One Perfect Day at The Coach House

After two missed flights and 24 hours’ worth of traveling, it was a relief to walk through the doors of the Coach House and fall straight into their luxurious bed. A black and white dream I had watched on countless social media posts, it was all that we expected and more. The charming Victorian is adjacent to downtown Salem and just a 10-minute walk to the historic Salem Pioneer Village. The comfortable yet gorgeous amenities and décor make you feel as if you stepped back in time. Our room was beautifully accented by a fireplace filled with candles and the bed runner tied into a bow. The staff were professional and provided an easy check-in and check-out. Marley, our host, was very attentive and their concierge was available for whatever questions we had. Their website also provided links and all the information we needed to get around and know where to go.

As a host at historic and spooky locations, my team and I had just one day to spend in Salem before traveling to our next event. We started our morning by fueling up at Jaho Coffee, which the Coach House generously provided a voucher for. It was a beautiful pink cafe with an array of unique pastries and signature coffee blends used in their lattes and matcha. Being that it was some of our employees’ first visit we decided to take the trolley tour and get an overview of the city. It included all the major landmarks such as the Witch House, Salem Witch Museum, the Salem Commons, and the Old Burying Point. It was a perfect way to see everything in the time that we had and hear some of the real history behind the Salem Witch Trials. As a first-time visitor the non-theatrical history will definitely surprise you. From there we made our way to downtown Salem for a little shopping or what I like to call “research.” We had to stop for the classic “Bewitched” photo with the Samantha statue. It stands right at the end of Essex Street which is filled with traditional Halloween home good and souvenir shops. This is a central location for costumed photo ops, mazes, and festivities during the Halloween season. For movie fans, Essex Street is also home to the Old Town Hall which was featured in the original Hocus Pocus. Ropes Mansion aka Alison’s house is just a short walk from there as well.

Next, we stopped by Blackcraft, which is a massive retail store and café. It was previously a bank and you can still see the open vault just behind the register. Although, Nydia is the real star of the show. She’s a 13-foot witch that appears to be flying underneath the dome ceiling that makes for a grand entrance. It was difficult not to buy everything they had, but I was able to get several outfits for my grandson, my baby bat. Our final stop for the day was the House of the Seven Gables. It is on a beautiful waterfront property in Derby Wharf that includes Nathaniel Hawthorne’s childhood home. We were given a tour through the beautifully decorated rooms, secret passageway included. Our visit in the spring didn’t allow for the boat tours that Salem offers, but it’s definitely an activity we’ll have to bookmark for next time.

Thanks to the Coach House we were able to see an amazing number of landmarks, stores, and points of interest in just one day. It was the perfect retreat from the chaos of traveling. Whether you enjoy Salem in the fall during spooky season or all year round I highly recommend it!

-Written by Jacklyn Lopez, Executive Coordinator of the Vogel Victorian

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