Submission results: What makes Salem special to you?

YOU GUYS. I am floored by the e-mails and responses I got from the call for submissions I put out a few weeks ago. I legit got teary eyed reading some of them because I can fully understand the sentiment. The following are the replies I got. <3

**All personal information has been edited out for privacy of those who shared their stories.**

“On a Halloween night after enjoying the downtown festivities, my husband and I started the long trek back to our car. Walking through the crunchy dead leaves on Chestnut Street, smelling the smoke from fireplaces, seeing the breathtaking mansions many with a carved Jack-o’-lantern on the front stairs made us feel as if we had been transported to another plane. We both agreed that we could easily live in this city. That was 18 years ago, we bought our house and the magic of living year round in Salem has never faded.”

“My cousin and I are only six months apart and we grew up right down the street from each other and spent almost all of our time together. Then we grew up and our times together got fewer and fewer because life gets in the way. In 1995 we went to Salem, first for the Halloween festivities but something took hold of us and we instantly fell in love. We can’t put our finger on it exactly, but it felt like a home away from home. We loved everything about it and the strange thing is – we both felt the exact same way – like the town called us and then welcomed us. We decided on that first trip that we would never stop coming to Salem for Haunted Happenings. It became so much more than an annual trip to us – it is a time for two 50-something year old cousins that used to play together almost everyday – to reconnect. We talk all the way from NJ to Salem and then we talk and laugh the entire weekend. We so look forward to our next trip that we have ‘planning meetings’ throughout the year just to get psyched to go again. Salem has become such a part of our live and is so special to us that we just ‘bought’ a brick at the House of Seven Gables that reads, “Salem Loving Cousins” – so now we are ‘in’ Salem all of the time! Thank you Salem!!”

“Salem has an atmosphere and energy that is so unique. I’ve been down there during almost every season, and it’s such at amazing place to visit. I can go by myself, or with friends and still have an amazing time whether I’m taking my friends on tours, or just walking around the city with my camera. Halloween time has an atmosphere unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’ve been drawn to Salem ever since my dad took me there for vacation when I was about ten years old, and I’m always counting down the days until I’m there again, and I always dread the day when I leave to go home.”

“Some things just come into your life and it’s such a surprise and such a special gift….Salem is one of those gifts for me. This is a story that spans many years. My then boyfriend planned a getaway weekend to Salem because of my love of Halloween. I didn’t know it then but he planned on proposing. My best friend and cousin Debbie heard of the trip and not knowing he was going to propose invited herself and her husband to tag along for the weekend because she too loves Halloween. My then boyfriend called her and told her his plans, so she made up a story about how they would arrive later and drive up themselves and meet us, so as to not spoil my engagement surprise. Debbie and her husband drove from NJ to Salem with a pumpkin on her lap that was carved and filled with ice and champagne to celebrate! Fast forward….Debbie and I had such a great time that first year, we returned for a bachelorette weekend a year later. Now this is were it gets tricky….the marriage did not work out for me sadly…and when October rolled around again the following year my cousin gently approached me and asked about Salem and how I felt about going perhaps again….and I weighed my options thinking about painful memories at this point, etc…but in the end I decided that I would go and see what happens. Salem not only helped me to heal my heart but gave me and Debbie a girls weekend destination that has continued for the past 23 years! So for that I am grateful to my ex husband…as he opened the door to Salem for us so many years ago and since then we have taken my new husband with us and many friends too, but in the end it became about cousins who are closer than sisters who make the time every October to enjoy everything Salem and all it has to offer. Salem is truly our happy place….we have 23 years of memories and so many great stories from everything to a skunk in the Howard St cemetery giving us a fright while visiting our favorite headstone of Capt. Samuel Skerry, to Tom the tour guide being just awesome, to Eric at Gallows Hill welcoming us like we are old friends to all his shows, along with Captain Mike allowing us to live out our pirate dreams by shooting the cannon on the Fame and the Hawthorne Hotel treating us like Queens for the weekend each and every year……we have had more fun times then we can recall now and I could go on an on with so many funny great times and stories we’ve had…. This year for Christmas we gave each other a personalized brick from the House of 7 Gables new walkway, so we could have our own little piece of property in Salem. Life doesn’t always work out how you think, but sometimes out of something bad can come something beautiful and those are the things you need to grab with both hands and hang onto!! It’s not easy having to make arrangements for kids and pets and husband’s to get taken care of while we are away, but it’s all so worth it and the memories we have of spending time together in such a special place that is now our home away from home, one week every year. Some people could say well any city could be plugged into my story but I don’t think many towns could keep us coming back year after year unlike Salem does….both of us have traveled and Debbie has traveled literally the globe and yet each year we find our way back to Salem and each year it’s still exciting and fun. Every single October when the leaves are falling and the chill is in the air…you will find me and my bestie cousin in Salem spending time together for as long as we are able….23 years and counting!!”

“My husband & I took a birthday vacation there back in 2013 & got married there the following year. We got married at the National Park Site immediately in front of The Friendship, had a great photo session at The Willows – both outside & in the arcades & had a small celebration dinner at Tavern on the Square immediately after. In 2015, we welcomed our daughter, named, appropriately, Salem and we make sure to get back as often as possible for long trips or just simple overnights to take in our faves, dominating trivia at Far From the Tree or Flying Saucer, wandering town & visiting Harrisons & Orlocks (when the season allows) & doing fam photos at all of our favorite spots around town! That’s what makes Salem so special to us”

“The energy there!”

“Spending magical weekend with my cousin. Salem always shows us the best time!”

“My two best friends and I were looking for something fun and different cause we are different to go and we started coming to Salem four years ago and been every year. It’s always so much fun great costumes, great events and everyone is so nice and everyone is cool with everyone . You can be yourself and everyone just has fun.”

“This is the place my 16 year old son and I love and go to spend one on one time together!! He loves the Maritime history, I go for the witch history (Sarah Wildes was a family member). We love everything about Salem….the history, the food, the shopping, the people!! Been there twice in 4 months from Nebraska.”

“When you grow up in a great city like Boston you are used to all it offers so it’s pretty special when you discover a place that can rival it. It’s also a place close to Boston where you can “get away”. As a child my family would visit Salem Willows. I grew up and remained in the vicinity. Nathaniel’s was a favorite Easter brunch spot. My children were born in Salem and they love it as much as I do. Although we live south of Boston now we love to visit often enjoying the museums, shopping (Modern Millie’s is a fave) and dining etc. The people are wonderful. It has one of the biggest and best animal shelters & hospital as well as state University. If you are lucky to live here you are most likely within walking distance of the seaside and many amenities including the commuter rail. Salem is our second home. It would be an honor to retire to Salem or for the next generation to plant their roots there. It gets a lot of visitors; I bet a lot of them dream of staying and return often.”