I love college campuses, even though it’s been many years since I spent any time as a student on one.

I love the buildings, and the libraries, and the bookstores. I love checking out the architecture and the landscaping, and people watching, and buying a sweatshirt to wear so I can pretend that I am an alum.

On a rainy day last summer, I had a layover in Boston with my best friend, Anita. She and I took a couple of hours and explored the Boston College campus.

Boston College was founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). The main campus is currently located in the once rural area of Chestnut Hill. Having graduated from a Jesuit university myself, I have always been appreciative of their commitment to integrating intellectual, personal, ethical, and religious formation; and to uniting high academic achievement with service to others.

For anyone considering attending BC, here are a few interesting statistics: There are 9,059 full time undergraduate students, of which 53% are women. The Class of 2009 had a SAT range of 1260-1410 for the middle 50%. There are 650 full time faculty members. BC grants undergraduate, masters and doctoral degrees and 90% of the Class of 2008 intends to pursue an advanced degree. The BC Eagles play at the NCAA Division I level.

Because it was pouring down the rain the day we visited BC, we didn’t have too much time to walk around the grounds and were forced to admire the distinctive campus architecture between raindrops, or from indoors.

The campus is accessible on the T’s green line. Get off at the Boston-Newton boundary on Commonwealth Avenue. Cross the street, walk by St. Ignatius Church, and follow the perimeter road to campus entrances.

Photo credits:  Mary Jo Manzanares

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June 2nd, 1692, is generally recognized as the commencing of the Salem Witch Trials.

Hindsight tells us that, despite the rampant hysteria running through the community at the time, none of these people (mostly women) were witches. Fear does crazy things to people.

Salem, rather than denying it, or trying to distance itself from its less tolerant era, has embraced the trials, and has turned witchcraft into a sort of cottage industry.

You can visit the Salem Witch Museum, the Witch Dungeon Museum, the Witch House, or the Salem Witch Village.

While this is not my particular cup of tea, having skipped all of the witch-themed attractions on my last visit to Salem, other people have commented that it was kind of fun to do – once.

Just walking around and soaking in the local color and ambiance was good enough for me.

You decide for yourself.

Photo credit: flickr

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One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm

Those words, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, have been memorized by countless people learning about the revolutionary era of the United States. The poem refers to hanging a lantern (or lanterns) in the belfry of the Old North Church is Boston as a signal that the British were coming, and that Paul Revere was to alert the neighboring villages.

The Old North Church still stands in Boston today, and is the city’s oldest surviving church structure, as well as a National Historic Landmark. It’s 191 foot tall steeple makes it the tallest steeple in the city, and a recognizable part of the Boston skyline (in center of photo above). The church is on the city’s Freedom Trail, a two and a half mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 historic sites.

The church is more properly known as Christ Church in the City of Boston, and is associated with the Episcopalian Church. It is an active church, and services have been held there regularly since it was built in 1723, save for a brief closure during the American Revolution.

You can tour the Old North Church at its location at 193 Salem Street. It is open daily, 9 am - 6 pm (summer hours), and although there is no admission charge, voluntary donations are welcome. I took time for a walk through when I was in Boston a few days ago, and found that it filled me with a tremendous sense of history. It’s said that the box pews, the brass chandeliers, and the first clock are all original — that’s over 250 years ago!

Sunday services are held at 9 am and 11 am, and visitors are welcome to attend.

Photo credit: wikimedia (skyline) and flickr (church steeple)

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One of the non-witchy highlights of a visit to Salem is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s House of Seven Gables.

The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association was created to assist immigrant families who were settling in Salem. Philanthropist and preservationist Caroline Emmerton purchased “the Old Turner Mansion” in 1908, and eventually restored the mansion to its original splendor — and its seven gables. The building became known as The House of the Seven Gables, after Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel of the same name.

Additional structures were eventually acquired, all dating back to the 17th, 18th, and 19th century, and were moved to the site, creating The House of the Seven Gables campus. It is listed as a historic district on The National Register of Historic Places. The Association continues to focus on education, preservation, and community service

The House of the Seven Gables is located at 115 Derby Street in Salem (map it).  Parking is free while visiting.  You may also want to consider public transportation.

I’ve only been to The House of the Seven Gables during the spring time, when it looks much like it does in the photo above, with beautiful gardens and landscaping.   Like much of Salem, The House of the Seven Gables offers special Halloween events, and I can imagine, however, how spooky it must look in the dark and dreariness of Halloween.

Photo credit: wikimedia

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Boston Duck Tours are a fun, family-friendly way to see the city the Paul Revere way: by both land and water.

You board a renovated WWII amphibious craft decked out with a fun name and your own ConDUCKtor who doubles as driver and tour guide. After sightseeing in downtown Boston, you plop off a ramp into the Charles River to enjoy the Beantown and Cambridge skylines from the water. At this point, children are allowed to take the wheel and “pilot” the craft with the ConDUCKtor by their side, treats at the ready.

The entire tour takes about 90 minutes. The DUCK tour covers many of the historical locations of Boston (one sees how compact it really is), and leaves from both the Prudential Center (shopper friendly), and the Museum of Science (kid friendly). The parking at the Museum of Science is reasonable and solves the problem of where to leave your car downtown.

During the summer months, a steady flow of DUCK boats make their way through the city streets and waters, the drivers supply cheers for the DUCKS to holler out as they pass each other. The DUCK boats have caught on in a big way; plans are afoot to bring them to Manhattan.

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Where else but Salem would Halloween become a month long event?

The city that has made a cottage industry of witchcraft pulls no punches this Halloween, as it launches its month of Haunted Happenings. It’s a combination of an autumn event, celebrating the changing leaves and cooler weather, with the spirit of Halloween, complete with accompanying ghosts, goblins, witches and folklore.

The Halloween events are all found in historic downtown Salem, and it’s easy to walk from one venue to the next. You can choose from museums, attractions, haunted houses, and a variety of tours, or decide to wander the streets enjoying the dramatic reenactments, psychic fairs, and shopping. Events have been designed to appeal to all age groups. There admission fees for entry to some of the events, others are free.

Here is a partial list of attractions: Salem Witch Museum, House of Seven Gables, Salem Trolley, Witch Dungeon, Witch History Museum, and the Pirate History Museum

And if a tour is more to your liking: Candlelit Ghostly Tours, Cemetery 101: Grave Matters (this sounded like one I’d enjoy), Haunted Footsteps Ghost Tour, 1692 Salem Village Trolley Tour, Salem Spirits Trolley Tour, Witchcraft Walk, and Spirit of Salem Seance.

That’s just a few of the things you can do in Salem this month, so be sure to check out the full schedule of events. There’s likely to be something to appeal to your spirited side.

Salem is located 16 miles north of Boston on the Atlantic coast. It is easily accessible by public transportation. In fact, this is the busy season for Salem, and traffic can be a nightmare, so public transportation is a very good idea.

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While many students take their meals in their dorm dining halls, most campuses still have other student dining facilities.  Whether it’s a snack bar, cafe, full restaurant or bar, the prices are geared to a student budget.  Of course, the food is geared to a student palate as well, but if you’ve been subsisting on a diet of cold snacks, a burger may seem pretty darn tasty.

Most non-dorm dining facilities are open to the greater campus community – meaning visitors as well as students.  Plan on using cash, as not all accept debit or credit cards.

Since Boston if full of colleges and universities, I’m sure there are lots of options for a reasonably priced meal.

If you know a great campus cafe or bar, please leave a recommendation in the comments.

Photo credit:  personal collection

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“Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks, when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.”

On August 4th, 1892, wealthy businessmen Andrew Borden, and his wife Abby, were discovered brutally murdered. In reality, Abby was killed with nine blows of an axe, and Andrew with 11. Their youngest daughter, Lizzie, stood trial for the brutal slayings, and was found not guilty. The crime, however, continues to draw speculation as to Lizzie’s actual guilt or innocence, and ranks at the top of unsolved crimes: If not Lizzie, who?

The Borden’s Greek revival home, located in Fall River, Massachusetts, has been beautifully restored into a bed and breakfast. You can stay in Lizzie’s bedroom (in photo), explore the house, and see if you become convinced of Lizzie’s guilt ““ or innocence. Don’t worry, the blood is all gone!

Special tours of the Borden house run daily, on the hour, from 11 am to 3 pm. Prices are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $5 for children ages 7-12. Crime scene reenactments are scheduled on occasion, as well.

The Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast is located at 92 Second Street, Fall River, Massachusetts. (508) 675-7333. Fall River is approximately 25 minutes from Providence (Rhode Island) and about one hour from Boston.

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A couple hour drive west of Boston, nearly to the New York state line in Stockbridge, is the Norman Rockwell Museum. 

The site was Rockwell’s home for the last 25 years of his life, and was turned into a museum housing over 700 of his paintings, drawings and studies (the largest collection in the world), along with a huge collection of personal artifacts.

Rockwell is perhaps best known for his 321 Saturday Evening Post covers, with his first in 1916, “Boy with Baby Carriage.”  His inspiring “Rosie the Riveter” and “Four Freedoms” series remain lasting visual tributes to World War II, and his holiday images take us back to a kinder, gentler era.

Although many art critics and historians do not consider Rockwell a “serious” artist, there can be no doubt of his immense public popularity, and he is one of the best-known illustrators in history.  His Americana themes, showcasing the ideas of kindness, tolerance, and freedom, resonated with the public, and viewing his collection is a retrospective of family life over the past century.

The museum is located at 9 Glendale Road, Route 183, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.  It is open daily (except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day).  Summer hours (May-October, and holidays) are weekdays 10 am – 4 pm; weekends 10 am – 5 pm.  Daily winter and holiday hours are 10 am – 5 pm.

Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for collect students (with ID), $13.50 for seniors, and youth (18 and under) free with an adult.  Tickets may be purchase onsite, or online.  An audio tour is available for an additional $5 for adults, and $4 for seniors and youth.  Parking is free.

No photography, backpacks, or large packages are permitted inside the museum galleries.

Image credit:  wikimedia (museum); Amazon (Runaway print); Amazon (Doctor & the Doll print)

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Have you noticed how the nights are getting just a little bit cooler? And in the mornings, there’s starting to be a little crispness in the air.

When the weather gets like this, I start thinking about the fall foliage, and how beautiful nature can be this time of year.

Word is that this year’s foliage New England foliage should be spectacular. The warm days and cool evenings are perfect conditions for dramatic color and foliage.

If you’re interested in planning a driving tour to see the foliage, check out the Massachusetts Office of Travel Tourism site for a listing of New England foliage events. There’s also a foliage timetable map, along with suggested scenic drives. The website is updated twice a week with “leaf” reports.

There’s also a Fall Foliage Hotline at: (800) 227-MASS.

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