Salem, MA

I do not even know where to start with Salem! Really I would have liked more time to explore and see more of the museums, maybe even take in a second ghost tour, but alas time was not on our side. We had about 5 hours in Salem, so we planned a visit to the Salem Witch Museum, shopping, and a ghost tour.

The Salem Witch Museum was surprisingly disappointing. You sit in a large room and watch the story unfold about how the Salem witch trials began and what happened to the poor souls who lost their lives during that time. Then you move into a room with some more stories about witches throughout the last few centuries since the witch trials (late 1600s) and that's it, now go shop. Overall, I would not really recommend this museum and that could contribute to why I wish we had more time in Salem.

Patrick Dougherty - Stickwork

Samantha from Bewitched

We had planned a ghost tour for the evening (of which I highly recommend!), but did not really plan the in-between time, so we wandered the town a bit. There is a lot of shopping to be had, and of course plenty of witch themed souvenirs. Keep in mind that real witches still inhabit the town of Salem, so you can find actual books, and supplies for those that practice Wicca. If you are interested, this is definitely the place to find out!

If you find yourself with some time in Salem or are not sure what to do, make your way toward the cemetery, a bit east of the main town. There you will find the Salem Witch Memorial.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables is in Salem too, so be sure to save time to discover that gem!

Penscola Lighthouse

Penscola was just our entry and exit point for Alabama and the Gulf Shores, but it contains some shopping, some beautiful beaches, and a fantastic lighthouse placed right next to a naval base. There is plenty to do on the base, like a aviation museum and Blue Angel viewings, but we did not have much time before our flight and opted for the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was lit for the first time in 1859. It replaced a less bright lighthouse that was built half a mile away. The US government had recognized the importance of protecting this entry point and had built forts in the area surrounding the lighthouse.

A view of the beach from the top

A view of the grounds around the lighthouse

During the Civil War the lighthouse changed hands between Union and Confederate troops, and even went dark for a few months during transitions.

Blue Angels in the nearby naval base

The lighthouse lens

The bottom third of the lighthouse is painted white to contrast with the trees, while the top two-thirds is black to contrast with the sky. It is officially on the National Registry for Historic Places and many of the out buildings have been restored.

Going down the stairs

Going up the stairs (yep, that's me, Sassafrass, coming down and freaking out!)

Food in and around Gulf Shores Alabama

Thickblackglasses and I knew that going to the Gulf would involve a lot of seafood, and we were looking forward to it! To prepare ourselves we tried some oysters at an upscale restaurant in our hometown. Being far away from the ocean can be make it tricky to find fresh seafood, but this restaurant's oysters were not too bad. It still could not prepare us for the fresh delishousness of oysters (and other seafood) at the Gulf!

Our first oyster experience was at Felix's Fish Camp, near the USS Alabama in Mobile. Since we had tried raw oysters at home we decided baked oysters would give us a new experience. Felix's offers a mixed plate with two of each of their baked oysters: 2 Rockefeller (with spinach), 2 Casino (with bacon and Parmesan), and 2 Felix's (with breadcrumbs, cheese, and garlic). My favorite were definitely the Felix's while Thickblackglasses opted for the Casino, but we enjoyed all of them and would highly recommend getting this plate!

Our second experience with baked oysters was at the Oyster House in Gulf Shores. Although they were not as good at the Felix's Felix oysters, they were still really tasty!

Baked Oysters and gumbo

During this meal we also decided to taste the raw oysters. The waitress made the cocktail sauce tableside which made for an even better experience.

At the Oyster House we also tried fried alligator. It came out in tiny bite-sized pieces and was breaded so it's hard to tell what it really looks like, but, for some, that may be better! They were well fried and crunchy. [We also had fried alligator in Texas (March 2013) a few years back, but failed to write about it.]

Thickblackglasses also went fishing, not deep sea, but out enough that he caught us all some delicious fishes! We brought them home to be grilled and fried. Both ways were delicious and we were lucky enough to package it and ship it home after vacation.

I cannot forget our stop at Matt's Ice Cream. Delicious homemade ice cream was perfect for a hot day in Alabama - I could not resist trying the banana split!

Dauphin Island, Alabama

A visit to Dauphin Island can happen in one of two ways. Firstly, there is a road/bridge connecting the island to the mainland, just south of Mobile, Alabama. The second way to visit is to take the car ferry across from Gulf Shores.

Yahoo! Inc. map, 2017

The 14 mile long island contains a fort and an estuarium, along with housing, shops, restaurants, a light house, a bird sanctuary, plenty of beaches, and more. We were staying in Gulf Shores, on the map above you can see the edge of the land and Fort Morgan, so we drove the round-a-bout way to the tip of land and caught the car ferry. Along for the ride was my niece and her friend, none of us had been on a car ferry before so that is where the excitement began!

Ferry boarding rules: Load left to right; Lanes one thru four; Approximate load is 28 vehicles.

While waiting for the ferry to arrive we watched lightning storm come across the bay. It was beautiful but we were told that if the storm was too fierce the ferry might be delayed. Lucky for us, it was not! The 30 minute ride across the opening of Mobile Bay was mostly filled with sites of oil and natural gas rigs, but it was still nice to be on the water.

Upon landing on the island we disembarked and headed toward the estuarium. Here is the definition as estuary from the National Ocean Service website:
"Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are bodies of water usually found where rivers meet the sea. Estuaries are home to unique plant and animal communities that have adapted to brackish water—a mixture of fresh water draining from the land and salty seawater"

Petting the sting rays

We were able to pet sting rays and horseshoe crabs along with learning more about the types of animals living in and around the estuary near Dauphin Island. My niece and her friend loved it (and they are teenagers!).

Turtles at the estuarium

 Afterwards, we took the half-block jaunt up the road to Fort Gaines.One of two forts built to protect Mobile Bay, construction began in 1819, but was not finished until 1853 and was used during the Civil War.

Central yard of the fort.

In August 1864, after a fierce battle, the men of the fort surrendered to the Union. The fort stayed under Union control for the remainder of the war. Although the fort never came under fire again, it did play an important role through the Spanish American War through World War II.

Canon looking out towards Mobile Bay

Standing atop the fort wall facing north

USS Alabama - Mobile, AL

The USS Alabama was a staunch battleship used during World War II. It is now moored new Mobile, Alabama and offers tours throughout it's structure.

Upon our visit to Alabama a visit to this battleship became the first thing on my agenda. Many years ago I (Sassafrass) visited Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri had just opened to the public, so I did not get to much of the ship. The opportunity to board and explore this ship was an incredible experience. I can still smell the oils and metals in my nose.

The tour offers three pathways to choose from and we managed to get through all three in about a three hour time frame. Mind you, we like to take our time and read everything and explore every nook and cranny. The pamphlet suggested that it would take half and hour for each path.

At the forefront, the Alabama contains nine 16"/45 caliber guns. 120 other guns help protect her during battle.

This ship and others like her were built to be cities on the ocean. They contain laundry rooms, barbershops, blacksmith shops, kitchens and cafeterias (or "mess halls" to use the military term), sleeping quarters, dark rooms for developing photos, and much more.

Barbershop

Many times the captain had two sleeping quarters, one was used during official visits by heads of state or other VIPs, while the second was used more frequently during tours and in battle. The official quarters are adjacent to a were decorated receiving room/dining area. While the "battle" quarters are located behind the command deck so the captain could be summoned and on-hand as needed.

There are 4 engine rooms on the ship and the tour gives access to one for exploring. The boilers and turbines are not running, but you can imagine how loud it may have been to work around the engines.

This is a highly recommended tour to take when visiting Mobile or Gulf Shores (a 1-hr drive). The Battleship Memorial Park also contains an airplane hanger and a decommissioned submarine open for tours too. This adventure could easily turn into a full-day experience!

Rain rain go away! - LA Adventures

For day 2, hubby and I jumped on the red line with Starline tours. It starts near Grauman's Chinese Theater, so we walked around just enough to remind ourselves what is there. Hand prints pressed into cement surrounded by the Walk of Fame. This is a very touristy area so we expected a lot of people, you just have to be patient when taking pictures of your favorite star's star or cement dedication slab.

I snagged these two shots from my hubby's Snapchat. Grauman's Chinese Theater.

After wandering a bit we jumped on the bus. The red line takes about 2 hours, so we just stayed on to see the sights and get some insight into the city. It sprinkled on us a bit throughout the day, but we managed to stay on the top, outside of the bus to get the best views. Although we did not take a lot of pictures, we learned about some of the history of the city along with the spots where celebrities can be spotted.

A very rainy/cloudy pic of the Hollywood sign.

A quick drive by the Viper Room, the location of River Phoenix's death, and the liquor store where Guns 'n' Roses used to buy cheap wine were highlights of the tour.

At the end of the tour we grabbed a quick bite to eat at Mel's Drive In. The San Francisco based chain is famous for being featured in the film "American Graffiti" (which was filmed in SF).

Due to lack of planning we did not realize that Griffith Observatory is closed on Mondays and that was supposed to be our next stop. Instead we wandered up the highway towards The Great Wall of Los Angeles. The inspiring mural spans 6 blocks (around 2,700 ft/823 meters) and was sparked by artist Judy Baca in the 1970s. The mural tells the history of California starting with the native people and focusing on the struggles of the minorities throughout the years. This is a bit out of the way but I highly recommend making the drive!

These represent only a small glimpse at the mural. It's huge!

Santa Monica CA - It A-piers to be Raining!

I am out in California for a conference and convinced my hubby to tag along. It does not start until Tuesday (well, technically Wednesday, but my co-workers arrive Tuesday afternoon), so we have had a few days to explore LA and the surrounding area. It is unusually rainy right now. Our flight into Long Beach was slightly delayed due to flooding and huge storm that had started the evening before.

One of my staple moves when traveling is taking the double decker bus tours. Here in LA we chose Starline as they have 5 or 6 different buses throughout the area. [Buy tickets online to save $$$] You can take the green buses along the coast, get on the yellow line through Beverly Hills, or take the red line through Hollywood (just to name our top 3).

Sailboat at Fishman's Village

Sunday was our first full day and since we have a week to explore we got off to a slow start in the morning. We reached the green line around 11 am and were taken 1 stop to Fisherman's Village before the driver was on his break. We walked around a bit just to see the water until the next driver was ready to leave. It is a cute little stop if you have the time to check it out.

Pelicans looking for food around Fisherman's Village

View of the ocean off the pier.

We rode the green line up to Santa Monica Pier and took a look around. There are a lot of street performers that want you to pay for their entertainment and selfie opportunities. Some of them live off their income so do not be shy to hand over some cash, especially if they really are entertaining.

View of the ocean off the pier.

Walk all the way down the pier and gaze into the ocean, watching people play on the beach or swim in the waves. Stop along your walk to grab a bit to eat or peruse the shops and carts along the way. Do not miss a picture with the "End of the Trail" sign for Route 66.

About quarter mile (485 meters) up Colorado Avenue is the 3rd Street Promenade full of shops and eateries (and more street performers). It runs several blocks, up to Wilshire, so hubby and I took our time checking it out.

The remainder of our day was spent riding the yellow line through Beverly Hills. You can get a glimpse of the famous Beverly Hills shield which, according to Starline, you can only see in 5 places. Pictures you take of the shield can only be used for personal use as the city charges for commercial use. The yellow line also passess the famous Rodeo Drive, hubby and I talked about its prominence in the show "Entourage."

Our evening ended at the Killer Shrimp restaurant which makes their own shrimp broth bowl which is absolutely delicious!

Killer Shrimp served with french bread

I also blogged about Santa Monica and 3rd Street Promenade here.

Rome, Italy - Day 2 - An evening of Fountains

After a hot day of walking through the Coliseum and the Forum we decided it was time for a beer and a snack. The last major site on our list was the Trevi Fountain, so we started walking toward that area of town and happened across a pub. Snacks and beers all around!

In the cool of evening we were able to visit the Fountain, but everyone else had the same idea. It was packed! There were tourists clambering up and down the steps right in front of the fountain, and vendors selling wares all across the square. The cacophony of sound was almost overwhelming, but exciting too. We managed to steal a seat just to the right of the Fountain to sit and take in the elaborate design.

The Fountain was completed in 1762 and is made from Travertine stone (from Tivoli about 22 miles east of Rome). A restoration in 2015 led to additional lighting to improve nighttime illumination.

The Fountain appeared in the movies La Dolce Vita and Three Coins in the Fountain. The latter describing it to be good luck to throw a coin in the fountain by using your right arm and tossing it over your left shoulder. Of course we had to do this - for good luck and a return to Rome, right?!?!

To get away from the crowds we wandered down some side streets and came across the Pantheon. The square was busy but not as crowded at the one by the Trevi Fountain. Although the Pantheon did not make it on our "must see" list it was a pleasant surprise to be confronted by it late at night.
Completed in A.D. 125 it has stood the test of time.

A terrible pic, but apparently the only one I took at the Pantheon.

While sitting in the square and people watching we ate one of many scoops of gelato - a must have in Italy. I am sure that frequent travelers can tell you where to get the best gelato, but we just ate it every chance we got. If you're unsure, just check to see what type of ingredients are used to make it - artificial colors or flavors are a big no-no - look for fresh ingredients. TripAdvisor has good recommendations for further review.