk to their respective destinations. You will walk on brick sidewalks, cross cobblestone streets. You will see homes as old as the Declaration of Independence. Overall, you will enjoy a picturesque and historic city.

By night, Salem’s underbelly rolls to the forefront. Like New Orleans, there is a black magic counterculture that hides during the day, only seep from the cracks as the night falls. It is at this time that the history of Salem’s witch trials becomes personified in costumed, face-painted weirdo wannabe vampires and mystics. The strangeness is as funny as it is weird as it is downright creepy. In the same way that religious zealots scare me, so too do these witchy women.

My final recommendation would be to make Salem a daytrip only, unless you’re into sorcerers and the like. I’d also mention that you should avoid the week around Halloween, which one local called “the Mardi Gras of the Northeast.”