Meet your driver and private vehicle and enjoy an insider’s look at the dazzling art studios and fascinating pieces of work that these talented studio owners have created. Begin your walking tour at The South End area, home to a superb group of collections, which you will meet and tour first hand. Best of Boston will select three of the studios from the below for you to visit:
Joyce Roessler / Roessler Glass: Joyce has been working with hot glass since 1978, and since 1992 has focused on bead making and glass jewelry design. In the jewelry line she uses only her own beads, sterling silver or gold findings and goldleaf to accentuate the glass.
Michele Mercaldo Contemporary Jewelry Design: Michele’s jewelry studio and showroom is active with three different types of work: production jewelry, wedding band commissions and custom work. When designing, simplicity and clarity are of the utmost importance. Michelle’s work has become more refined and delicate through the use of marriage of metals and the introduction of finer materials such as 18k gold, platinum, pearls and diamonds.
Peggy Russell / IRO Design: Iro Design has been creating beautiful and unusual handpainted silk accessories for the home and body since 1986. Bold patterns and colorful images are the hallmark of their products. They produce each and every piece by hand, working with hand mixed dyes on silk fabric and cotton denim dropcloth.
Linda Cordner / Encaustic Painting: Working in the ancient technique of encaustic - which means to paint with heated wax - Linda takes advantage of the translucent nature of wax to create paintings that are luminous and have a depth to them not achieved in other mediums.
Marie Galvin / Galvanized Headwear: Marie’s mission is to create unique handcrafted headwear, providing multiple expressions for the women who wear them. The Collections are original and hand constructed, employing the use of wool, felts, opulent fabrics and exotic feather trims.
Tap into your sense of adventure with the flexibility of your own daily rental vehicle. Your rental includes free unlimited mileage.
Today you will leave Boston and drive north toward Salem. The infamous Salem was home to the witch trials of 1692. A group of girls and women in Salem Village, who had been dabbling with the occult, began acting in a strange manner, a local doctor claimed they were afflicted by the "evil hand" setting the stage for the accusation of approximately 190 people for witchcraft. The trials ended after 15 months. Well aware of its infamy, Salem has a number of attractions centered on this uneasy time, including haunted tours and re-enactments.
Continue to Rockport for an overnight stay. This lovely town at the tip of Cape Ann was settled in 1690. Over the years it has been an active fishing port, a center of granite excavation and a thriving artistic community with multiple galleries. The most artistically reproduced item in Rockport is a wooden fish warehouse on the town wharf. The red shack is known as Motif No. 1. Visit Thatcher Island to see the Twin Lighthouses. Among the oldest American lighthouses, these twin lights are the only surviving multiple lights on U.S Coastline; the original 45-foot towers were constructed and lit in 1789. The Bearskin Neck area is where you will find multiple shops and galleries.
Today’s Optional Experience : Salem Witch Museum:The Salem Witch Museum takes you back to Salem 1692. Experience a dramatic history lesson through the use of stage sets with life-size figures, lighting and a narration of the Witch Trials of 1692. See exhibits on witchcraft in the 17th century, modern witchcraft and the phenomenon of witch hunts.
Accommodation: Emerson Inn by the Sea (Superior) - *Or Similar Emerson Inn by the Sea has thirty-six beautifully appointed rooms. It has been restored to reflect the quality of yesteryear with amenities that discerning travelers seek today, including private baths, spa tubs, private enclosed balconies, televisions, Wi-Fi, and telephones. Two vacation rental cottages adjacent to the Inn offer the ideal surroundings for family vacations and reunions or corporate retreats, with decks, ocean-view yards, and even a backyard BBQ.