Salem 2

We are back from Salem after several hours of driving in the rain. We had beautiful weather while we were there, and we left just in time.

We made it to the Putnam House in Danvers on Monday after a stop at the Danvers Historical Society. They are repairing the house, and the lone man working on it was kind enough to explain to us the process of restoring it. Next door to the house is a candy/ice cream shop called Putnam Pantry. It's owned by Galo Putnam, who is a descendant of Thomas Putnam, Israel's grandfather.

We then toured The House of the Seven Gables, which was built in 1668 and built upon and rebuilt several times. Nathaniel Hawthorne, who lived in Salem, never lived in the home but just used it for the setting of his book. He never actually saw the house when it had seven gables.

Salem is rich in maritime history. It was a major harbor until the 1820s when ships grew in size and could no longer reach Salem's more shallow waters, prefering the deep waters of Boston and New York harbors. This morning we took a tour of The Friendship, a boat replica of one that was built in 1797, that is docked at Derby Wharf. We also toured The Custom House, where Hawthorne worked.

It was truly a wonderful trip, and we'd love to go back again. You can see our photos from the trip by clicking here or in the slideshow below, which is on autoplay.