Dead Author #2 and Salem

Yup, Dead Author #2 is Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The House of Seven Gables and the more popular The Scarlet Letter. The house in its original state was influential in Hawthorne's story. His cousin lived there at one point. The coolest part of the tour (which was way overpriced) was the secret staircase!!! And we got to go up it! It was behind a fireplace, in the space the chimney would've gone. That was added because it was in Hawthorne's book. The gardens were beautiful, right along the water. Loverly.

Here's Shirin super excited about the tall ship behind her.

These were yummy chocolates from the oldest candy company ever? in Salem? I forget.


Here's me climbing with the scurvy-ridden pirates.

Yup, it's a "museum" that tells the "real" story of Lizzie Borden. Do you know the rhyme? "Lizzie Borden got an axe, and gave her mother 40 whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41." The gift shop was the best. They had picture post cards of the Victorian-era crime scene, plus gruesome portraits that look normal from one angle and then creepy the next. It was all pretty funny. The Bordens didn't even live in Salem.

Hmm...


Peabody Essex Museum

Here are some of my favorite items in me and Shirin's whirlwind tour of the museum. At one point we had 5 minutes till closing so we resorted to running around the last room we hadn't seen so we'd at least get a glimpse of everything. I loved the room with the ship masts, so cool! And as you can see, I liked cute things with funny faces.

And Shirin would randomly break into dance...just like how I randomly break into song.