Friday, July 8th - lay day in Salem, Massachusetts

[caption id="attachment_698" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The House of the Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts"][/caption]

It has been rainy and foggy most of the day in Salem.  In the afternoon, we take advantage of a brief break in the weather to make our weekly mecca to the laundromat.  We visit the Turner-Ingersoll mansion that served as the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1851 novel, The House of the Seven Gables. 

Salem has much to offer its residents and visitors.  The town is steeped in history.  Historic buildings, an attractive waterfront, the splendid town green known as Salem Common and an abundance of restaurants combine to attract considerable tourism.  A commuter rail station and a fast ferry make the City accessible to Boston.  In fact, we chose Salem as a stopover, in part because we wanted to spend a day in Boston without negotiating Boston harbor.  Weather permitting, we will make the trip to Boston in the morning.  But this evening, the fog and drizzle have reduced visibility in the harbor to a few hundred feet.

[caption id="attachment_699" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Derby Wharf in Salem's historic waterfront district"][/caption]