In My Footsteps: Trip 52: Nahant, Mass.

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In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 52: Nahant, Mass.

May 20, 2010

            Most of the places I have visited I have been excited to see, some more than others.  Then there are places that make a trip by being even better than expected.  Still, there have been very few places that I have been very excited to see and then have been even better than expected.  Nahant is one of the few places that hit it on both counts.  It is a true one in a million place to visit.  I have been telling all I know about my love affair with this place since I visited, now it is time to bring you folks in as well.

            Barely more than a mile wide at its greatest, and connected to the mainland by a strip of land a little wider than a two-lane road, Nahant packs a lot of beautiful sites into a very small area.  The name ‘Nahant’ comes from the Native American word meaning ‘the point,’ or ‘almost an island.’  Settled in 1630 and originally used by people from neighboring Lynn to graze cattle Nahant only had three homes on its 1.2 square miles as late as 1800.  Now mainly a residential area Nahant began mostly as a summer retreat.  The first hotel was built here in 1802 and some of the first amusement parks were built here during the late 19^th century.  Being a residential community now I believe is what helps make Nahant a one in a million place.

            The first spot I wanted to see was actually the furthest point away from the entrance to Nahant.  Swallow Cave(above, top), located at the end of the road of the same name, is a bit out of the way but its story was what captured my imagination.  The cave itself is said to be haunted by a fortune teller from Salem named Witch Wonderful.  Legend has it that during King Philip’s War in 1675 forty Native Americans canoed from Cape Cod and raided Lynn.  The settlers fought back and pushed the Natives out to Nahant where they eventually lost them. 

The settlers consulted Witch Wonderful and she informed them that these Natives were hiding out in the area now known as Swallow Cave.  She also helped convince the Natives to surrender without bloodshed.  The haunting comes from the fact that Witch Wonderful predicted her own death no more than two weeks later.  She was buried atop a hill overlooking the cave and her ghost is said to be seen walking the rocks and the shore.

I did not see any signs of ghosts when I visited the cave area but it was an incredible sight.  A hard climb, the view from on top of the cave is tremendous as you can see across Broad Sound to the Boston skyline(above, bottom).  This is where I got my looks down into the cave where the tide was filling it with water.  I definitely suggest checking the tides before attempting to enter the narrow cave opening as even a little water makes the rocks slippery and dangerous.

Nearly every spot in Nahant has a view of the ocean so finding a beach or park with access to the water is not hard.  However, there are a few spots that stood out above the rest.  East Point(right) located on Nahant Road is a perfect example of this as this park used to be a coastal artillery site during World War II.  The rocks jutting out on the left and right make you feel like you’re in a bowl with the classic North Shore waves funneling their way inside.  There are a few benches and a small parking area that allow you to sit and enjoy the sights, sounds, and even smells of the shore.  This spot is also right next to the Marine Science Center of Northeastern University.

On the other side of Nahant, not very far, sits Nahant Harbor(left) and Dorothy Cove.  Despite the small size of the town I found it amusing that there is still a golf course located there.  Kelly Green Golf Course is small but still just the fact that Nahant has one at all is pretty neat.  There is a parking lot for the golf course that can be used for Nahant Harbor and Dorothy Cove.  I stood up on the retaining wall and enjoyed the sound of the waves pulling the loose rocks toward the ocean, it reminded me of the sound of marbles being juggled about in one’s hand.  It was a very soothing sound and a soothing place.

On the way out of Nahant there are a few more great places to stop and see.  First is the even smaller neighborhood known as Little Nahant.  It is no more than a few roads sticking out to the east of Nahant Road but it is slightly elevated above the surrounding areas which gives some great views of the northern section of Nahant as well as Egg Rock located off shore.

Finally there is Nahant Beach(right) which runs along Nahant Road as you enter, or exit, the town.  It runs northeast into Lynn Shore which was covered in my Lynn article.  The beach has a great view of Lynn and Nahant Bay while the nearly mile long parking lot means there is almost always a spot open.  As if to put an exclamation point on the trip there is even a Dunkin’ Donuts Café located in the parking lot of Nahant Beach.   

What was more impressive than the specific sights to see in Nahant was the overall vibe that this tiny landmass has.  It was this vibe that left the biggest impact on me.  Although connected by a narrow strip of land driving out to Nahant is as close as you can get to driving to and island.  Once you pass the ‘Welcome to Nahant’ sign it is like being in a different world.  Every street, every beach, every park is worth seeing, and with only 1.2 square miles of land you can see it all.  I put Nahant one an entirely different level of places to see, there is no reason not to visit this town.  If you don’t go anywhere else I have been do yourself a favor and take in Nahant, you will not be disappointed.  Have fun and happy traveling!

To view a short video of my time in Nahant click here: In My Footsteps: Nahant, Mass.  

My first book, In My Footsteps: A Cape Cod Travel Guide, is now available from Schiffer Books!

Directions:  Nahant: From Rt. 3 north take Exit 20B to merge onto I-93 north.  Take Exit 20 toward Logan Airport.  Merge onto I-90 east, continue onto Rt. 1A north, at rotary take 2^nd exit to remain on Rt. 1A north.  Continue onto Lynnway, at rotary take 1^st exit onto Nahant Rd.  From here Nahant Beach is on left, Swallow Cave is on Swallow Cave Rd., East Point is at the end of Nahant Road, Nahant Harbor is along Willow Rd.

References:  Strange New England - Swallow Cave

            Nahant.org - Official Site

            Lynn Shore & Nahant Beach Reservation

In My Footsteps: Trip 30: Salem, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 30: Salem, Mass.

March 6, 2010

            Much like with my visit to Plymouth, Salem, Massachusetts seems to overflow with history.  Just about every street, every house, every building in general has an amazing story.  Certainly the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the name ‘Salem’ is the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692.  The ‘Trials,’ in which twenty-six people were found guilty of witchcraft, have left their mark all across this historic town.  Not confined to the Halloween season, witches adorn the police cars that pass by.  It gives Salem an aura unlike most places in the United States. 

            The Witch House, also known as the Jonathan Corwin House, located on Essex Street, is the only building still standing with a connection to the Witch Trials.  For a deeper look into the history of that era there is the Salem Witch Museum and the Witch Dungeon Museum.

            However there are many other sites to see in this town that do not have any connection to the Witch Trials.  A perfect place to start is at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.  With twelve historic structures on nine acres of waterfront land this was the first American National Historic Site.  As soon as you step foot on the grounds you are face to face with a replica of the Friendship of Salem(left).  The original ship was built in 1797 and captured as a war prize by the British during the War of 1812.  The Friendship of Salem was an East Indiaman ship, meaning that it was chartered to the historic East Indian Company founded by Britain which dealt in trade with the Asia and India.  The ship is open for tours year round, weather permitting, and is a very faithful replica of the original.

            Derby Wharf, Salem’s longest at a half mile, stretches out into Salem Harbor and houses a tremendous view of the Maritime Historic Site as a whole.  Sitting at the end of the wharf is Derby Wharf Light, a brick square lighthouse built in 1871.  Standing only fourteen feet tall, Derby Wharf Light was built due to belief that another lighthouse, in addition to the two that already stood, were needed to complete the lighting of Salem Harbor.  Not open to the public, this lighthouse is solar powered and is still used to this day for private navigation.

            Close by on Derby Street sits The House of the Seven Gables(left), one of the places with a connection to literary legend and Salem resident Nathanial Hawthorne.  Seven Gables is a 17^th Century mansion, now a museum open to the public for a fee.  The seven ‘gables’ refers to the triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof.  In addition to The House of the Seven Gables being a Hawthorne novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne’s most famous work, was set in 17^th Century Purtian Boston.  Hawthorne’s birthplace(below) itself is also a historic landmark located on the ground of the House of the Seven Gables museum. 

As the story goes, Nathaniel Hawthorne was born ‘Hathorne.’  He added the ‘w’ to his last name during his twenties when he discovered that his great-great grandfather was a judge that had presided over the Salem Witch Trials.  Even with a legendary author like Nathaniel Hawthorne it all comes back to the Witch Trials.  All around The House of the Seven Gables are historic homes, it seems like every house you pass has a plaque on it dating the buildings up to 300 years old.  Salem’s Heritage Trail, a painted red line that leads through the towns’ roads, begins at Remember Salem Gifts and ends at Derby Wharf.  It is a great trip through history and some great exercise on a sunny day. 

            A spot visible from Derby Wharf that is another historic area is Winter Island.  Sitting on forty-five acres, Winter Island has two attractions that must be seen.  The first one is Fort Pickering which was originally built in 1644.  Manned during the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War, Fort Pickering’s remains are still visible in the hills along the shore.  Fort Pickering Light(left) was built in 1871, the same as Derby Wharf Light and Beverly’s Hospital Point Light.  Nearly destroyed by the Blizzard of ’78, this lighthouse was brought back from the brink by a group of concerned citizens in the early 1980’s.  It is a beautiful site along Salem Harbor, you can risk walking the rocks to stand along side the light as I did, but it is probably easier to sit on one of the benches on the nearby hill and have a more comfortable viewing experience.

            On the opposite coast, facing Beverly Harbor, sits the Salem Willows Amusement Park.  Part of an oceanside neighborhood, the thirty-five acre Salem Willows became a public park in 1858 and also became a popular summer retreat for folks living in Boston.  It is home to a remarkable hand-carved carousel originally created in 1866.  There is a tradition of great summer jazz concerts at the Willows and in the past jazz legends like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong played here.  The first ice cream cones were introduced to Americans on this site in 1906.  As great as the amusement park is, Salem Willows also has some beautiful views of Beverly Harbor and is great for walking or picnicking as well.

            There is almost no way to see all that Salem has to offer in one trip.  I know myself that a second trip is needed for me to fully appreciate this epicenter of so much history.  I loved all I did see and am looking forward to visiting each and every historic spot in the future.  I believe that all Americans, not just locals, should visit Salem at least once it is a gold mine as far as historical and cultural significance.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: Salem Maritime National Historic Site:  From Rt. 128 heading north take Exit 25A.  Turn right onto Rt. 114, follow Rt. 114 until bearing slightly right onto Rt. 107.  Turn right to stay on Rt. 107/Bridge Street, take the 2^nd right onto Williams Street.  Turn right onto Rt. 1-A, left at Derby Street.  The Maritime Historic Site is on the right as well as Derby Wharf Light and The Friendship of Salem.

The House of the Seven Gables: From Rt. 128 heading north take Exit 25A.  Turn right onto Rt. 114, follow Rt. 114 until bearing slightly right onto Rt. 107.  Turn right to stay on Rt. 107/Bridge Street, take the 2^nd right onto Williams Street.  Turn right onto Rt. 1-A, left at Derby Street.  Follow Derby Street, parking area for Seven Gables is in between Hardy St. and Turner St.

Winter Island/Fort Pickering:  From Rt. 128 heading north take Exit 25A.  Turn right onto Rt. 114, follow Rt. 114 until bearing slightly right onto Rt. 107.  Turn right to stay on Rt. 107/Bridge Street, take the 2^nd right onto Williams Street.  Turn right onto Rt. 1-A, left at Derby Street.  Continue onto Fort Ave.  Turn right at Winter Island Rd.

Salem Willows Amusement Park:  From Rt. 128 heading north take Exit 25A.  Turn right onto Rt. 114, follow Rt. 114 until bearing slightly right onto Rt. 107.  Turn right to stay on Rt. 107/Bridge Street, take the 2^nd right onto Williams Street.  Turn right onto Rt. 1-A, left at Derby Street.  Continue onto Fort Ave, follow it to the end, Salem Willows is on the left.    

References: The House of the Seven Gables

            Salem Willows Amusement Park

            Salem Witch Trials.com

            Salem.org