The Burying Point Cemetery - Salem, Massachusetts

We have a very special Cemetery Sundays edition this week! Last weekend, Mrs. Highbury and I took a quick trip out to Salem, Massachusetts, and had a chance to go see The Burying Point Cemetery, oldest burying ground in the city of Salem, and Witch Trials Memorial.

Walking through this cemetery was a perplexing experience. Usually for my Cemetery Sundays trips, I get up early and quietly tour the grounds alone, taking my time to document and appreciate the ornate tombstones, sculptures and mausoleums. 

I wasn't afforded this luxury at The Burying Point Cemetery, as it is a main tourist destination in Salem, and the grounds were full of fellow tourists and photographers. I had to focus on getting shots without people in them - a difficult task with the amount of people roaming the entirety of Salem in October!

Also, I found it strange that those "touristy" elements were also encroaching upon the grounds themselves. A carnival with rides, food vendors and a haunted house were all positioned just outside the cemetery fences, contributing to a staggering amount of noise. I was surprised at how all of this really took me out of my element in regards to other cemeteries that I visit.

But I made do with what I had and focused on getting the best shots that I could...

The Witch Trials Memorial
Located next to the cemetery, The Witch Trials Memorial, erected in 1992, contains the granite bench memorials for the 20 women and men executed in the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Each bench contains the name of the victim, the date of their wrongful execution and the grisly manner in which they were executed. 19 by hanging, one by being pressed to death. The memorial's location is fitting, since trial judges and accusers are buried in the cemetery right next to it...

 Trial quotes from the convicted are carved into the stone entrance.

Bridget Bishop, the first of 20 executed for witchcraft.

  

Haunted Overload, 2016

This past weekend, Mrs. Highbury and I snuck away for a mid-October weekend trip to Salem, Massachusetts (more on that coming soon!). We couldn't think of a better place to go to celebrate all things Halloween. And while we were in the planning stages for the trip, a strange thought popped into my head: how far was it from Salem to Lee, New Hampshire?

A quick check on Google Maps revealed that it was only an hour's drive. BINGO. We're going!!

I was about to make the journey that would enable me to cross off the absolute number one on my haunt bucket list... Haunted Overload.

After spending the morning roaming the streets (and cemeteries) of Salem, we hopped into our rental car and headed north. Lee was just over an hour away and the trip felt like three hours, due to my haunt-induced giddiness. I had seen the photos and videos, watched The Great Halloween Fright Fight, and listened to owner Eric Lowther intently when he was on an episode of Haunters Hangout. I was ready.

When we arrived at the DeMeritt Hill Apple Farm, I sprang from the car with camera in hand. Of course, photography was prohibited past the cue line, but I snapped what I could...

It was all there. The giant timber skulls, the giant jack-o-lanterns, the giant train, the giant house, the giant pumpkin figures and the brand new giant circus tent. I could barely contain my excitement as we made our way through the haunt. Without a doubt, this was the greatest haunted attraction that I had ever been through (for the haunt bucket list record, I had been through the original House of Shock in New Orleans, so Netherworld, The Dent Schoolhouse and the 13th Gate now top my list). The warm and calm weather even made the fog settle ominously throughout the entire haunt, giving it an added sense of unsettling creepiness. It was perfect. Every scene was richly staged with absolutely gorgeous lighting. The atmosphere for each scene was off the charts. It was unlike other haunts, which relied on actor-based scares. I could have walked that haunt for hours...

After finishing the haunt, I was completely blown away. It really was a feast for the eyes and had such a different feel from other haunts that I had been to. Everything was built on such an immense scale and the attention to detail was incredible. As someone who is a home haunter, I really appreciated the care that was given to every inch of this haunt.

As we walked back to the car, Mrs. Highbury and I only half-joked about getting back in line and going through it again. It really was that good. I don't want to give away too much more, because I want everyone to go experience this haunt for themselves. Haunted Overload deservedly sat at number one on my haunt bucket list, and after grabbing an Overload t-shirt and a surprisingly delicious, homemade Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Covered Twinkie, I was the happiest man in Lee...

Haunted Overload 2016 Time Lapse Trailer from Artifact Images on Vimeo.