A museum dedicated to pirates, a remote island with acres of walking trails and the opulent mansion of an 18th-century merchant were among the North Shore locales featured in a list of 1,000 "great places" in Massachusetts.
Some 51 North Shore sites — from orchards and state parks to the second-oldest cemetery in America — cracked the list, which was released yesterday during a press conference with legislators and tourism officials at the Statehouse.
Nearly a third of the North Shore spots were in Salem, ranging from historic sites like The House of the Seven Gables and Chestnut Street to peaceful retreats, such as Salem Willows and Winter Island.
A seaside stretch of Route 127 in Beverly made the list, as did the entire Endicott College campus.
Even businesses, like the New England Pirate Museum and the Salem Witch Museum, fared well. In fact, the top vote-getter among the more than 12,000 nominations was Kelly's Roast Beef in Revere, co-owned by Marblehead's Brian McCarthy.
"I think it's a pretty good list, actually," Destination Salem Executive Director Kate Fox said. "It's a really nice complement of a lot of different places."
Even with 1,000 honorees, some couldn't help but feel left out after yesterday's big announcement.
"They made a mistake," said Michael Coleman, the president of the Salem Common Neighborhood Association.
Coleman was left wondering how Kowloon Restaurant on Route 1 in Saugus and a thermometer museum in Wareham could be included, while Salem Common, which some consider the birthplace of the National Guard, could go ignored.
Plus, would you rather take a stroll down the Essex Street pedestrian mall (also on the list) or a serene, 9-acre park with history and a new playground, he wondered.
"The mall is nice," Coleman said. "But the Common is better."
The drafters of the list insisted yesterday that even with 1,000 slots, they couldn't possibly highlight all that Massachusetts has to offer.
"We probably made some mistakes with this list," admitted Eric Turkington, a former state representative who chaired the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission. "... But there are many more than 1,000 great places."
So what's the point of the list?
State Rep. John Keenan, the chairman of a legislative tourism committee, said he hopes it encourages Massachusetts residents staying close to home for their next vacation to explore their state.
"Even outside the great city of Salem, there are a lot of wonderful things to visit," said Keenan, who admitted that while he once stood in Red Square in Moscow, he had never traveled to the Berkshires until recently. "I hope this is what will allow people in Massachusetts to cross-pollinate. If you live west, come east. If you live east, go west."
State officials said the project didn't cost taxpayers anything.
The list was compiled through a combination of nominations from the public and input from a five-member committee. The committee sifted through the 12,000-plus nominations, including ones for sites that don't exist. It also tried to sort out businesses and restaurants truly worthy of designation from the ones that launched obvious write-in campaigns.
Fox believed the list could be an effective marketing tool, both for Destination Salem and the individual sites singled out.
"I can guarantee it'll be in (the Salem) Visitors Guide next year," Fox said. "I think it's great for the places that have been recognized. ... It's not a bad thing."
Staff writer Chris Cassidy can be reached at ccassidy@salemnews.com.
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
