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The Ugly Mug Diner in Salem, Massachusetts

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Salem, Massachusetts may be known as "Witch City" due to its horrific historic past as the site of the worst case of mass hysteria ever in Colonial America which led to the deaths of over 20 people, but there's a lot more to this Massachusetts North Shore destination than the Salem Witch Trials including a lot of great places to eat. As many times as I've eaten in Salem - and it's been a lot! - I have never once had a bad meal in a wide variety of restaurants. Not. Even. Once.  During one of my many wanderings to Salem, my Distracted Sidekick and I decided to check out  the  Ugly Mug Diner  as even though I am an admitted classic diner snob, I'm never adverse to trying out a diner that isn't housed in a historic dining car made by the Worcester Lunch Car Company or Fodero or Jerry O'Mahony or Kullman or … well, you get the picture! Out of all the possibilities laid before us in Salem, the Ugly Mug Diner had two things going for it that made me decide

Greetings from Rockland Maine!

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When the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) made its move from the small town of Rockport to a bright and shiny new facility in nearby downtown Rockland, the once gritty fishing town found itself to be the new hub of MidCoast Maine’s growing art scene, unseating Portland for the title of the “Arts Capital of Maine.” Making it even more of a we-should-go-there destination, downtown Rockland is also home to the venerable Farnsworth Art Museum, considered to be one of the finest small museums in the country; the restored historic Strand Theatre; over two dozen commercial art galleries; numerous specialty shops; and a flourishing culinary scene. Rockland Ferry Terminal Rockland is situated alongside Penobscot Bay putting it in the only region of the East Coast where the coastal mountains meet the sea. Known for its scenic beauty and dotted with a wealth of islands and small harbors, Penobscot Bay is roughly 40 miles long by 30 miles wide. Three of the major islands - Vinalhaven, Nor