From the moment you drive into the parking lot of Mystery Hill, (a.k.a “America’s Stonehenge”) in Salem, New Hampshire,(the other Salem in the New England region) you know it’s a special place.
There are strange rock formations and….
…a bridge in the front entrance welcomes you from the past.
and brings you to the future
But, the front entrance of America’s Stonehenge is only a tease. Once you exit the gift shop (it costs $12 for adults and $7.50 for kids), you are greeted by some Alpacas on the right. They are fenced but they are very friendly.
There are also a variety of time keeping devices which, to this day, still keep correct time.
But, some of the things I liked best were not the structures or rock formations but the statues, flowers, decor and the hollowed out canoe.
But, the main attraction are the rocks and rock formations. The name “America’s Stonehenge” is somewhat misleading. There are no structures that bear any real resemblance to the actual Stonehenge.
Even though Mystery Hill bears no resemblance to Stonehenge, there are some interesting facts about the site. Some of the rocks used in the structures at Mystery Hill were quarried using primitive stone-on-stone techniques and have been carbon dated as far back as 2,000 B.C.
Mystery Hill is a children’s play land. Forget about all of the rock climbing. They are also able to walk in some of the structures, such as, the Oracle Chamber and they wouldn’t have to duck to be able to walk in the smaller spaces.
There is a sinister legend that overshadows the light atmosphere of the attraction. According to legend, the area here was a spot for sacrifices. Stories of ghostly apparitions and huantings have been reported. I decided to go and see for myself.
I didn’t see or hear anything unusual, at least not of the other worldly variety. But, the legends still persist.
The area is pretty expansive. It claims to be 30 acres but feels much longer. The best parts of the area were the random rock structures and the views. And, of course, the foliage.
There is also an area where it is believed the Nov. 1st sunrise was watched from. It is amazing when you consider they could identifty the best place to view the sunrise, way before we had scientific devices to use.
Although the rocks and rock formations were impressive, my favorite part of the attraction was the alpacas.
At first glance, it would seem to be any quaint, rustic bed and breakfast (or as we are prone to say in New England, “b&b”). But, the Lizzie Borden Bed And Breakfast/Museum is no ordinary bed and breakfast.
If only this seemingly ordinary inn could tell stories. The bed and breakfast has been converted to an inn (stay at your own risk) and tours are offered for a paltry $18. The hour long tour includes a history of the house, the denizens (which of course Lizzie Borden was one) and other trivia about the building and people associated with the house.
Of course, Lizzie is the main person of interest.
For those who either lived under a rock for the past 120 years or aren’t a maladjusted historian who is fascinated with the morbid, Lizzie was the main suspect in the murders of her mother and father. She was acquitted after the jury deliberated for an hour. To this day, people are divided over whether she did commit these murders (she did). The real life story plays out like an Agatha Christie mystery.
The house is three floors with 8 rooms. The furniture is not the exact furniture from the house because the Borden sisters had to store their furniture and while the furniture was in storage the furniture was destroyed by water and fire damage. Replicas of the furniture of that era are furnished throughout the house. They also seem to want to keep the house as close to the original style as possible. We also had a large tour group which made the rooms seem even more cramped and the lighting was dim. That is not a ghost but rather the photographer’s reflection in the mirror.
The staircases are narrow but fun to photograph.
The bedrooms are basic with the bare necessities (you won’t find any flat screen tv’s or hot tubs there). But, they are refreshing for the weary traveler who just wants to unplug and relax.
This is the room where Abby Borden was murdered. Walking in the room can’t help but give you the willies.
This is where Andrew Borden’s (Lizzie’s father) body was found. I swear I had my camera trained on the entire sitting couch (I’d sooner blame in on Nikon than the photographer or any spirits, though)
If you are considering a stay at the Lizzie Borden bed and breakfast, just remember that while it is cute and rustic, well keep in mind that it is rustic.
Is that Lizzie in the window?
The inn also has a number of photos of the key players of the Borden case and the family hanging on the wall. There is also the dress Elizabeth Montgomery wore when she depicted Lizzie Borden in the made for tv version of the murder and trial. There are also artifacts hung on the walls that were found on the property that were discovered during recent renovations.
I had some time to waste before the tour, so I stopped by Lizzie’s (or Lizbeth’s) final resting place. Lizzie is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Fall River, Mass. She is buried next to her sister, Emma. People regularly leave little mementos from flowers to rocks and even coins and other keepsakes on her gravestone, especially this time of year (even though the murders occurred in August and not around Halloween) .
The main living quarters has been renovated and maintained through the years but it still keeps the basic feel of what living in that era was like.
The early settlers planted most of their crops in their yard. The staff at the Homestead continue growing these crops such as mugwort, sage and chamomile.
Pictured below is the front of the house. The front part of the house is what we might consider “the back” because the settlers always wanted their houses to face the south.
The accommodations are what a modern day realtor might call “cozy”.
They were “spinning” before it was cool.
There is also a meeting house, shoemaker shed and wood shed that still have a very rustic feel to them.
The Homestead also keeps their grounds well maintained.
According to legend, after being hanged, Rebecca Nurse was buried in a shallow unmarked grave because people convicted of witchcraft were not considered worthy of a Christian burial. Her family dug her up and buried her at the Nurse Homestead and they erected a memorial in her honor.
George Jacobs, another victim of the witch hysteria, is also buried at the Nurse Homestead.
Rebecca’s great grandson, Francis Nurse, resided st the homestead until he joined the Massachusetts Militia during the Revolutionary War. He is know interred at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead.
There are also a number of other monuments and graves in the Nurse gravesite
There is also a variety of wildlife on the Nurse Homestead grounds. I ran into these turkeys during my visit.
And I met a bear. Well, sort of. One of the workers was dog sitting and he brought his Golden Lab, Bear with him to the homestead. Bear likes to play catch.
Since it is Halloween is imminent and Salem is so well known for its Halloween attractions, I will be posting a series of blogs from the Salem, Massachusetts, area from my recent visits. If I took a photo of you or your dog and I haven’t posted it yet, I promise I will post it very soon. Also, I want to thank everyone (4 legged and 2 legged) and their folks who agreed to have their or their children’s photos taken. If you’re reading this, I greatly appreciate it.
Today’s blog features some of the sites, people and dogs of historic Salem.
There is something about Salem, or really any busy town or city, in the early morning hours. There’s a certain serenity in the early morning hours, especially when you contrast it with the throngs that will soon descend upon the town. While the city is still sleeping and the roar of vehicles seems a distant memory, street vendors prepare for a busy day and other early risers take to the empty streets. In a scant few hours, these city streets will be jammed.
There were some other early risers on the streets of Salem as well. I ran into Quincy while I was roaming the empty streets.
One of the things about Salem that attracts a lot of visitors, apart from the Halloween attractions, are the memorials and structures in the area. This particular structure in the heart of downtown Salem is the East India Square Fountain. In the warmer weather seasons, they often have water flowing in it. Designed as an abstract map of Salem, the two levels represent the pre-Colonial and contemporary shorelines of Salem.
A little farther down the road is the Revere Bell, a tribute to the citizens of Essex County which encompasses the most northeast section of Massachusetts, who have served in the armed services.
There is also a pretty arch near the Revere Bell that with overgrown foliage.
There were lots of people dressed up for the season
I also saw Chica
and Stanley during my visit
More photos from Salem and the Salem area to come…
The costumes ranged from the scary, like this dog bone skeleton
and this shark
to the funny like this pooch dressed as Beetlejuice.
In fact, a lot of animals dressed up as other animals and insects. Like these bees
and these bat dogs
or this elephant
There were also an octopus, lobsters, a spider and even a squirrel riding a dog.
Some dogs decided to dress more like humans like Sherlock Bones.
and this working class dog
Some dogs wore more creative costumes, like this Chia-pet
and this wolf in sheep clothes
and Goldilocks
And for those of you who thought dinosaurs were extinct, think again
There were also a number of pets dressed as fictional characters such as Chewbacca and Superman/woman (with a tutu no less) and a super hero.
Sleeping beauty was also at the parade.
And of course, what would a Howl-O-Ween parade be without a witch?
There were also some sports themed costumes
And some food themed costumes like these hot dogs and taco
Dogs were not the only participants. There were these two brave cats. One was dressed as a sailor and the other cat, Briggs, was just a spectator
Although all the participants were winners winners, the prize for best overall costume went to “Max” from the his “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” outfit.
We in New England are no strangers to stormy weather. But, the first stormy weather of the season always seems to catch us off guard. After all, it was only the first weekend of October. Much too early for stormy weather. But, it is hurricane season, after all. During this first storm of the season, I decided to go to my second stormy destination of the day.
By the time I arrived at Wollaston Beach, the storm had died down quite a bit. But, it was still pretty windy and wavy.
The water was rocky earlier in the day. This boat, the Cenzina, was one of three boats that were washed ashore Saturday.
Just like in life, a silver began to appear after the rocky weather.
Unfortunately, the wet weather made it hard to keep the lens dry which made some photos come out blurry. This was the best photo I could get of Maya.
To get the full effect of just how bad the weather was (and this wasn’t even during the peak time of the bad conditions) watch the video below. You may notice the light from the lighthouse in the distance at the tail end of the video.
The last leg of our summer’s swan song at Cape Cod was spent at Waterfront Park in Woods Hole. Waterfront Park has several statues and sculptures. The most recent statue is a memorial to environmentalist Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring and the Sea Around Us. Both books are considered influential books in the environmentalist movement. Carson had worked with Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) which is located in Woods Hole.
The waterfront also has a shaded sitting area for the weary traveler to rest their bones.
There is also a sun dial statue dedicated to Robert Crane, one of the original financial supporters of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The sun dial was constructed so that you could tell what time it is from any direction. And, yes, it is accurate. A somewhat elaborate explanation is included on the ground in front of the sun dial.
The “Flukes” is a bronze sculpture by Gordon Gund. Gund, a successful businessman, was inspired to sculpt The Flukes after seeing pilot whales off the coast. It looks like more of a slide or play thing which explains the sign in front of the sculpture. I suspect it is not much of a deterrent.
The Waterfront is also the main point of embarkment for the ferry to the islands of Cape Cod, mainly Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
The waterfront also has some pretty views of the water and pretty flowers.
The waterfront park is also known for its friendly visitors. I met this friendly guy named Charlie as I was leaving.
After a short stay at Scraggy Neck, it was time for our next stop on our Cape Cod Farewell Summer trip.
Our next destination was the Nobska Beach in the quaint village of Woods Hole in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The Nobska area is so pretty and there are so many attractions because of its sheer beauty, I decided cover the Nobska area in two separate blogs.
The first thing that stands out at Nobska beach are the array of flowers and the makeshift trails at the beach (that and the lack of parking). The only parking available is on the side of the road along the beach and a scant few spots in front of the light house (I’ll be posting photos of the light house in the second part of the Nobska photo blogs).
Nobska Beach offers views of both Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Island.
Boats and the ferry make frequent trips to the islands
If you hadn’t noticed, one of the treasures of Nobska Beach are the rocks and the rock formations.
But, to capture the real beauty of the views from the beach, it was necessary to walk down a narrow trail down to this modest rocky ledge.
But, the ledge was wide enough for me and my camera. And the views were well worth the extra effort.
Nobska Beach is also home to a variety of wildlife.
At the base of the beach there are two memorials. A memorial for Dennis Jeff Sabo lies under some plants, almost unnoticed. The memorial does not give any more information than his date of birth, date of death and name. A Google search yielded no results. The lack of details about Dennis adds to the memorials’ mystique.
The other memorial is dedicated to Neilie Anne Heffernan Casey. Neilie was a passenger on Flight 11 on September 11, 2001. A memorial and bench bearing her name lay in the area now dubbed “Neilie Point”. A beautiful reminder of an awful day.
After a brief but rewarding stay at Amrita Island, it was on the next destination on my Farewell Summer Cape Cod trip. Scraggy Neck is a private beach in Cataumet, a village in Bourne, Massachusetts.
The beach is usually monitored by guards during the summer season. But, since summer was basically over, there were no guards when I arrived at the beach.
The entrance to the beach is grassy. But, there is a makeshift trail you can follow. The occasional flower stand in the grass
The beach is long and it was high tide when I visited. But, there wasn’t much of a beach head when I was visited. The water did look clean and clear.
Seaweed and shells littered the beach.
Scraggy Neck is divided into two sides by a road that is frequented by joggers, bikers and cars. It was on the other side of the road that showed off Scraggy Neck’s more scenic views.
A narrow path leads to the water.
The fish is visible through the transparent water.
This part of Scraggy Neck is mostly grassy. So, it would not be the ideal area to lie out for a tan.
Scraggy Neck is also a popular spot for boaters to launch from.
After visiting Scraggy Neck, it was on to our next adventure….
One last summer weekend. One last chance to soak up the dwindling magic of summer. What better way to laze away the remaining summer bliss than at the iconic Cape Cod Canal?
The canal stretches for 7 miles for Sandwich, MA, to Buzzards Bay. There are several entrances to the canal. We chose the entrance near the end of the canal at Buzzards Bay.
The views at the canal are one of the main attractions.
Fishermen and fisher women dot the rocky edges of the canal and it is a popular starting point for bikers, runners and walkers. The canal also is a bustling point for ships carrying a variety of cargo, particularly since it is so close to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I caught one as it passed under the railroad bridge.
Ducks and seagulls also find the canal too be a fun place to enjoy the summer.
This lady thought I was spying on her.
Well, until next summer…I’ll meet you at the canal.
To see more photos and get updates, please like me on Facebook:
New England Nomad 