Jason and I, tired from our many adventures, slept longer than expected this morning. We woke up completely refreshed and very hungry. We looked at the clock and noticed we had little time for breakfast. We rushed down to the breakfast room and made it with roughly 15 minutes before closing. Jason grabbed a corn cake with yogurt; I my usual corn cake and toast. We didn't take any pictures, as they would be identical to every other breakfast picture thus far. But trust us, it was good!
After breakfast we returned to our room to finish getting ready and to blog. We had gotten massively behind on blogging since the internet at the Salem Inn is horrible. There are lot of wonderful things about where we are staying, but the internet speed is definitely not one of them. In fact, Jason and I have almost reached our phone's data limit for the month since it's worked better than the hotel's internet.
Below is a random picture of us after getting ready. Not sure why we took it, we were probably just very excited about our trip.
After getting ready, blogging, and resting we became very hungry for lunch. Jason found a diner that he thought looked like a good spot for lunch. Knowing Jason and his amazing ability to find really good food, I trusted him without question. I was wise to do so. It was the Ugly Mug Diner. Below is a picture:
We walked in and a very adorable lady welcomed us. She had a cute dress covered in stars. She walked us to a nearby table and told us our waiter would be with us shortly. She said he was easy to spot. She then pointed to the man in the picture below. Can you guess which one she was talking about? I would also encourage you to look at the art displayed on the back wall of this photo--either it was created by our waiter or, at the very least, was inspired by him.
Our waiter arrived and took our drink orders. I loved their shirts. They said "Peace, Love, and Waffles." I almost bought one but figured I should save money on adventures instead. Soon the waiter returned with our water and took our lunch order. Jason ordered Poutine and I the seasonal Pumpkin pancakes with caramel drizzle. Holy poutine and pancakes batman! It was delicious! Below are pictures:
My Pumpkin pancakes below--also amazing!
Funny side note. While eating my pancakes I came across a potato in the middle of it. Below is a picture to prove I am not crazy and that it did happen:
Oh yeah, I also ordered an egg:
While eating, I began noticing that each table had a different mug in the center. Jason, being amazing, had read up about the diner and the origin of it's name early that morning. Apparently the woman who owns the restaurant collects ugly mugs. When she opened the diner, she brought all her ugly mugs to be used at the restaurant. Some people have favorite ugly mugs that they request when ordering drinks. It's pretty cute. Sadly, if you just get water--no ugly mug. It's sad but smart, cause we ordered a drink. I thought Jason ordered the drink for the ugly mug, but he actually just liked the spicy hot chocolate that can be found all over Massachusetts. He asked for a "Screaming Nelly," which is essentially hot chocolate with Cayenne Pepper. Too hot for me, but it was good. Here is the "ugly mug" that we got (I thought it looked normal):
Although I don't have a picture of this, I think it was worth noting. I went to the bathroom while at the diner. The wall was painted with chalkboard paint on one side. The other side had a massive column in the wall (I assume for pipes). They painted the column to look like a waterfall. At the bottom, they painted a very cool Koi Pond. I love how artsy Salem is. The chalkboard part was used to leave notes--no, not for "Call so so and so--they're a hot date." The notes were mostly "Have a good day!" It was cute.
As we left the diner Jason noticed this:
We left lunch and headed toward the center of Salem to walk around in the fall air. This is by far our most favorite thing to do on vacation. Although the leaves were already turning to burnt oranges and bright yellows, today was the first day they truly overtook the trees and the ground. Below are pictures of our favorite spots with the beautiful leaves.
The picture to the right, our honeymoon (2010)
A picture of the ground. If you look at the backdrop of our blog, you will notice a similar picture from the same spot in Salem in 2010 (taken on our honeymoon).
Another picture of our favorite spot:
More pictures of the same place cause we love it so much:
After walking around some, we remembered that at One O'clock there was to be a Farmer's Market in Derby Square. Since we were a tad early for the market, we decided to go shopping. Jason and I were looking for a razor for his collection. He wanted one from Salem specifically. We walked down toward the bay to an antique shop we had visited momentarily a few days prior. On our way we passed a guy dressed in a ghoul outfit with a creepy mask. He was handing out flyers for something. The moment he spotted us he turned in our direction, his hand outstretched with his brightly colored flyer. We politely declined, saying we were good and passed him. As we turned to leave he yelled, "Foolish mortals! How dare you!" It was awesome!
Also while on the way to the antique shop, we noticed a bicycle rack. We love how many people walk and ride bikes in the city. Although I had seen many bike racks before, this one seemed special--it was huge and had a large sign beside it. We stopped and read the nearby sign. Apparently the city has organized a bicycle sharing system. People donate bikes and leave them on these special racks. If anyone needs transportation, you simply borrow a bike and return it later to one of these city racks. Pretty amazing! I've never seen another city do that!
Before arriving to the antique shop, we noticed a cute store with a bunch of kitchen items in the window. We decided to pop in. Turns out it was a tea shop. Jason and I purchased a ton of teas, two little tea spoons, and three teabag plates. I also did an impulse buy and grabbed two pieces of black taffy--one impulse buy we did not regret. I noticed a sign above the check out counter that said unruly children will be given a puppy to take home and some ice cream to eat. I commented on the poster to the woman behind the counter. She told us that one time a lady came in with her kids and saw the sign. The woman apparently told her kids to act out so she could get a free puppy. Pretty awesome.
After purchasing our tea, we went into the antique shop down the road. We browsed a bit but weren't able to find anything. We left and headed over to a witch shop we had seen earlier in the week. The two woman running the shop were a bit... spacey, but they were kind. We found a large collection of brooms on the wall. On our honeymoon I really wanted a broom but we weren't able to afford it, nor did we how to convince the airport to allow it on the plane home. This time, however, we not only had the money but we also were traveling by train. The brooms were larger than I originally hopped for, but they were beautiful! Jason and I picked one and said we would hang it in the kitchen somewhere to display it. Below is a picture (after we got it home and hung it up):
After some shopping, we went back to the Salem Inn to drop off the tea and broom. We weren't there very long before we headed out again, this time to an antique shop literally around the corner. Luckily they had a razor for Jason, along with an old pair of hair clippers. Score! We were happy.
After shopping, we headed toward Derby Square to see the Farmer's Market. Below are pictures:
We grabbed a small green basket and began filling it with items. We purchased some rainbow carrots, macoun apples, a small pumpkin, and maple syrup. They told us all the produce was from many farms in New Hampshire. We walked over to a guy wearing a green beanie with a cash box and paid him a small fee. Below are pictures of us enjoying our purchases:
Jason and I browsed some other tents with produce when we stumbled upon a selection of cheese. Jason and I love cheese. Many a dinner have we shared that consisted of crackers, cheese, and fruit. I know, I know... we're so sophisticated! Haha! These particular cheeses were made from a local goat. She let us sample some, which was smart because we immediately purchased it. She recommended we eat the cheese with an apple slice. Lucky for us, we had just bought apples! She also sold homemade fudge. When she offered us a sample, I informed her she was playing a dangerous game--one cannot simply "sample" fudge.
After taking our cheese, we stopped by a small booth that caught my attention. "Far From The Tree Cider." If you recall, this was the same cider I had at Rockafellas a few days prior. It was delicious! Originally weren't going to stop by the booth, but then we heard a lady offering free samples--I never say no to free things that I know are good. We sampled all three ciders and found them all to be amazing! While sampling the lady asked us where we were from. She, along with everyone else we have told in Salem, was shocked to hear us say Georgia. She asked why we came all the way up here. We explained that this was where we honeymooned and that we came back for our five year anniversary. Although we thought this would explain everything, it only surprised her all the more! "What made you pick Salem for your honeymoon!" Haha! I guess no one does that. It was a fun conversation. She encouraged us to buy some cider and told us about their tasting room. We said we might stop by later in the day to give it a try. Sadly, we forgot and never did. If you ever come across Far From The Tree Cider--get it! It's amazing.
Below is a picture of the apple and cheese we purchased. We sampled these later in the night back at the hotel. Delicious!
As Jason and I walked around the farmer's market, a man with a clipboard stopped us. He asked if we would sign a petition to allow animals to roam free instead of in cages. Neither Jason nor I like signing things we know nothing about. We also were not willing to trust a one sentence explanation for a petition that was pages long either. We hesitated to answer which made for quite an awkward moment. Finally the man said, "are you from Massachusetts?" We said no which caused him to laugh. He told us we wouldn't be able to help anyway. Phew! Yay for no more awkwardness.
After finishing all of our shopping, we headed over to the House of the Seven Gables. Touring this house was by far our favorite part of visiting Salem five years ago. We were very excited to revisit it. We walked from Derby Square to the bay, enjoying the beautiful weather. Jason and I reminisced about our honeymoon while walking. Oddly enough, Jason and I are far better off now than we were on our honeymoon. We are in much better health now. Last we visited Salem we tired easily. This time we can walk all day long, fully able to enjoy the city of Salem by foot. We are also more financially secure. We own our own home and have settled into professional jobs. And, above all else, we are more in love than ever. We have done well in five years.
I remember us making the agreement to return to Salem for our five year anniversary. I also remember how doubtful/afraid I was that we would never be able to afford it. Turns out we could. As we headed toward the House of the Seven Gables once more, I was filled with great pride that we had truly built a life together--a stable and loving life together. Jason and I are lucky--we are living a life most never get to have.
We walked up to the entrance, purchased tickets, and waited in the garden for our tour to start. Eventually we went inside and sat down in a small room with other tourists. A bald man walked in, counted us, and announced we were missing two people. He returned to the gardens to find them. In no time he returned with two women and the tour guide. Our tour guide was a tall, soft spoken man with a curly beard. He was knowledgeable but somewhat boring to listen to. The last tour guide we had wore a curly handlebar mustache and had a great deal of pep--but he was also misinformed about a few things in the house. Previously we were told there was a hidden room in the Seven Gables that was original to the house. Come to find out, 10 years ago they discovered this was added to the house to match Hawthorn's story. Somewhat disappointing, but still a very cool feature of the home.
I would like to say that the secret room can be reached by a small, winding staircase that is hidden in a chimney. The reason I bring this up is because it is very very very small. This is important because Jason and I have lost weight since our honeymoon. The small staircase was not quite so tiny this year as it was in the past. Proud moment for us!
We, as usual, weren't able to take pictures of the inside, but we did get pictures elsewhere. Here are pics:
The view from the boathouse (can I live here please!?):
Jason, trying to open the small cabinet again, just like he did five years ago. Sad to say--he was unsuccessful this time.
To the left, Jason 2015.
To the right, Jason 2010.
Us on the fake boat:
To the left, 2010
To the right, 2015
To the left, 2010
To the right, 2015
The picture below is from 2010:
The pictures below is from now (2015):
The view of the garden is below:
After taking pictures of this beautiful place, we returned to the gift shop. The last time we were here we bought Jason a sealing wax kit. When we returned home from our honeymoon, Jason wrote me a letter that said he loved me and he sealed it with his kit. It was sweet. We also bought amber candlesticks as well. These were the most expensive things we purchased while on our honeymoon, which still wasn't much cause we were broke and newly married. This time around we splurged again at the same place. I bought a fireplace candle holder made out of cast iron. It was the same one we had purchased for my parents as a gift on our honeymoon. It's an interesting candle holder. There is a wooden handle that allows the candle to be moved up or down. It was apparently used to indicate if a father would approve of his daughter's suitor or not. The longer the candle had to burn, the more approval it showed. The shorter the candle had to burn---well, say goodbye to whoever was visiting. I always liked the candle holder (even though I think it's ridiculous that a woman couldn't decide for herself who she wanted to marry). Although I couldn't purchase this back then, I was able to this time! Jason and I also chipped in together and bought a writing set with a fancy wooden box. It was beautiful! I may have also purchased some fudge, which I devoured that night.
We left with our goodies and headed over the Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie down the street. This shop has been selling candy since the early 1800s. Pretty cool. We went inside and got in line. It was a very, very small shop. We began to get claustrophobic and decided it wasn't worth it (especially since the line wasn't moving). We just headed back to the hotel to drop off our purchases.
Once back at the hotel, we began discussing where to go to dinner. I found a place called "Village Tavern Grill and Oyster Bar." We had previously heard of it from our ghost tour guide, as well. The website looked cool and it sounded like a good place. We headed over.
Jason and I were seated in a comfy booth in the back and given our menus. The menus were pretty cool--they were basically newspapers. Below is a picture:
Jason ordered an Old Fashion (the worst he's ever had) and a Sazerac. At first he was going to order just absinthe, but then the waitress said "You sure you want that?" We looked surprised so she explained that most people don't know what it is. Jason and I have had it before and knew, but he wanted real absinthe with wormwood. He asked if they had the kind with wormwood. She didn't know what he was talking about, so he just ordered Sazerac with absinthe in it. Below is a picture:
We also ordered spinach artichoke dip, very good!
Jason ordered Chili, or rather... cheese with some chili. Also very good! It seems this place is a hit or miss kind of restaurant.
I also ordered two Angry Orchard drinks. After I placed my order, the waitress said "Tall or short? Do you want the angry balls or not?" Jason and I both held back a massive laugh and gave her a confused look. She smiled and said "They make us say that." I said just make it regular. The moment she left Jason and I died laughing and said "What the hell are angry balls!?" Hahaha!
We had a fun dinner and laughed continually throughout the evening. We paid and then made our way back to the hotel. Jason asked if I was okay since I had two alcoholic beverages (I get tipsy with just one). I assured him I was good and we walked back to the Inn. As we traveled down the street, Jason remembered the last time I had a few drinks at dinner--the night I tripped on the cobblestone street and said "I helped" catch myself. He was nervous for me. It was cold so I shoved my hands in my pockets and put my hood up. At one point, the sidewalk became small and we were unable to walk side by side. Jason got behind me. I watched my feet carefully so I wouldn't trip, being mindful of every crack in the ground and each parking meter that we passed. A group of people emerged from in front of us, so I moved to the right to allow them space to pass. I continued walking when suddenly I felt a strong pull on my jacket. My legs moved forward freely, but the tugging on my hood caused me to lean backward. I turn around to see that Jason had grabbed my coat's hood and tried to stop me from moving forward. "Be careful--watch out for that parking meter" he said. I laughed-- I laughed a lot. Jason thought I was tipsier than I was. I told him I had seen the meter and continued to laugh. It was such a strange sensation to be walking when out of nowhere your head is being pulled backward. An older gentleman passed us when this occurred. He turned around and smiled at us as we laughed--I think he saw the whole thing.
Once safely back at the hotel, we enjoyed our cheese and apple. It was a great day with a lot of fun things. Jason made me tea with cream and sugar and we drifted off to sleepytown.
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