This Family Travels: our amazing trip to the witchy and wonderful Salem

If you're going Stateside this year you have to visit Salem!

Back in 2019 I wrote an article about how Salem was on my bucket list of places to travel with my family and that I planned to visit Salem in 2020. Of course that didn't happen as the pandemic hit only a couple of months later and all international travel plans were put on hold. That was until this year when we finally got to pack our bags and head to Salem, Massachusetts, for a trip we will never forget. Where we stayed We stayed at the historic Hawthorne Hotel right in the heart of Salem. The Hawthorne is one of the oldest hotels in America. We stayed in a family room with two double beds and en suite bathroom. Free tea and coffee in the reception area was included but there was an additional cost for breakfast, but we usually grab breakfast in one of the nearby cafes as there are so many of them in Salem. The Hawthorne is also really close to a park and playground so it's a really good base for parents, particularly those with young children (mine are 4 and 10).   Where we ate We visited a couple of different places in the New England area of America and I have to say Salem had some of the best restaurants. Among those that we ate at was Rockefeller's which despite the name was the most affordable family-friendly restaurant we ate at in the States. Our family meal including mains, dessert and drinks (soft drinks for the kids and a cocktail and Guinness for the adults) came to less than 100 dollars. The area is also well known for it's seafood so if you're a seafood foodie Salem will be right up your alley. What we did We did a lot! For such a small place Salem has a lot to see and do. We of course visited the Witch Museum and memorial to the victims of the Salem Witch Trials and the kids weren't going anywhere until we found the house from Hocus Pocus. Outside of the witchy stuff (which there is loads of) Salem is also home to the Peabody Museum, the longest running museum in the United States. The Peabody not only has a huge variety of art and historical artefacts but it also has fantastical area for kids where they can conduct experiments and create their own works of art. The highlight of our trip It's hard to pick just one highlight as we loved every minute of our time in Salem but if I had to choose I would say the bus tour and Count Orlok's Museum of horror props. The bus tour is fantastic as it brings you all over Salem and not only gives you a deep dive into the history of the witch trials but lots of other historical information about Salem that you probably had no idea about. Given Salem is one of the oldest settlements in the United States, there is a lot of history to learn about. For horror fans Count Orlok's is a must see! You can only take photographs in the reception area and gift shop but the museum itself contains hundreds of horror props from different horror movies and horror TV shows. According to staff more and more props are added every year, but they currently have everything from Michael Myers to The Terminator.