Where we live in Pennsylvania, the leaves are hitting their peak – so everywhere you look, you see all the reds, oranges, and yellows. It really is my favorite time of the year. As a mom, I love watching my girls enjoy this time of year too. Yesterday was a slow Sunday for us. We really needed it because, like all families, our weeks just get so busy running around balancing school, work, projects, and everything else.
Through all of that crazy, we forget to look around us and take in all the colors. And we forget to play. So that’s what yesterday was, and it was perfect. We stayed home and played in the yard with our bunnies – we have two! Holland Lops (ig: irisandjuniper) – and then made leaf piles and played in them. We were out there for hours.
Later on, we collected leaves for a little project that we were working on. I have done this every year for Thanksgiving with Aubrey since she was about three. Now Presley can join in on it too, and I love to hear both of their responses. We talk a little bit about what it means to be thankful for something/someone. And then we come up with a little list and decorate it with our leaves. Here is this years!
I am so thankful for slow Sunday’s like this one, for my girls, and for all the memories we make together. I really feel like we have slowed down and embraced this season together. This is proof that you don’t need to go very far, or spend any money, to have fun, make things, or see something beautiful. Chances are, it’s right in front of you and all around you.
I have always wanted to visit Vermont in the Fall, and it did not disappoint! We went to Stowe, Vermont last weekend and had the best time!
I was obsessed with our a-frame that we stayed in! It was so bright and all the windows had views of the autumn colors outside. It rained a bit while we were there, and it was so cozy to watch the rain on the all windows with a blanket too.
Of course, the first thing we did in the morning was go grab a coffee and breakfast. We went to PK Coffee and I got the maple latte – so good! Taking in the colors and mountains around us while the girls ate their blueberry muffins, and I sipped my coffee, was the perfect way to start our day! After breakfast, we took a walk along a trail that goes right through Stowe and took in the views. The girls had so much fun playing in the leaves.
After our walk, we walked along the main street where a lot of cute shops are and did some shopping!
One of the things that I really wanted to do while we were in Stowe was ride the Gondola Skyride. It takes you up Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest mountain. We were able to see the fall foliage from up high, and there was a lot of fog at some points – which was also such a cool experience too! I’m not a huge fan of heights, but was fine on this and the kids loved it! This was definitely the highlight of our trip!
We had such a cozy, fall weekend in Vermont and can’t wait to go back sometime!
Happy Fall! It’s officially our favorite season, we love all the festive fun things to get into and the changing leaves! Here’s our bucket list this year, what’s on yours?
I was so excited for this trip, and it definitely did not disappoint. I brought my best friend along with me – here’s what our time in Salem looked like!
WHERE WE STAYED:
We stayed at an adorable airbnb in Beverly – less than 10 minutes away from Salem. There is, of course, the Hawthorne Hotel and the Salem Inn right in town. There were several options of places to stay in the area, but I would suggest finding a place on airbnb because its generally cheaper to do so. We also decided to go in September instead of the very very popular month of October, making it slightly less expensive.
Our airbnb was called The Hideaway, and we were OBSESSED with it! Our hosts were so nice and there were just so many little details about their place to make their guests feel so comfortable. They literally thought of everything, it was just amazing. I definitely recommend staying here!
WHERE WE ATE:
During our weekend in Salem, we visited three coffee shops for coffee and breakfast in the morning and liked all three : Wolf Next Door, Brew Box, & Crave.
Out of the restaurants that we went to, my top two favorites were Fibber McGee’s in Beverly and The Tavern in the Hawthorne Hotel. The food and the atmosphere at both places were just so sooo good. We got to try a pumpkin martini at Fibber’s too – 10/10 recommend that. We also ate at Rockafellas, which I wanted to go to because I had remembered hearing a little bit about the building’s history before and how it is said to be haunted by “a lady in blue”. So, when I saw a drink called lady in blue, I had to order it. We also had drinks on our last night at Opus and loved the vibe there. There were so many options for restaurants, coffee shops, and bars and not enough time to try them all! Some other places we wanted to try, but didn’t have time for was The Roof and Settler.
WHAT TO DO:
Hocus Pocus Filming Locations
yeah, this is just a must when in Salem and needed a separate post of it’s own, which you can read here.
Salem Witch Museum
We really liked our visit to this museum, where you see two presentations on witches and the trials that took place in Salem. They do not allow videos and photos to be taken inside the museum.
The Witch House
This is the only building left in Salem with direct ties to the Salem witch trials. It was the home of Judge Corwin. You can buy tickets to tour The Witch House and gift shop! No pictures or videos were allowed inside!
Tarot Reading
When you’re in Salem, it only makes sense to go get a tarot reading done, right?! We decided to get ours at ASCEND Get Lifted – a really cute shop in downtown Salem. I won’t go into too much detail here, but we got separate readings and both of us cried during them because of how amazing it was. Things were said that were just so accurate and spot on, which really validated it for me and it was just incredible.
Shop
Speaking of shops, there are soooo many amazing places to shop in Salem! I already mentioned ASCEND where we got our readings done, and they also sell incense, crystals, jewelry, etc. and we loved it there!
Also right next door was The Coven’s Cottage which was so cool. They only allow a certain number of people in at one time to protect the energy in the room, so there’s most likely going to be a line to get in – but I would say that it is definitely worth it! You also are not allowed to take pictures or videos in the store as well. They have allll kinds of herbs, stones, books, tarot/oracle cards, and more!
Twilight House of Salem has so many cool t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and whatever kind of souvenir you can think of!
We just happened to walk by this costume studio early in the morning, and we knew we had to go in! You choose a set, get dressed up like a witch, and have a little photoshoot. It was so fun and we were glad we did it!
Old Burying Point/Charter Street Cemetery
Right before we left for home, we went to Charter Street Cemetery where several judges and residents from the Salem witch trials, as well as Revolutionary War victims, are buried – lots of history here, as it is the oldest cemetery in Salem(and, I believe, the second oldest cemetery in the country). There is also a memorial here for the victims of the witch trials. It’s a simple, but really beautiful, wall with granite benches and the name, date, and way that they were executed on each one. Before we left town, we stopped by to just take a moment and pay our respects to each of the twenty victims. We all go to Salem because we love Hocus Pocus and Halloween and all the history there – but we felt it was important to really take in and acknowledge what happened to these people because it was so horrific.
We did so much during our weekend in Salem, but I can’t wait to go back because I feel like there’s still so much more we didn’t get to do! Next time, I definitely want to do a candlelit ghost tour at night, visit The House of the Seven Gables, Winter Island Park, Salem Halloween Museum,Witch Dungeon Museum, and try more restaurants and coffee shops out! Until next time, Salem!
Lovely Little Atlas 