A Taylor-Made Life: ‘Cheers’ to Boston and Salem

As I write this, I’m coming down from the high of having gone on vacation. As I get back into my routine, I’m reflecting on the fun that was had over the long weekend.

My two friends, Melissa and Bel, and I took a trip out to Massachusetts to split our time between exploring Boston and Salem. When they first presented the idea, I had two thoughts: seafood and “Cheers.”

Long a fan of the Ted Danson sitcom that ran for 11 years, I was very excited to visit the place “where everybody knows your name.”

After landing in Boston, we made our way to the hotel and, after ditching our bags and freshening up, set out on the one-mile journey to the bar modeled after the show. After briefly stopping by a historical cemetery and taking time to appreciate the unique architecture of the buildings, there it was like a beacon in the night (funnily enough on Beacon Street).

Like on the show, you walk down concrete stairs to enter Cheers. The bottom floor is a bar/restaurant modeled after the show while the second floor is a replica of the set - equipped with stage lights and all.

The show’s theme song was playing upon entry. I was tickled by this detail but had the thought that the employees must be so sick of hearing that tune.

We opted to go up to the replica bar and have a beer in a Cheers stein. Walking around and looking at all of the memorabilia had me feeling like a kid on Christmas. I’m normally not one to make gift shop purchases, but a Norm T-shirt was a must.

Leaving on cloud nine (well, me anyway), we continued our walking adventure and went to a triangle of long-standing establishments that are built on foundations of cobblestone streets. We had dinner at Bell in Hand (America’s oldest, continuously operating tavern since 1795), then had post-dinner oysters (my first raw oyster) at the aptly-named Union Oyster House (America’s oldest restaurant), before stopping for a drink at The Green Dragon Tavern (one of the oldest bars in America).

We ended the night by stopping by the harbor to look out at the ships on the sea. The next morning, we saw more of the sea [Massachusetts Bay] as we made our way to the New England Aquarium. Forgetting that it was spring break, our visit was short-lived due to large crowds.

Eventually we went to the train station to make our trek to Salem.

Our time spent there included great food, good drinks and lots of shopping. We visited the Witch House, which dates back to the 1600s and is 80% original from that time period. We also stopped by the resting place of many souls who were victims of the Salem Witch Trials.

Both Massachusetts cities were lovely and places worth visiting. Now onto the next adventure.