WONDERFULLY WITCHY
SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS
“There’s a little witch in all of us.” – Aunt Jet, Practical Magic
As the days grow shorter and the leaves begin to change, people start to embrace their more mischievous and spooky sides. This can be accomplished whether you’re at home or traveling in your RV, especially if you find yourself in New England, where there are plenty of spooky spots to visit. They include Bangor, Maine, where author Stephen King gets his inspiration, and Sleepy Hollow, New York, where Ichabod Crane met the Headless Horseman in Washington Irving’s memorable tale. But one town reigns supreme in this category: Salem, Massachusetts, also known as the Witch City.
Founded in 1626 by Roger Conant, the town gained notoriety in the late 1690s for a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of practicing witchcraft. The Salem Witch Trials, as they became known, involved over 200 accusations and more than 30 people being convicted of these charges.
While this remains a dark period in the area’s history, the town has found a way to incorporate that history into a variety of interesting attractions centered around the wicked and witchy.
For those who want more knowledge of the witch trials, the Salem Witch Museum examines “one of the most enduring and emotional events in American history,” according to its website. Here, visitors can see and experience what it was like with life-size stage sets, figures, and narration that detail this bleak part of Massachusetts’ history.
To continue the history trail, visit the Rebecca Nurse Homestead in nearby Danvers. The 25-plus-acre spot was home to the eponymous Rebecca Nurse and her family. Nurse was one of many who were executed for allegedly being a witch. It is also the only house of a witch trial victim that is open to the public. The site also features the Nurse Family Cemetery and a reproduction of the 1672 Salem Village Meeting House. Historical reenactors will give you an idea of what the time was like.
Salem’s Halloween vibe can be experienced in multiple ways, including the House of Seven Gables and its spooky exterior.
Salem also offers plenty of spooky things to do, such as Count Orlok’s Nightmare Gallery Monster Museum and the Vampire Ghost Adventures Walking Tour. Perhaps the most famous location is the historic House of the Seven Gables, the inspiration for novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1851 novel. “The Gables” is now a non-profit museum that aims to, according to their website (7gables.org), “tell stories that reckon with hard truths of our past, acknowledge our unique individual journeys, and remind us of our dependence on one another.”
For those not in the Halloween spirit, the Essex National Heritage Area welcomes RVers to explore history, nature, and culture throughout Massachusetts’ North Shore and Merrimack Valley (essexheritage.org).
Salem has amazing sites to see whether you decide to visit in autumn or any other time of year.
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THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT
In the 21st century, we have many wonderful pieces of technology at our disposal. Many of those advancements can be found right in our pockets thanks to our phones. Whether it’s something to help you in your travels or save a couple bucks at the pump, the following apps may be useful on your RV journeys.
Recreation.gov: “Adventure is at your fingertips,” says the app’s official website. Whether you’re booking a weekend getaway or planning a cross-country road trip, this app can help you find and reserve campsites, review location details, and quickly access information about past and upcoming reservations. Search thousands of campgrounds using various criteria such as locations, permits, and passes, among others. Find tickets for nearby attractions and enter lotteries for high-demand experiences, campgrounds, and more. Free on iOS and Android. recreation.gov/mobile-app.
GasBuddy: Whether you drive a regular car or an RV, fuel prices and station locations are likely always on your mind. GasBuddy’s mission is to make fuel savings easier and more accessible by providing real-time fuel price information at more than 150,000 stations. Users can also receive cashback rewards on purchases with brand partners. After downloading the app, unlock exclusive deals and rewards. You can also complete fun challenges for the chance to win free gas. Free for iOS and Android. gasbuddy.com/app
AccuWeather: Users can receive real-time weather readings and updates on this app, which is described as “The Most Trusted Weather App” on the Google Play page. Access live radar, get lightning warnings, and much more while out on the road. Be prepared with storm radar and real-time alerts to stay ahead of severe weather and changing conditions, such as flooding rains and tornadoes, snow, ice, high winds, extreme heat or cold, and poor air quality. Free on iOS and Android. A paid subscription version is also available. AccuWeather.com
RV Life: This app has been called the place “where wanderlust and wisdom intersect.” Users can download the app and create a free account to access campground information, including reviews and ratings for thousands of parks and campgrounds; visit a community forum; and store basic RV maintenance info. With a paid RV Life PRO subscription, RVers receive turn-by-turn GPS navigation; the RV Life Trip Wizard trip planner; advanced map overlays; video courses on RV maintenance, boondocking, etc.; along with other features. Free on iOS and Android for the basic free account. RV Life PRO requires a paid subscription; FRVA members receive 50 percent off the first year with a 50-day free trial (frva.com/rvlifepro). Or try a monthly $19.99 subscription. RVlife.com
TSD Open Roads: Users can sign up for the free Open Roads discount diesel fuel program and monitor it on this app. Locate fuel discounts nearby, often revealing significant savings on diesel fuel, according to the company. “Fuel pricing information is always updated to the latest available pricing by fuel transaction information from our network,” notes the Apple App Store. Also search fuel card transaction history. The Open Roads program monitors thousands of fuel locations nationwide. Free on iOS and Android. myopenroads.com