Road Trip - Salem, Massachusetts November 13-15, 2004

Here are my photos from a three day road trip I took with my dear friends Diane and Netta.  Our goal was Salem, Massachusetts, but we also took a few detours around New England.

Diane, popping our trunk at some truck stop, I think in Connecticut.	Pretty!  It was the first snow of the season.	The main touristy shopping area in the middle of Salem, Massachusetts.
Back the other way.	I liked this clock.  I don't know why.	A big anchor!  Cool!!
These were across the street from the Peabody Essex Museum.	I guess nobody wanted to keep their sticker.	Inside the museum.  It took me an hour to figure out how to switch off the flash on the camera I borrowed from Grey.  Turns out it's one of the three buttons on the thing.
I like this!  Wish I could have used the flash on it.	I'm known for posing with hands in trouser pockets in order to make my ass look bigger.	An actual Salem payphone, just like they used to call Operation TIPS during the witch trials.
This is how you know that the town depends on their tourism.  Fun fact: the local grade school called Witchcraft.	According to this tourguide (who looked for all the world like Steve Buscemi,) tourism is Salem's third biggest industry.	A neat statue of Salem's founder, Jebediah Springfield Roger Conant.
If you find yourself outside this place, don't bother.  It looks cool from the outside, but inside is just a really cheezy presentation with a tape recording and some mannequins.  Not a total wash, though.. I did pick up a Salem souvenir spoon for my mom there.  She collects those because she is insane.	We then went to the Salem Wax Museum of Witches and Seafarers.  It's a cool place, but the waxworks aren't quite Mme Tussaud's quality.	Nathaniel Hawthorne, or 1/8th of Wilford Brimley.
Giles Corey, whose crabbiness got him killed and earned him a place in history.	A warrant goes out on a Corey centuries before Corey Feldman's time.
	He died as he lived - mildly annoyed.	A recreation of the first fetish party.
Tituba, whose name was destined to cause generations of school kids to snicker.	Dweight Schultz prepares to execute Little Debbie.	I think I went to school with these two.
A memorial statue.		The Old Burying Point, reportedly the second oldest graveyard in the country.  I've always enjoyed visiting old graveyards, and this one is quite a place.
There just happened to be some freshly pruned branches around.  Naturally, Netta and I had to grab a few, which earned us some odd looks on the walk back to the car..	I liked that eagle.	At this point I was just photographing signs that made me laugh...
The Friendship of Salem.	It was closed to the public, so I just gawked for a while.
		The beach next to the docks.  I like the fact that I visited the beach while it was still coated by the first snowfall of the season.
	Diane.	First snowman of the season, not too far from the beach.
Whenever I go somewhere new I try to grab the local paper.  Needless to say, I got a kick out of The Salem News.	This guy was outside a military surplus shop.	One thing I love about digicams, is the ability to photograph yourself in the mirror without a flash.
	Playing with the camera in the hotel.	Netta and I have the same shades, so I took the opportunity to produce a real-world photoshop.  No clone brush needed!
A big satellite dish outside the hotel.  I'm such a geek.	A nice little cafe somewhere.  I forget where it is, but I did take home a menu.   I'll scrounge it up and update this later.	We took some detours on the way home.  This was what is known as "America's Stonehenge."
They have alpacas there!!!
		Alpacas are too damn cute!
Netta and Diane are too damn cute!		This hut was at the beginning of a long trail at the site.
My shadow.	Netta rocks!	Hanging out in the caves..
	"Maybe you should just leave that beam where it is."
Reportedly a frightfully old carving of a deer.		This was hanging in a short observation tower.  I dig witty graffiti!
	While my cute and cuddly companions went back into the lodge for something, I hung out with the cute and cuddly alpacas some more.
So this is what happened to that hair after Justin Timberlake got rid of it.		In the parking lot of a McDonald's somewhere, where Diane stopped to use the phone.   Netta and I took the opportunity to goof around the parking lot.
Either the Sun was behind us, or Netta's got one hell of a chakra up there.  Maybe it's both.		We moved on to Salem, New Hampshire to visit Stone's Public House, a reputed "haunted inn."
The place was quiet, but they didn't have anyone available to give us the guided tour.  So, we were allowed to wander about on the second floor unescorted for a bit.	Not a ghostly photo, it's just Netta's reflection.  (Unless, of course, even ghosts are into those LiveStrong bracelets...)	They put some purposely creepy paintings and stuff around for atmosphere, but behind the cheese there's some interesting stuff.
	Yes, web-surfing Stone's employees, I took a photo in your employee closet.  And I'm glad!!!
		Finally, we went downstairs and sat down to an awesome meal.  This fireplace was right next to aour table.
Darker room - camera flash = longer exposure time.	Heh!	John Stone, inn founder.
Foxy ladies + Witchy tourism = a great trip!	From Salem, Massachusetts to Salem, New Hampshire... and Diane, Netta, and I first met and still hang out in a Long Island village called Sayville, which is short for "Salem Village" and was founded by a family of witch trial accusers from Salem, Mass... and stuff.

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