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One region of the United States I had yet to explore was New England. I finally had the chance to fly out there the Summer of 2022. I spent about a week there and was thankful enough that a friend of mine sent me a spreadsheet (gotta love them) of recommendations of places to visit and sites to see. Considering I had never been to that region of the US, it came in handy.
Day 1: July 14th, 2022
First stop: taking a tour with Boston Duck Tours.
We had the pleasure of setting out on tour with “Dorchester Dottie” to show us around Boston. The company has three different locations they set out from and we chose to depart from the New England Aquarium, simply due to being able to find better parking at this location. Tickets were about $100 for two adults and the tour itself lasted just under 90 minutes including both land and water experiences.
We wrapped up the tour around noon and walked to Quincy Market in downtown Boston, for lunch. This historic market has a variety of food options to choose from. Anything from pizza, to Japanese, to Thai, to sit down restaurants if you’ve got a little more time on your hands.
Day 2: July 15th, 2022
Today was a packed day of activities. Starting off with visiting The Satanic Temple of Salem.
Admission cost $13 per adult. The atmosphere was dark yet cozy. There are two stories to the exhibit, with rooms dedicated to different artists and motifs that artists have applied to donate to the exhibit, including the Baphomat statue. The temple hosts different ceremonies and events throughout the year, including; weekly Satanic Storytime, movement based meditations, printmaking workshops, and more. You do not need to sign up for any of these events to purchase a ticket to drop in and take a tour of the exhibit, which is exactly what I did.
Next, was to take a tour of the Salem Witch Museum.
Salem Witch Museum
Now, if you are not a fan of mannequins, dolls, or wax figurines, this is not a stop I would suggest for you. The museum consists of two rooms, one is an open area where you sit and listen to stories of the Salem Witch Hunt. The other room, a gift shop. Our time slot for the exhibit had so many participants that they split the group into two. One group sat in the room and listened to the two different presentations the museum hosts. The presentation room you are in is surrounded with wax figurines all around the space. As the presentations move through the story, lights and sound effects take place to create an immersive experience. While this is occurring, the other group is checking out the gift shop until the presentations come to an end and the groups switch places. In order to preserve the work of the figurines inside, not photos or videos are permitted.
After some food, it was time to set sail on the Fame of Salem. This was an accidental find. We were having lunch at Longboards when we happened to glance over to a hut advertising for Fame of Salem boat tours which takes place on a replica of the 1812 privateer Fame.
The tour lasted just under 2 hours and cost $39 per adult. The tour takes you through the history of how the Fame got named as such and its involvement in the War of 1812. During the tour, you can purchase snacks, wine, soft drinks, or beer, if you choose. About halfway into the tour, once the main sails are hoisted, the crew puts on a performance to demonstrate aspects of the ship that are still active but I won’t spoil too much with that, you’ll have to set sail with Fame and experience it for yourself.
Day 5: July 18th, 2022
We took a couple of days off since our last few days were packed with activities and traveled from Massachusetts to Maine. Our last main stop on this adventure: Acadia National Park. Now, we thought we were going at a good time where there wouldn’t be as many people in the park, on a Monday. We were mistaken.
Apparently we were in peak season to visit the park and cars were parked on the side of the road miles before any trail heads but that’s what needed to be done just to get a spot.
I’ve been to many National Parks at various times of year but this was by far the busiest I have ever seen a National Park. On one hand, it was great to see so many people getting outside and adventuring around a gorgeous park. On the other hand, I enjoy the times I am able to enjoy the outdoors without nearly as many people so I do not feel rushed on trails or if I feel inspired to take photos of the area, I don’t feeling like I’m holding someone up from enjoying the space. Jordan Pond and Otter Cliffs were two sites I was able to hike while visiting the park..
Day 6: July 19th, 2022
My last day in the area consisted of eating yummy food and preparing to fly back home.
Overview
A couple of things I would recommend if traveling to the area:
- If you fly in and decide to rent a car, make sure it’s a compact vehicle. It’ll make navigating the narrow streets significantly easier.
- Bring snacks and make sure you have plenty of water on hand. Finding parking is difficult at times and there’s a chance you won’t want to move your car and remark somewhere else once you find a spot. Which means, lots of walking to different locations if you want to site see!
There were many sites, restaurants, and experiences that my friend had recommended (remember that spreadsheet?) that I was unable to partake in. Here are a few recommendations that were passed onto me for this trip that I wasn’t able to experience:
Boston
- Copley Square
- Explore the shops on Newbury St.
- Walk along Charles River
- Downtown
- Enjoy a Swan Ride in the Public Garden
- Boston Harbor Cruise
- SoWa Market
- Fenway
- Visit Boston Commons
- Boston Public Library
Massachusetts
- Minute Man National Historic Park
- Walden Pond
Maine
- Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse
- Camden Hills State Park
- Bar Harbor
- Acadia National Park
- Bubble Rock
- Thunder Hole
If you’re interested in seeing more pictures I captured on this adventure but was unable to add it to this blog post, click here .
Thank you for joining me on this adventure. Until next time, Adventure Awaits!
