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We have been welcomed . .
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Neat flowers outside the RV Park office. They look too perfect to be real, but they are (real)
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Entrance to the beach at the end of the road past the RV Park
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It's a very popular beach - even at $20 to park. But it's free after 5pm. That's Annisquam Lighthouse across the water
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On the scenic harbor walk in Gloucester - the Fishermen's Wives Memorial
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A better view of the Fishermen's Wives Memorial
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A lighthouse at Gloucester Harbor entrance - don't know the name - the stilts are pretty cool, though
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The Eastern Point Lighthouse at Gloucester Harbor
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Gloucester Harbor and the Ten Pound Lighthouse . . .
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That's the famous statue at Gloucester Harbor . . .
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Amongst the lobster pots, cormorants dry their feathers
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We had dinner there. Could have done better on food, but the view was great
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Looking across the harbor at Rockport toward the Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse . . .
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Rockport is a very touristy town with two very busy harbors
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Lots of neat side streets and fun shops in Rockport - we had lunch on Tuna Wharf at the Chowder House
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Stacks of lobster pots indicate Rockport is still active . . .
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They must have had 100 kayaks available for rent . . .
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It's a town just built for wandering . . .not at all automobile friendly in the "Bear Skin Neck" neighborhood
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Mmmmmm. Dessert!
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Now we're in Salem, on the downtown pedestrian mall
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The downtown was quite busy with a multi-cultural festival in progress
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Bet it's hotter in there than the product they're selling . . .
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Costumed kids waiting for their moment on stage
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We think these guys work for tips - they kept yelling about free rides
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Japanese drummers getting set up . . .
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Evangelism in action . . .
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Plenty of street vendors . . .the vendor offered our driver a free hot dog
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Aboard our trolley tour, a sales pitch for a witch place . . .
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We are offered more bewitching brochures
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The actual House of the Seven Gables. It was restored around 1900, and modified to match the descriptions in the book
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There are several period buildings in the Seven Gables compound
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The compound commands a great view of the harbor
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Practice helm . . .
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Our Seven Gables tour guide Ron is a theatre major somewhere
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A very solid door indeed -
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It may be the oldest candy company, but the fudge was fresh and very good
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The man collects "art". Our bus driver says it keeps the burglers away.
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Roger Conant was the leader of the company of fishermen who founded Salem in 1626 - not, as some suppose, a witch-type person
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. . . . . . and awaaaay!
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It's really a trash can, but it got our attention . . .
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The Port of Salem was the busiest American seaport for many years
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The cargo ship Friendship is a replica of a cargo trading ship built in 1797.
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The replica was built in 1996. Externally, it's an accurate replica. Inside, there are engines and other modern things
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Spectacular rigging . . .
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Over a dozen Navy crew of the USS Constitution were training on the Friendship
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The Navy crew were learning how to hoist the sails and shiver some timbers and stuff
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They were also learning the fine points of rowing a skiff . . .the instructor was in period costume . . . almost
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As impressive as the ship is, it's surprisingly small for a world trader - just 171 feet boom to boom
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Maintenance is an ongoing project.
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We never did see them rowing in unison, but they improved . . . .
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Furling and unfurling isn't as easy as you'd think . . .
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All in all, a very neat ship
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A dockside storehouse with extra ropes and lines . . .
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A view of the Salem Custom House through the Friendship's transom
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The magnificent eagle atop the Custom House
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Everything that came into the port had to be weighed and valued for tax purposes
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Bigger things required bigger scales - this is #2 of three cargo scales from the old port
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The Custom House safe weighs 8.5 tons . .
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That gizmo is said to be a Hectograph - an early document copier dating to about 1880
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The actual restored wooden eagle from the Custom House. The one on the roof is a resin casting . . .
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A display showing the kinds of things that were shipped into the port of Salem
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We're not sure if the building is still used this way, but there were a couple old ladies in the yard . . .
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Salem has many wonderful old houses - this one serves as the Park Service offices
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A trolley like the one we rode around Salem
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This blimp kept circling over Gloucester. We finally got a picture . . . .
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And finally, one last shot of Gloucester Harbor . . .