I spent my 46th birthday in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a place I'd been longing to visit ever since discovering my first American ancestor had arrived there in the early 1600's. And while there, I was treated to several reminders my family had settled there including a Norman Street (my ancestor was Captain Richard Norman).
But just as Oakland or Berkeley, California will forever lie in the shadow of
San Francisco, Salem grabs the lion's share of attention from Marblehead. After all, they have the witch trials legacy and all those haunted houses and pointy-hatted candies at Halloween.
Marblehead is worth a visit, though. Just twenty minutes north of Boston, this quiet, quaint, seaside town is brimming with history. Walk the cobblestoned streets and shop or roam an ancient graveyard and find headstones from the 1600's.
Here are my Top Five things to do in Marblehead on your girls' or couples getaway, or even alone as I did:
1.
Herreshoff Castle. Though built in the early 1920's, it screams early English settler. In fact, it looks so authentic I thought I was back in western Ireland when I saw it. It's now a B&B that is currently taking reservations for May through November 1. The Castle is a reproduction of Erik the Red's tenth century Viking castle in Greenland, according to its website.
2. Visit
Hammond Park right at the water. Fun for the whole family, seniors, or energetic millennials hoping to throw a frisbee around. Bring the dog. Go sailing!
3. Shop til you drop. I'm a sucker for little tchotchkes especially if they're from New England. I love the hilly, slightly poorly paved streets of downtown Marblehead. Excellent diners and eateries to fill you up after you've bought your 13th set of crab claw potholders.
4. Enjoy any number of quaint B&Bs. The B&B is to New England what the luxury hotel is to Vegas or Manhattan. I stayed at a so-called B&B but it was really a family home. I remember being invited into the kitchen and thinking I was their long-lost daughter. Find your own special family by heading to
Trivago or any other number of traveller sites.
5. Research your family's ancestry. I'm able to trace 10 generations back and so can you if you visit the Marblehead Museum and also dig into your history
online, as I did.
Note: if you're new to Massachusetts or New England generally, make sure to squeeze time into your schedule to hit Boston and Salem. Be sure to check the weather report, too. Technically, it's spring but last year it snowed on April Fool's Day.
Photos: Top l to r, from top: 1) Old Burial Ground, by Laurie Wiegler, 2007; 2) Herreshoff Castle - Marblehead, Massachusetts.
March 19, 2006 by Daderot at en.wikipedia; 3) Historic Marblehead, July 19, 2009 by Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) ; 4) Marblehead, Mass., by Laurie Wiegler, Aug. 19, 2007; 5) Bottom: Selfie, Laurie Wiegler, at Old Burial Ground in Marblehead, Mass. Aug. 19, 2007
Tomorrow: Part Three - Cheyenne, Wyoming.
I spent my 46th birthday in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a place I'd been longing to visit ever since discovering my first American ancestor had arrived there in the early 1600's. And while there, I was treated to several reminders my family had settled there including a Norman Street (my ancestor was Captain Richard Norman).
But just as Oakland or Berkeley, California will forever lie in the shadow of San Francisco, Salem grabs the lion's share of attention from Marblehead. After all, they have the witch trials legacy and all those haunted houses and pointy-hatted candies at Halloween.
Marblehead is worth a visit, though. Just twenty minutes north of Boston, this quiet, quaint, seaside town is brimming with history. Walk the cobblestoned streets and shop or roam an ancient graveyard and find headstones from the 1600's.
Here are my Top Five things to do in Marblehead on your girls' or couples getaway, or even alone as I did:
1. Herreshoff Castle. Though built in the early 1920's, it screams early English settler. In fact, it looks so authentic I thought I was back in western Ireland when I saw it. It's now a B&B that is currently taking reservations for May through November 1. The Castle is a reproduction of Erik the Red's tenth century Viking castle in Greenland, according to its website.
2. Visit Hammond Park right at the water. Fun for the whole family, seniors, or energetic millennials hoping to throw a frisbee around. Bring the dog. Go sailing!
3. Shop til you drop. I'm a sucker for little tchotchkes especially if they're from New England. I love the hilly, slightly poorly paved streets of downtown Marblehead. Excellent diners and eateries to fill you up after you've bought your 13th set of crab claw potholders.
4. Enjoy any number of quaint B&Bs. The B&B is to New England what the luxury hotel is to Vegas or Manhattan. I stayed at a so-called B&B but it was really a family home. I remember being invited into the kitchen and thinking I was their long-lost daughter. Find your own special family by heading to Trivago or any other number of traveller sites.
5. Research your family's ancestry. I'm able to trace 10 generations back and so can you if you visit the Marblehead Museum and also dig into your history online, as I did.
Note: if you're new to Massachusetts or New England generally, make sure to squeeze time into your schedule to hit Boston and Salem. Be sure to check the weather report, too. Technically, it's spring but last year it snowed on April Fool's Day.
Photos: Top l to r, from top: 1) Old Burial Ground, by Laurie Wiegler, 2007; 2) Herreshoff Castle - Marblehead, Massachusetts.
March 19, 2006 by Daderot at en.wikipedia; 3) Historic Marblehead, July 19, 2009 by Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger) ; 4) Marblehead, Mass., by Laurie Wiegler, Aug. 19, 2007; 5) Bottom: Selfie, Laurie Wiegler, at Old Burial Ground in Marblehead, Mass. Aug. 19, 2007
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