| By now, I think all the world knows that when it comes | | | | Salem features about a dozen inns and |
| to Halloween, Salem, Massachusetts is the center of | | | | bed-and-breakfasts. They're your next best bet to tie |
| the universe. With Halloween's popularity growing | | | | down a room within the city. From here, we need to |
| every year to the point where it's now the second | | | | expand outward. Salem is the county seat of Essex |
| most popular holiday after Christmas, more and more | | | | County. As the hub, it's surrounded by the cities and |
| serious Halloween fans are traveling to the Witch City | | | | towns of Danvers, Peabody, Lynn, Swampscott, |
| during the month of October. The supernatural events | | | | Beverly and Marblehead (with the Atlantic Ocean |
| and attractions, the harbor, waterfront and the historic | | | | accounting for the remaining side). There are motels to |
| witchcraft sites of this unique New England city are | | | | be found in all of these spots and although you'd need |
| filled with an influx of visitors from all over the USA | | | | to drive to Salem or take a taxi or some form of |
| and beyond, all wanting to indulge their love of | | | | public transportation where it's available, it's not a long |
| Halloween with fellow kindred spirits. | | | | trip as each city or town is right across the Salem city |
| So, what else does this group of revelers all have in | | | | line. |
| common? Well, if they've traveled a considerable | | | | Then there's one other tactic to take when all else fails |
| distance to be here, they'll need a roof over their | | | | (and you've really waited far too long to find a room). |
| heads before, during and after the big event, and that | | | | You can stay in Boston. The capital city of |
| can be quite a challenge. I've seen "hotel panic" set in | | | | Massachusetts is only about 17 miles south of Salem |
| when first-time visitors realize that thousands of | | | | and has thousands of hotel rooms. You can arrive in |
| people are coming to Salem for that last weekend in | | | | Boston by car, train or plane and you can then easily |
| October and they're all in need of rooms. So, believing | | | | take a pleasant trip to and from Salem by way of the |
| that forewarned is forearmed, I'm going to try to give | | | | commuter railroad or by bus. The train trip only takes |
| you an idea of what to expect in terms of lodging in | | | | about a half-hour and will deliver you within walking |
| Salem during the big event. | | | | distance to Salem's downtown area, very close to the |
| First, if you're a first-time visitor planning to come to | | | | action. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation |
| Salem for Halloween and need a hotel room, it's | | | | Authority knows there are big doings in Salem on |
| probably already too late. Serious Halloween devotees | | | | Halloween and schedules additional trains for the event. |
| who make the pilgrimage every year have very likely | | | | You might not actually be staying in town, but the silver |
| scooped up all the rooms in Salem's two major hotels: | | | | lining is you won't need to deal with traffic jams or |
| the Hawthorne and the Salem Waterfront. And | | | | parking in Salem on October 31st. |
| knowing the score, they probably booked for this year | | | | So there you have it. Where there's a will - or a spell - |
| shortly after they left town last year on November 1 | | | | there's a way to find a place to stay and enjoy the |
| (the saddest day of the year for Halloween lovers). So | | | | bewitching season in Salem - wherever you end up |
| now that you know what you're up against, all is not | | | | parking your broom! |
| necessarily lost. In addition to the two main hotels, | | | | |