Leaves Mural

This mural is right next to the Policebots mural on the side of a parking garage off Congress St…read more The mask of the lady liberty's face is both disconcerting and insightful, the many figures of people turned in different directions- the combination of the two. Like all of us are Lady Liberty or none of us are- it's all fake. The Statue of Liberty is supposed to be the gateway for immigration- I can imagine the ships sailing past full of people who endured the seas to come to America. Land of the free where nothing is actually free. Wow~ that's a deep dive that just keeps going! I love art and all the thoughts it can provoke- even if some are not happy thoughts and feeling. Art that can get you thinking or feeling is powerful indeed. Untitled Where: 10 Congress St Artist: HYURO Medium: Acrylic Paint Date: July, 2019

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Policebots Mural

A much cuter version that what this image conjured in my mind~ which was Terminator! lol. This…read moreplayful looking robot mural is also a nod to the local PD! I can only imagine little kids loving this one- reminiscent of a toy plus lending that police are meant to help, protect. Something strong- it can also look at the uniform-ness of being in the police. This mural could definitely be interpreted in many different ways. Beyond the movie reference thoughts, it stirs up public perception of police. Politics. Good thing it is so playful to help counter the other feelings this mural stirs up! Title: Policebots Where: 10 Congress Street Artist: MTO Date: September, 2018

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The Farmer- El Campesino Mural

El Campesino captures you with his colorful rainbow backdrop and portrait in black and white. The…read morestark contrast makes you want to look closer, lean in. The weather face, kind, hardworking, earth wisdom speaks to the part of you that enjoys hard work and the fruits of labor. Not everyone will feel that way about the painting- but that's exactly what reaches me. Backbreaking work- that makes you proud and exhausted when the day is done- filled with a contentment that you forged something with your hands. This face is of a man I would want to hug if I saw him in person- just so inviting. Title: The Farmer/ El Campesino Where: Ward Street Artist: Ruben Ubiera Medium: Spray Paint Date: June, 2017

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Totem Mural

Located on the corner of Peabody and Congress are the stacked containers and incredible art display…read morethat screamed totem. How happy to find out that is the title. The bright colors simply draw you in, powerful spirituality emanates. All the faces of spirit guides and ancestors seem to gaze upon you and your hope takes flight! Art can invoke so many emotions, so many images beyond what you are seeing with your own eyes. This one is a treasure. Title: Totem Where: Corner of Peabody and Congress Artist: Ledania Medium: Spray Paint Date: July, 2019

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My view from the street

Garden Boy Mural

This mural made me think of a robot adorned with nature~ and industrial, metal, steampunk feel…read moreblended with gorgeous vibrant flowers. A surprising feast for the eyes! This mural overlooks a basketball court with a brilliant mural on the pavement. I can't imagine being surrounded by all of these stunning murals- living on this street or a neighboring one! Inspired daily by stunning images splashed on sides of buildings and on the street below your feet. Too many favorites walking down Ward Street! Title: Garden Boy Where: 17 Ward Street Artist: Pixel Pancho Date: September, 2018

My view from the street below

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LE QUEDO BUFEAITO Mural

Can you hear jazz music when you look at this mural? Because I felt like dancing when I saw this…read moreone from the street! My brother agreed too! The background medallion looking art makes me think tribal, old world. The pose of the man, feels dancing, soulful. The suit, tie and hat~ deep knowledge, respect. All these mixed up thoughts lingering, intertwined- just like the artwork of this mural. Very striking! Title: Le quedo Bufeaito Where: 38 Peabody Street Artist: Don Rimx Medium: Spray Paint Date: May, 2017

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COLORÍN COLORADO Mural

Another fun, playful mural in the middle of a neighborhood! Joy simply flows from this mural making…read morethat inner child smile. Content is the feeling I got when looking at this mural~ thinking of my own childhood play time and my kids when they were young and making me think of my future grandchild! Whimsical, playful, joyful, splendid. The carefree emotions this mural inspires are something to behold! Title: Colorin Colorado Where: 37 Ward Street Artist: Silvia Lopez Chavez Medium: Spray Paint Date: September, 2017

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The Queen of the Block Mural

She is simply magical! Of course she is the Queen of the Block~ I bet the town! Looking to the sky~…read moreshe has this mystical feel and the colors and style have a little 70's vibe going or maybe an 80's boombox feel? Beautiful face uplifted simply stops you in your tracks! Gaze upon her in wonderment. I had fun checking out this mural! I am only so-so in painting face/portraits. To see such style and grace portrayed in paint! Such fun. I love when you bump right into pubic art installations! What a wonderful way to breathe life into the neighborhood! Inspire soul sister! Title: Queen of the Block Where: 113 Lafayette Street Artist: Mr Cenz Medium: Spray Paint Date: September, 2018

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Katherine Mural

Stunning detail of this mural is impeccable! I dove a little into the artist- intrigued by this…read moreportrait and found that the artist prefers to work in black, white and grays. Mainly portraits- the artist's lifelike works center on ideas of women's strength and their ability to build community, in addition to the ways families are bound together and remember their ancestors. This particular mural has a tired, sad conveyance. Life can wear you down and lift you right back up again. It is the things that are hard that make you appreciate the things that are worth everything. Title: Katherine Where 6 Ward Street Artist: Paola Delfin Date: August, 2018

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Hocus Pocus Tours

4.9

(204 reviews)

0.2 mi

I found Hocus Pocus Tours while seeking things to do in Salem on Yelp and TripAdvisor. Fellow…read moreYelpers' rave reviews did not disappoint! In messaging Hocus Pocus Tours with a couple questions about the tour and travel to and from Salem, the owner Susan replied immediately and suggested that I call her. This led to a one hour phone conversation where Susan was so gracious with her time, knowledge, and suggestions, not just about how to make the most of the tour, but how to appreciate a day in Salem. I can see why those who had the opportunity to take the in-person tour with Susan really enjoyed it. Covid changed the business model and Hocus Pocus now offers a self-guided tour by purchasing one of two tour apps. I opted for the $19.99 grand tour and it was well worth it. It has 37 points of interest. The app is user friendly and well designed. It provides a map of all stops, tracks where you are, and guides you to the next stop that you select on the tour. When you get to your stop, you can confirm you're at the right spot by comparing a photo of the site with what you see. Then you click on a 2-3 minute audio recording that provides a great snapshot of the significance of the site. As Susan had pointed out to me, there is much more to Salem than the historic witchcraft trials. It includes author Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of Seven Gables, America's oldest candy company, and other interesting sites. Of everything I visited, I experienced a very deep emotional connection with the 1692 Witchcraft Memorial with 20 stones dedicated to each of the victims of the witchcraft trial. The tour includes brief descriptions of some of the victims including those written about in Arthur Miller's The Crucible. If you plan to visit Salem, I highly recommend this tour. All sites can be visited on the outside and some on the inside at no charge. Some sites, such as The House of Seven Gables, charge separate admission fees. If you want to travel to Salem and don't have a car, the ferry from Boston offers a nice, scenic, and entertaining 50 minute ride. The commuter trains run more frequently and can come in handy if the ferry schedule coming or going doesn't meet your needs. There are plenty of good places to dine at to break up the tour. We had lunch at FINZ and really enjoyed it (I'll post separately about that).

This was legit SO much fun! The name Hocus Pocus kinda throws you off because you may be thinking…read moreabout the movie, but this tour really is amazing. Start off with the tour guides, extremely friendly and beyond knowledgeable. They really know their history for Salem. The tour itself was a few hours and you walk to all of the sites in Salem with historical significance. There is so much to learn from Salem. So much history and heartbreak. It really is eye opening to hear the stories oof the witch trials and how the witch trials began and who all was wrongly persecuted. The tour guides were so nice and explained everything with such great details. This tour was definitely the highlight of our trip in Salem. I highly highly recommend Hocus Pocus Tours, I learned so much regarding Salem, the witch trials, the history behind the two, and a little bit of Hocus Pocus and Bewitched. So much fun!

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Beauport Hotel

Nate at the Birdseye bar is an outstanding bartender and staff member. Very friendly, attentive and…read moreknowledgeable. We had such a great experience at the roof bar, mostly because of him. Above and beyond!

Hotel Review: The Beauport Hotel is absolutely breathtaking…read moreand such a wonderful place to stay north of Boston, especially if you love the ocean. The ocean facing rooms are luxurious and beautiful. It is definitely expensive but its truly beautiful and such special place. Wedding Venue Review: We saw so many venues at the start of planning and the Beauport was the only one that made a lasting impression. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to host our wedding there. It was so stunning, beautiful and perfect. We were truly proud to invite our friends and family to such a breathtaking place. The food was absolutely to die for, the waitstaff and hotel staff were so sweet, and our coordinator Jacey was attentive in the months leading up to our event. We did have some critiques. The communication with our coordinator was not 100% on the day of our wedding. There were small things here and there, but the biggest one was that a row was meant to be reserved for our bridesmaids, groomsmen and flower girl, but it was not so they ended up having to stand up with us. We discussed this many times during planning, and emphasized the importance of only having our man of honor and our best man standing up with us. There was no apology for this pretty considerable error until I brought it up myself a week after the wedding. The other critique was that my parents were in city facing rooms and had a very hard time sleeping due to excessive noise from the street. Other people in the room block had much better rooms which we felt should have been given to our parents. Other than that, everything was amazing. It was truly so special and we will never ever forget it. We couldn't be more grateful to have had the most perfect sunny day on the water in Gloucester, a place that has been special to my heart since I was a kid. Thank you Beauport Hotel! We will never ever forget our wedding day.