Massachusetts
October 2020
We started our day off by going to Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, Massachusetts. During our check in, we had our temperatures checked and we had the choice of whether we wanted to receive a bag of apples or two stemmed wine glasses with our reservation. We decided on the two stemmed wine glasses that Alexa and I kept. We were also able to change our reservation from the picnic grounds to the patio. We were able to change our reservation because they had one open extra space. We decided that we wanted to change our location due to the inclement weather. We had about 20 minutes at our table with the weather cooperating and then during the rest of our time we were rained on. We made the best of the rainy situation and enjoyed ourselves through it all.
At Nashoba, I ordered two flights of wine. My first flight was The Originals (Cranberry Apple, Strawberry Rhubarb, Maiden's Blush, Baldwin, and After Dinner Peach). I enjoyed all of them except Baldwin. I enjoyed After Dinner Peach so much that after the flights, I ordered a glass. It was by far my favorite with an intense fruit flavor and citrus throughout. My second flight was The Classics (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon). I enjoyed all of them except Malbec. My favorite of this flight was the Chardonnay with aromas of apples, pears, and honey. My friends all got various flights and individual glasses. Everyone seemed to enjoy the drinks that they had ordered. My friends also got their own charcuterie platter (imported Italian porchetta, prosciutto, pepperoni, assorted Smith's Country Cheeses, grapes, sweet and spicy peppers, pickled veggies, and olives) for $16.00 each. I decided against the charcuterie platter because I did not like most of the items it had. My friends were unimpressed with the platter and said that they could have done without it.
Overall, we had a really fun time at Nashoba Valley Winery! We were able to relax and enjoy each other's company as well as the beautiful views. Besides being a winery, Nashoba also has pick your own orchards! If I ever come back to visit Boston again, I think that I would like to try a new winery so that I can get some diversity. I would say that Nashoba is well worth a visit and I would recommend it for everyone!
After our wine in the rain, we headed back to Katie's to change. After we changed and ate, we headed out to Salem, Massachusetts. In Salem, we saw many different witchy sights. We saw The Witch House, The Ropes Mansion and Garden, as well as Max and Dani's House from the movie Hocus Pocus. The Witch House was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and it is the only structure still standing in Salem with direct ties to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The house is thought to be built between 1620 and 1642. The Ropes Mansion and Garden was built in 1727 as a Georgian style and then it was renovated in 1894 as a Colonial Revival style by the firm Stone, Carpenter, and Wilson. Ropes Mansion was home to three generations of the Ropes family. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Ropes Mansion is also featured in the movie Hocus Pocus as Allison's House. There even is a legend that the Ropes Mansion is haunted. Lastly, Max and Dani's House from the movie Hocus Pocus is a privately owned residence. I was surprised to find out that the house is next to the ocean!
Overall, I had a really fun time visiting Salem and seeing all the historic sites! When we were visiting, it was raining which put a damper on our time. We did not get the chance to go into any of the shops but I was willing to leave that for another time. My one negative comment about Salem was the lack of accessibility to restrooms. I know that visitors are controversial during these times with COVID-19, but there are still visitors regardless. This definitely made me like Salem the least of all of the places we visited throughout the weekend which in my opinion is shameful. I hope that in the future Salem will work on their hospitality. We were respectful visitors and from what I could see while being there, the majority of visitors were respectful with proper mask wearing and social distancing. I am neutral about going back to visit Salem again, I for certain would not go out of my way for it. Who knows, maybe the witches back then felt the same way about Salem's hospitality, just kidding! Unless...
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