The Ultimate Travel Destination For This Spooky Season: Salem, Massachusetts

Hello my Travel Girl Gang! An important thing to know about me, Ava Daly, blog curator for The Chatty Coconut, is that I am in my best mood during the month of October🕸 🎃💀 🧟‍♀️

(Seriously, just avoid me from January-September and then again from November-December😉)

I love everything about it! The foliage (well, the pictures of foliage being that I live in FL), the candles and scents, the cozy comfort food, the excuse for provocatively creative costumery, and especially the travel opportunities.

And because Halloweentown isn't a real place, Salem, Massachusetts is your next best bet! Not only does it's enchanting charm make you want to cast a love spell on that mediocre guy you're talking to, but is also steeped in a rich, feminist history that goes all the way back to the 17th century. 

You know how everyone has that one specific childhood hyper-fixation on a moment from history? Well mine was of course the Salem Witch Trials. I blame having a feminist father and a younger sister! My love for strong and powerful women courses through my veins.

That is why during my gap year, my cousin Missy, my great aunt Shirley, my grandma Mary (or Gammy as we call her), and I had to head straight for witch city! And alas, it still remains one of the greatest trips of my entire life. So my free coconut crew, lemme take you on a journey to a time before us and show you why Salem, Massachusetts is the ultimate travel destination for you this spooky season🧙‍♀️🧹🔮🐈‍⬛✨🧪

My favorite part of the entire weekend was most certainly my experience at the Salem Witch Museum

It's haunting, beautiful, and certainly doesn't sugar coat the shocking events that occurred during the year of 1692. The museum experience is set up in three installments:

1. An immersive presentation featuring life-sized stage sets, working animatronics, and a guided tour with narration bringing the events of the witch trials to life. Honestly, I consider it a full on performance that tingles all of the senses and triggers all sorts of emotions. Truly unexplainable and something that I believe everyone should experience it first-hand!
2. The second presentation is entitled "Witches: Evolving perceptions" which explores the history of the word "witch" and how the perception of witches has changed over time, from the European witch trials through modern-day pop culture references (The Wizard of Oz, Hocus Pocus). By the end, you learn that real witches still live among us and their practices are connected to healing through nature rather than bringing harm and terror.
3. And of course, those genius employees guide you to your third and final stop: the gift shop! And honestly, by the end I was absolutely hooked and wanted to buy every single piece of witch memorabilia I could get my hands on.

Going through this experience had me contemplating about how far we've come, and how we can't allow history to repeat itself when it comes to the prejudice and execution of innocent people, especially women.

Free Coconut's mission has always been about uplifting, empowering, and celebrating women-- in ever form, on every journey. Back then, strong, outspoken women were punished for their spirit and beliefs. Today, we get to honor those who came before us by embracing our own versions of magic-- business owners, mothers, CEO's, writers, dreamers, creatives, and everything else under the sun. 

The Salem Witch Museum shows us that traveling isn't just about seeing places-- it's about connecting with stories.

After learning about some of the most notable women (and men) that were executed during the trails, visited the Salem memorial and graveyard were completely surreal. I saw the names etched into stone- Bridget Bishop, Sarah Good, and Giles Corey to name a few. I felt the weight of their stories, and it was striking to see how all visitors alike do as well--some leaving flowers, coins, small pumpkins, and flowers as tokens of remembrance. 

There is something so bittersweet and beautiful about Salem's unity in the way locals and tourists alike celebrate both the living and the lost. It feels less like a tourist town and more like a living love letter to resilience and womanhood.

Now on a lighter note, let's talk about the Salem cuisine that leaves you feeling anything but light.

Any and all seafood is my kryptonite (Gentleman, use that hint wisely. If you buy me seafood, I will marry you💍).

And the East Coast just does it better! It's fresh, flaky, buttery, and melt in your mouth delicious. That weekend, I consumed the most golden brown fish n' chips loaded with tartar sauce, ketchup, and of course all the malt vinegar.

However, the star of the show had to be my favorite food of all time: A lobster roll. Bonus points if it's Connecticut style! Buttery, sweet, and let's the meaty lobster do the talking.

There's something about New England seafood that feels like comfort and luxury in one bite--a total must for your Free Coconut vacation bucket list. If you're planning a trip to the East Coast "lobster roll" should be added to your personal vacation ready checklist.

Never before have I experienced a town that does decoration dedication better than Salem, MA! Everywhere you look, there's a pumpkin on display, a witchy window, or in this case a giant skeleton posing against a brick building.

The characters and decorations show how much the community cares about upholding tradition-- and the unity that comes from that is honestly lovely and surreal to witness.

Salem deserves all of the creativity points and more‼

P.S. Do you think there was some chemistry between Michael Meyers and I?

Ladies hear me when I say: if you ever get the chance to visit Salem in October-- take it. 

Whether you're there for the spooky secrets or lobster roll lunches, you'll enjoy a town that balances its haunting past with a bright, promising, and inclusive present. Experience an autumnal oasis where tradition, humor, and healing collide--and it's everything Free Coconut is all about: living young, wild, and free.

So as always ladies, I say Happy Traveling!

XO,

Ava (your resident writer and witch)🧙‍♀️