Frightening Things to do in Salem

When you think of Halloween it's hard not to think of Massachusetts spookiest city. Salem is well know for the witch hunts in the 1600s that led to many villagers being murdered or run out of town. All though Salem has been modernized, it still holds a great deal of America's darkest history. Below is a detailed list of some of the top attractions in Salem today.

THE HOUSE OF SEVEN GABLES

Built in 1668, this is the oldest surviving 17th century wooden mansion in New England and one of the most famous houses in America. The House of the Seven Gables inspired author Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his legendary novel of the same name. Visitors can tour the house and other buildings on the campus. Guided tours and group tours are available for a small fee. More info on rates and reservations can be found HERE.  

HAWTHRONE HOTEL

Located  in the heart of historic Salem, Hawthorne Hotel has a rich history which began in 1925 and has welcomed numerous leisure travelers as well as celebrities and ghosts. Over the years, episodes of iconic shows including Bewitched and Ghost Hunters  have all been filmed on this historic property. Room 612 and room 325 are reported to be the most haunted rooms in the hotel. Do you think you have what it takes to spend the night? More info about the Hawthrone hotel can be found HERE.

THE WITCH HOUSE

The Salem witchcraft trials took place between February 1692 and May 1693. During the trials, 19 people were convicted and hanged. Among the judges who convicted the witches was Jonathan Corwin, whose home is today the only structure left with direct ties to the trials. Today the house is a museum focusing on 17th-century living. It's one of the last remaining links to that time in American history. More info about visiting this historic house can be found HERE. 

JOSHUA WARD HOUSE

The most haunted place in Salem is the Joshua Ward House, which housed the man who served as Sheriff during the Salem witch trials. A gruesome death occurred in this house where the Sheriff crushed a man accused of using witchcraft to death, and this man is said to haunt the Joshua Ward House today.

SALEM WAX MUSEUM 

This is the one place is Salem that truly scared me as a child. The wax figures are very disturbing and even more so because they depict true events.  This museum depicts Salem's vivid history from it's founding in 1626 through the terrifying hysteria of 1692. Behind the Wax Museum building is the Old Burial Point, reputed to be the second oldest burial ground in the country and open to museum visitors. Adjacent to the Old Burying Point is the Witch Trials Memorial erected in memory of the victims of the witch hunt of 1692. The memorial is also open to museum visitors. More info about the wax museum can be found HERE

SALEM WITCH DUNGEON MUSEUM

At this museum you are treated to a live reenactment of the Salem Witch Trails. You'll experience the acclaimed performance of the witch trial adapted from the 1692 historical transcripts. After the trail, guest are taken on a tour through the terrifying dungeon. More info can be found HERE 

The Gateway to Hell Has Been Found!!

Check out this article about the "Gateway to Hell"

Gateway to Hell in Turkey

Gate to Hell Found in Turkey By Danny Cox

A "gate to hell" has been discovered by archaeologists in ruins in southwestern Turkey according to Discovery News reported on Monday, Apr. 1, 2013. Known as Pluto's Gate - Ploutonion in Greek, Plutonium in Latin - the cave was often celebrated as a portal to the underworld. That's of course, through Greco-Roman mythology and tradition. 

Historic sources located the "gate to hell" site in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis, which is now known as Pamukkale. The opening of the gate to hell in Turkey was described as filled with lethal mephitic vapors. The Hellenistic city of Hierapolis grew into a flourishing Roman city complete with a theater, temples, and a popular sacred hot springs that was believed to have healing properties.

At a conference on Italian archaeology in Istanbul, Turkey in March, the finding was made by a team led by professor Francesco D'Andria. He is a professort of classic archaeology at the University of Salento.

D'Andria told Discovery News that he and his team are currently working on the digital reconstruction of the site known as the gate to hell in Turkey.

The Gila Cliff Dwellings of New Mexico

If you ever find yourself in the beautiful state of New Mexico, you have to see the Gila Cliff Dwellings.  The Gila Cliff Dwellings take you back in time to 1300 AD. 

Gila Cliff Dwellings

First, let's start off with a quick history lesson about this site. The cliff contains the ruins of several interlocked cave dwellings built by the Mogollon people. The Mogollons lived in these cliff dwellings from 1275AD to about 1300AD.  As you can see, the dwellings provide excellent shelter from mother nature and predators. 

Hikes through the cliff dwellings are not the only thing you can do here. Bird watching, wildlife viewing, fishing, and stargazing are also excellent activities offered here. You can also camp at many of the camp grounds near by but you can not do an over night at the dwellings. 

Photo from Wikipedia. Looking out from the cliff dwellings

The trail to get to the Gila Cliff Dwellings is open everyday (even holidays) from 9 am to 4 pm and everyone must be off the trail by 5 pm. A museum and visitor center is located near by and staff members are always at the dwellings. To visit this breath taking historical site you don't have to break the bank. It costs families only $10 per day and for the lone Adventurer is only cost $3 per day to explore. 

For more info click here

Don't forget to follow along on twitter: @Cheap_Adventure

Travel through Time in Framingham

Old Burying Ground Cemetery in Framingham

It was around mid October when I started getting the travelers itch. I need to get away, go on an adventure, but I was stuck in my hometown of Framingham, Massachusetts. I googled "Hiking trails in Framingham" and I stumbled upon a post about the Old Burying Ground.  I remember going there for my 3rd grade field trip that showcased the long history of Framingham. So one fall afternoon I took my my dog with me to explore the historic grounds of the Old Burying Ground on Main Street.

Upon entering it's gates, you are greeted right away with mysterious looking headstones and primitive looking graves. The town keeps the grounds pretty neat and clean, and the graves seem to be well taken care off.

Weird looking markings on a grave

Take your time and explore every inch of this place because some graves are hidden. Some of the coolest looking and oldest graves are hidden in the right hand corner of the cemetery. The oldest marking I could see were from the late 1600s, but there are older graves that are ineligible. 

Grave of a Revolutionary Soldier

There are several Revolutionary War soldiers buried here as well as veterans from other wars. As you walk in, there is a plaque with the names of the Revolutionary War soldiers. One of my best finds was the grave of Peter Salem. It is located all the way in the back, down a slight hill and it is completely by it self. One of the best things about this place is that you can go home and research the names you found. You'll find out that some of the people buried here played a significant part in American history.

A freed black slave who killed British Marine Major John Pitcairn 

One of the oddest graves I found was near the front right corner and the gravestone described several children dying on the same day. If you look closely at the photo below you will notice that half of it is upside down. I don't know it this a mistake or if it was done on purpose, but it's the most interesting grave in the whole cemetery. 

This is what I could make out from the carvings on the grave: "4 of the children of M' Ezra and Susanna Twitchell. Susanna died Dec 19th 1776 age 8yr. Anna who died Dec 18th 1776 age 6yr. Calvin who died Dec 18th 1776 age 3 years 6 months. Synthya who died Dec 18th 1776 age 1 year 5 months"

Even after I left Old Burying Ground I couldn't stop thinking what killed these kids all on the same day.  Was it a disease? Was it an Indian massacre? It took me a while but I did find out what the cause of death was. All four of these kids died of throat distemper (diphtheria) on the same day. Here is more info on the Twitchell family.

Old Burying Ground Cemetery is located on MAIN STREET in FRAMINGHAM. Please check it out, you will not be disappointed at some of things you will find.