Edna St Vincent Millay

Poet Edna St.Vincent Millay was born in Rockland, Maine, in 1892. She died at age 58 in Austerlitz, New York. By birth, a New Englander, by reputation, a New Yorker.

Searching my heart for its true sorrow,
This is the thing I find to be:
That I am weary of words and people,
Sick of the city, wanting the sea;

Wanting the sticky, salty sweetness
Of the strong wind and shattered spray;
Wanting the loud sound and the soft sound
Of the big surf that breaks all day.

Always before about my dooryard,
Marking the reach of the winter sea,
Rooted in sand and dragging drift-wood,
Straggled the purple wild sweet-pea;

Always I climbed the wave at morning,
Shook the sand from my shoes at night,
That now am caught beneath great buildings,
Stricken with noise, confused with light.

If I could hear the green piles groaning
Under the windy wooden piers,
See once again the bobbing barrels,
And the black sticks that fence the weirs,

If I could see the weedy mussels
Crusting the wrecked and rotting hulls,
Hear once again the hungry crying
Overhead, of the wheeling gulls,

Feel once again the shanty straining
Under the turning of the tide,
Fear once again the rising freshet,
Dread the bell in the fog outside,-

I should be happy,-that was happy
All day long on the coast of Maine!
I have a need to hold and handle
Shells and anchors and ships again!

I should be happy, that am happy
Never at all since I came here.
I am too long away from water.
I have a need of water near.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Millay_magn.jpg
Edna St. Vincent Millay at Vassar College in 1914,
photographed by Arnold Genthe.

Salem, Massachusetts BOO!

Halloween - Salem, Massachusetts

Guest Author: George L. Stewart

Lodging rates subject to change.

In celebration of the upcoming season, I've decided to dedicate this site to the best places to experience the magic of Halloween and there's no better place to start than Salem, Massachusetts.

Let's get the major drawback out of the way first. Salem is one of - if not the - prime locations to celebrate Halloween, so expect anything within the city limits to be booked solid well in advance of October. That being said, this guide would be all but useless if I didn't include a few interesting places to stay.

First on my list would have to be The Inn on Washington Square. The room rates range from $100 (The Common Room) to $225 (The Honeymoon Suite) and there's a two night minimum on all weekend and Haunted Happernings stays, which makes it one of the more expensive Bed and Breakfasts I've looked into. However, not only has it recieved great reviews, its genuinely haunted and is an ideal spot for the vacationing ghost hunter. For more details, see The Inn on Washington Square.

For those interested in a little less kitsch, The Salem Inn  - comprised of three historic homes and "centrally located in the heart of historic Salem" - may very well be the place for you. Prices range from $190 (Captain West House) to $350 (Peabody House).

Again, since its a little late in the season, your best option would be staying in nearby Danvers, MA at Extended Stay America Boston - Danvers (5.21 miles from Washington Square). Their average daily rate is $91. Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials. The house of one of the convicted "witches," Rebecca Nurse, is still standing in Danvers and can be visited as a historical landmark.

Throughout October you can take part in "America's most exciting Halloween Festival", Salem Haunted Happenings. In its 30th year, Haunted Happenings kicks off October 1st with the Salem Chamber of Commerce Grand Parade and ends October 31st with  The Reality Bites Costume Ball at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Also throughout October is the Festival of the Dead, "an annual event series that explores death’s macabre customs, heretical histories, and strange rituals". Highlights include:
The Retro Zombie Ball 
Spectral Evidence: Ghost Hunting 101
The Annual Psychic Fair and Witchcraft Expo
Death and Rebirth: Ritual Transformation
The Vampires' Masquerade Ball
The Mourning Tea
and
Messages from the Spirit World: Salem's Only Authentic Séance.
The Festival ends on October 30th at the Hawthorn Hotel with "the world’s most exclusive Halloween event", The Official Salem Witches‘ Halloween Ball. For more details, visit the Festival of the Dead.

Now would be a good time to mention (to the aspiring paranormal investigator) that the Hawthorne Hotel is also supposedly haunted. In fact - as you probably suspect - there are tons of haunted locations in Salem, including Gallows Hill, The Ward House and Saint Mary's Cemetary. For more locations, check out Shadowlands Haunted Places Index.

As you can see, Salem is filled with places for spook-tacular adventures (sorry...I couldn't help myself) but please remember, infamous footnote in history aside, there's more to "The Witch City" than ghosts and witches, including (but not limited to) the oldest National Historic Site in America, Salem Maritime National Historic Site.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/halloween-salem-massachusetts-1219999.html

About the Author

www.Sunshineandshadowtravellers.com

Leaf Peeping in New England

Leaf Peeping In New England is WICKED!

by Adrienne Columbia

New England is a beautiful place to visit all year long but arguably, the Autumn of the year is the best time. Visitors pour into New England from all over the world to join the locals in "Leaf Peeping" excursions. The climate, changes in altitude, and beautiful landscapes dotted with deciduous trees, come together to create beautiful 'canvases' of bold reds, oranges, golds and yellows.

The leaves start begin to turn from green to their glorious fall attire first in the northern most regions New England~ Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The changes may begin as early as the end of August with the PEAK being in mid September. The southern states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island and coastal New Hampshire and Maine begin to see hot autumn colors in mid to late September and reach the peak viewing experience no later than the last week in October.

Leaf Peeping in MAINE

Hiking Mt. Kineo in the Fall is a favorite among the more rugged among us. Situated on the shores of Moosehead Lake, in North and westerly Piscataquis County, there are miles of bicycle trails as well.

Acadia National Park, part of which lies on Mount Desert Island (home of Bar Harbor), is well known for it's breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean from the parking lot atop Cadillac Mountain as well as it's miles of hiking and and bicycling trails. Cadillac is 1,530 feet above sea level, the tallest mountain along the Eastern coast of the United States.

North of Bar Harbor, there is a different type of 'Leaf Peeping' awaiting you in the vast blueberry barrens where a good portion of Maine's wild blueberry crop is harvested. Long after the berries have been harvested, the low bush shrubs glossy green leaves turn to vivid shades of reds and burgundies. For additional information, the Boston Globe's article, A foliage alternative ,is a good read.

York County is the southern most county in Maine and well known for it's beaches and bustling tourist attractions in Kittery, Ogunquit, Wells, and the Kennebunks. Little known towns in the western reaches of York County offer some of the best Leaf Peeping opportunities in the state. Parsonsfield, Shapleigh and Limerick are quiet little towns nestled into the mountains and surrounded by beautiful lakes and forests. Parts of Parsonsfield offers breathtaking views of New Hampshire's Presidential Mountain Range, home to Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288 feet above sea level. Autumn colors, near and far, make this little area of western York County a must for Leaf Peeping in Maine.

I have been to all the Maine locations mentioned in this post as well as many throughout New England. Here is a list of links that may be helpful in planning your LEAF PEEPING trip to New England next year.

Yankee Magazine

Boston.fivi.com

CBS Boston

Adrienne Columbia, aka, MsMaine: My ever changing Pinterest Board Autumn in New England