Leah McCann Smith | Writer & Editor

Day one down, day two to go. Today’s agenda: Salem, MA, and Rockport, MA.

Salem, Massachusetts, was at the top of my list for things to do in/around Boston. And that’s exactly what was in store for day two of our trip, thanks to the convenience of a rental car and an almost-full tank of gas. The drive was about an hour from our hotel in South Boston. When the buildings started to resemble old cottages—a historic-looking fire station showed its age from the view of our rental—we knew were were nearing the quirky town. I’m extremely fascinated by witchcraft; I always have been. My mom kept voodoo dolls and spell books in our bookcase, so in some past life, perhaps we were connected to it all. I was looking forward to what this place was going to be.

Salem, despite my expectations, was more small-town American tourist destination than it was living history book of the Salem Witch Trials of the late 1600s. But my party didn’t turn its back on the kitsch—we embraced it. A $25 admission fee per person got us into a reenactment of Bridget Bishop’s pretrial at the Salem Old Town Hall—an intimate five-member performance that brought us, the viewers, into the actual courtroom as “jurors” of Bridget’s case.

Two National Parks passport stamps later, we were on our way.

And it was the unexpected journey after Salem that made me feel the magic of Boston—a drive north up the Essex County coast, through charming towns such as Manchester-by-the-Sea, Gloucester, and, finally, Rockport—one of the most beautiful, charming New England towns I ever did see.

Rockport’s charming small-town feel made it idyllic in every sense. It was a town of sail boats, fudgeries, beautiful rocky beaches, and kind people who welcomed us during our single round at the bar for an order of brews (rose for me) and our short stay in this beautiful oasis free from the troubles of the world.

Though the stay was short in Rockport, I do know this: I’ll be back to this place one day.

Next up, the real Boston “experience”: the Freedom Trail.