Become Bewitched in Witch City! Which City? Witch City! Which City? Salem!

Next summer, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will open in Orlando, and throngs of Harry Potter fans will flock to Florida to see larger-than-life editions of their favorite fantastical locales. I hope to be among them. This year, I got a dose of witches of a different kind when I joined my friends Erica and Art in Salem, Massachusetts, most famous for being the site of the Salem Witch Trials that were the subject of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. It's ironic that the hysteria to stamp out supposed witches resulted in the town being forever associated with them, to the point that it's nicknamed "Witch City." You can count on seeing plenty of store fronts and artwork alluding to witches. Shops boast names like The Broom Closet and Hex Old World Witchery, and if you go later in the day, you're likely to see several tour guides in costume, though pirates seem to be just as prevalent as witches. We were leaving just as these folks were coming out of the woodwork; I get the sense that Salem is at its busiest at night.

My friends live only a short drive from Salem, and on my first day in town, we headed there for dinner after a day of perusing Boston. Salem Beer Works is where I got my official Boston clam chowder, as well as an enormous basket of sweet potato fries. The food and service were excellent, and I loved the decor, especially the line of chalk drawings near the ceiling depicting various menu items. The peach cobbler looked especially enticing, but by the time dessert rolled around, I was too stuffed to take that notion too seriously, especially when I still had half a basket of fries, which the waiter helpfully offered to pack up for me. Our meals cost about twenty dollars each there, including drinks and, for Erica and Art, dessert.

Though we didn't do any more Salem meandering that day, we returned to the same starting point two days later. The parking garage across the street was quite reasonable, especially in comparison to Boston, where it was three times as expensive. Parking during dinner was only three dollars and came with the bonus of a jolly ticket-taker who looked like Santa Claus and cracked corny jokes. The day rate was twelve dollars, and the location was prime: not only right across the street from Salem Beer Works, but in the immediate vicinity of several major Salem attractions, including the old Burial Ground and the Pirate Museum. After a stop at a gift shop featuring a souvenir penny machine and racks full of 20-cent postcards, it was to the cemetery that we headed first. Upon our entry, we were greeted with the incongruous sight of a guy in a giant slushee costume wandering amongst the gravestones. Once Ice Guy went on his merry way, we checked out the courtyard memorializing those who died in 1692 after being accused of witchcraft. The most famous of these include Rebecca Nurse, John Proctor and Martha Corey, all of whom were hanged, and Giles Corey, who was pressed to death. Running along the sidewalk are bits of Proctor's defiant speech, in which he declares himself not guilty though he knows it will cost him his life.

From that point, our wandering took a more cheerful turn as we investigated several eccentric shops and kept our eyes peeled for photo opportunities. Probably my favorite of these was the statue of Samantha Stephens of Bewitched; I'd seen it from the car on our way in, but I didn't realize until we approached it on foot that this wasn't just any witch. She was the only famous fictional witch we found getting this kind of treatment, though I suppose Sabrina or Hermione might have been lurking in a hidden corner of town somewhere. There was a stained glass window near the cemetery depicting a crone who strongly resembled the apple-distributing version of the wicked queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and several shops sold Harry Potter-related items. All the while, the dulcet tones of a lone guitar player reached out ears. The town felt much quieter than Boston, and crossing streets was not nearly as harrowing.

Speaking of harrowing, one of our favorite finds was a shop called Derby Square Book Store. All of the books were half-price despite being new, and there were some pretty unusual selections; I walked away with Our Peaceable Kingdom, a book of black-and-white photographs by one John Drysdale depicting striking instances of interspecies harmony. What made this shop so memorable, however, was the shelving system. Books were piled in precarious stacks up to the ceiling; even after procuring a stepstool, Erica had trouble reaching the ones she was after. While the books were grouped into sections that were supposedly arranged alphabetically by author, I think rampant browsing laid waste to most attempts at organization. It felt almost as random as the yearly book sale sponsored by my hometown library and twice as perilous, since the narrow aisles and the tall stacks added up to a jumbo-sized game of Jenga whenever you wanted to remove a volume. One of my favorite photos from the trip is of Erica flipping through a book while hundreds of others tower around her. If you stop in Salem, put this one on your itinerary; it's the kind of place you have to experience for yourself.

My other favorite shop was a comic book store called Harrison's. As Erica, Art and I are all pretty fond of the Beatles, I got a kick out of the name, though I didn't notice it until we were leaving. By that point, we'd spent a good half hour or so investigating the contents of this geek's paradise. Star Wars, Star Trek and Lord of the Rings were all heavily represented. I was tempted by a plush R2-D2, a two-foot-tall Gandalf and a Death of Spock action figure set, though I reined in my impulses and walked away with just one figure: Mt. Doom Sam, who is fully poseable and bellows, "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!" I also recommend a tiny antique shop called Tobie's Jewelers, where I discovered a collection of trolls, including several large Norfins, which I remember admiring at an expansive gift shop near Chautauqua, NY, the only place I'd ever seen them. As I debated between the policeman and a fireman (eventually settling on the former in hopes of recreating the Make Way for Ducklings scene in my backyard), the gregarious women running the shop kept us engaged in pleasant conversation.

Museums abound in Salem, whether you're into witches, pirates or Lizzie Borden, but while we perused the gift shops of several of these establishments, we stuck to the free territory, which was quite entertaining enough on its own. The Salem Wax Museum of Witches and Seafarers is one place with several photo ops right in the gift shop. A number of shops have interesting statues out front; I found two at Maria's Sweet Somethings: Wicked Good Confections. There's the Revolutionary-era fellow austerely holding out a blackboard on which are written messages for the day, and there's also an enormous, delicious-looking ice cream cone. My vote for the funniest store front in Salem goes to The Lobster Shanty, which promises "Warm Beer," "Lousy Food," "Surly Waitresses," "Rude Bartenders" and "Cranky Cooks." And no trip to Salem would be complete without a stop at the Salem Witch Museum, which offers a vast array of witch-related items. Though this was one of our last stops, I still purchased a Merlin hat, primarily for the purpose of having a few photos of me in Salem with a wizard hat on my head.

There are dozens of eateries to choose from in Salem. Having already eaten at Salem Beer Works the other day, we opted for the Irish pub O'Neill's for lunch. There, I had the tastiest calamari I've ever eaten, while Art and Erica enjoyed some traditional fish and chips. Lunch was somewhere in the area of ten to fifteen dollars, including drinks, excluding dessert, as we had our eye on ice cream cones at Maria's, though we eventually abandoned that idea because so many others had the same notion and we didn't feel like contending with the crowd. We capped our day off with a trip to the House of the Seven Gables, though we had to content ourselves with the exterior view, since tours were closed because of a wedding. Erica, having taken the tour before, gave me the abbreviated version, and we snapped a few quick pictures and spent a moment at a nearby overlook gazing out at the ocean, where dozens of boats were on the move.

As with Boston, it's pretty much up to you how much money you spend in Salem. There's no reason you have to break the bank to have a good time. Though I'm sure the tours and museums are interesting, I didn't feel as though I missed out on anything by skipping out on those. Just bring a camera, a sense of humor and a spirit of exploration, and I'm sure you'll find Salem every bit as satisfying as I did.

Bubba Gump's Knows Everything There Is To Know About the Shrimpin' Business...

When I went to Chicago for a visit with two friends of mine, one of the stops we intended to make was to Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant and Market. Though we passed the restaurant the day before when we spent the afternoon at Navy Pier, we saved this unique dining experience for our last excursion on the trip. I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get a picture of the exterior; I intended to, but it was too crowded at the time for me to get a good shot of anything. While there is a large dining area inside, the tables out on the pier are ideally located for a nice summer day. Benches adorned with Forrest’s sayings create a nice effect. On the inside, the restaurant is filled with memorabilia and has Forrest Gump playing constantly.

The menus feature photos and quotes from the film and food related to the characters. I got the Bucket of Boat Trash, a combination of shrimp, lobster and fish alluding to a scene at the beginning of Forrest’s shrimping career, and a Run Forrest Run, a smoothie consisting of oranges, strawberries, bananas and raspberry frozen yogurt. Other themed menu items included Mama Gump's Garlic Bread Basket; the Run Across America platter featuring Bubba's Far Out Dip (with spinach, roasted red pepper, artichokes, shrimp and Monterey Jack cheese) and Chips, Chilly Shrimp (peel and eat southern-style shrimp), Greenbow Tenders (Cajun chicken strips with blue cheese sauce) and Mama Blue's Fried shrimp; Jenny's Favorite, a smoothie with cranberry juice, strawberries and raspberry frozen yogurt; the Alabama Sweet Smoothie, made of peanut butter, chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurt; a variety of shrimp options from Shrimp Shack Pasta to Dumb Luck Coconut Shrimp; Gumpberry Cobbler, consisting of seasonal berries and apples with ice cream, drizzled with raspberry sauce and walnut cookie crumbs; and Forrest's Dr. Pepper Float, in deference to Forrest's favorite beverage.

The food was delicious, and as we ate we looked around at the decor and were entertained by our waiter, a very affable fellow who quizzed us on Forrest trivia whenever he stopped at our table. How frequently he stopped was up to us. We were provided with two license plates; most of the time we kept the “Run Forrest Run” plate in view, but if we needed anything we switched to “Stop Forrest Stop.” It was a simple touch but added to the fun of the meal.

It’s a shame Bubba Gump doesn’t have more locations. I would love to go there with my family sometime. The high-quality fare makes it worthwhile for any seafood lover, while the restaurant’s theme is a special treat for fans of the film. Forrest Gump is one of my favorite movies, so I found it doubly enjoyable. This isn’t a place where you would dine frequently, but it’s a fun novelty restaurant along the lines of Hard Rock Cafe or Planet Hollywood, just with a narrower focus. Prices, while not unreasonable, are a bit hefty, and if you do go you’ll probably want to take home a reminder of your trip. I purchased a t-shirt featuring cartoonish renditions of moments from the movie. A variety of “Gump gear” is available, from t-shirts and glasses to playing cards and stationery.

Bubba Gump’s is now in nearly 20 locations – none of which, oddly enough, are in Alabama. If you happen to be in the vicinity of a Bubba Gump’s, I would certainly recommend stopping there for a leisurely lunch or dinner, particularly if you are a Forrest Gump enthusiast. The Chicago branch is open from 11 am to 11 pm Sunday through Thursday and an hour longer Friday and Saturday, though hours vary. The restaurant offers an opportunity to bring a piece of cinema to life in a most delicious manner.

Krispy Kreme Good, But Not That Good

When Krispy Kreme opened its doors in Erie two weeks ago, it was met with great fervor. Some especially zealous doughnut fans waited outside the shop for up to a day and a half before the shop opened. It was the front-page story in the newspaper and a major headline on the news. And we had, after all, been told months in advance by the local media that Krispy Kreme was on its way. Krispy Kreme has a friend in Erie!

The most unique feature of Krispy Kreme is its “HOT FRESH DOUGHNUTS” light, which has been known to cause drivers to veer off the highway. When that sign is lit, free doughnuts are on the horizon. Free, fresh from the oven doughnuts. What’s more, as you step inside, you can watch the final stages of the doughnut-making process as they make their way along the conveyor belt to the spot where a Krispy Kreme employee hands them to eagerly waiting customers. And as good as they are at room temperature, you haven’t really tasted a Krispy Kreme until you take a bite out of a gooey glazed doughnut hot off the line. It’s good business sense, too, since everyone I’ve talked to who stops for a free doughnut winds up buying a few more.

It seems to me, though, that this gimmick is about the only thing setting Krispy Kreme on a pedestal. Sure, their doughnuts are good, especially their glazed ones, which are a bit smaller than average and have a perfectly smooth glaze that has the potential to send someone into sugar shock. But there’s nothing extraordinary about them. In a comparison with my favorite local doughnut shop, I would say that Krispy Kreme’s glazed doughnuts – which are their biggest draw, sold by the dozen – are as good but not necessarily better than the local ones. As for the special doughnuts – jelly doughnuts, chocolate, etc. – I think the local doughnuts are actually much tastier and easier to handle. The jelly doughnuts, for instance, are so thickly filled that once you hit the middle of the doughnut, it’s hard to keep eating without spilling the filling.

After having had the chance to sample Krispy Kreme doughnuts several times, my opinion is that they’re highly overrated. They’re good, but not good enough that I’d be perfectly happy if they put the local doughnut shops out of business, which they very well may. I’ve been hearing about Krispy Kreme doughnuts for months, and I just don’t see what the big deal is.

Hard Rock Cafe a Delicious Musical Experience

For my end-of-Spring-Break trip, I went to Cleveland to visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But the fun didn't end when we (my mom, my friend, and myself) left the museum. Mom thought it would be fun for us to conclude our adventure with lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe.

I have been to this location once before, a couple years ago during the Cleveland Air Show. I also have been to the Hard Rock Cafe in Washington, D.C. Both of these dining experiences occurred on a Saturday night, and the place was packed. We had to wait quite a while before we were seated. Luckily for us, this time around we hit the restaurant around 4:00, avoiding both the main dinner and lunch crowds.

I think the best way to describe the Hard Rock Cafe is as a miniature Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- with food. The walls are lined with artifacts, mostly photographs but also album covers, costumes, guitars, even vehicles (Elvis' Pink Cadillac is in Washington). Even the bathrooms are decorated. Televisions are strategically placed so that you can watch a steady stream of music videos. There's even a gift shop from which items such as t-shirts, caps, pins and playing cards can be purchased.

And, of course, the food. The Cafe has a nice variety of meals to choose from. To get a good sampling of the available appetizers, get the Ringo Combo, which includes onion rings, Santa Fe spring rolls, Tupelo chicken and three sauces. I must admit that I've never tried the appetizers because the meal portions are so generous.

I've had sandwiches on all three visits. They've got several different types of burgers. Their cheeseburgers are great and, as I said, very large. A McDonald's burger is downright puny is comparison. I've also had the Pig Sandwich, a Hard Rock specialty. It is a sandwich piled high with shredded barbecued pork. All sandwiches come with a large helping of crispy French fries. There are also various types of salad, soup, seafood, steak, and vegetarian meals. Drinks include Pepsi products and a wide selection of alcoholic beverages.

I have been satisfied with the three meals I've had there, as were my dinner companions. Our servers were very helpful, and the atmosphere was fun and interesting. Before I went for the first time two years ago, I wasn't sure I'd like it. I figured "hard rock=heavy metal". But just like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there are musicians represented here which suit a wide variety of musical tastes. We don't have one in Erie yet, but if we ever get one I'll definitely make a point to stop in once in a while. It's one of the most entertaining dining experiences around.