Things to Do in Salem

Handcrafted by its nimble-fingered staff, Beadles’ voluminous selection of handmade jewelry began to burst the seams of the 1,500-square-foot Chelmsford store, prompting the launch of the newly minted Rockport location. The new location broadens Beadles’ epic spread of Swarovski crystals, acrylics, and kaleidoscopic glass, allowing browsers to purchase bauble ingredients by the piece or pre-assembled bracelets and necklaces. Crafters of all skill sets can put their purchases to use during free workshops or fashion their own custom creations during parties ideal for birthday girls, girl-scout troops, and newly chosen presidential nominees.

A maze of megalithic chambers and hallways made by man more than 4,000 years ago nestles into the snow- or moss-covered woods at America’s Stonehenge. Guests meander along a trail, marveling at one of the oldest constructions in the United States, complete with inscriptions, eating areas, and evidence of prehistoric art classes. Explorers delve into Stonehenge's history, learning about its use as an accurately aligned astronomical calendar, its role in the Underground Railroad, and the theories about who actually built it. Nearby, eight fuzz balls graze in the alpaca habitat, offering up skeins of yarn spun from their fluffy locks. Winter months coat the site's 105 sprawling acres with crunchy layers of snow, perfect for adventurous snowshoe outings or piggybacking on a snowman.

On his way to work one day, Andre Boucher spotted a hot air balloon, and on a whim he decided to follow it. He met it where it landed, and the aircraft's pilot offered to take Andre up for a ride. Ever since he was young, Andre had been fascinated by aviation, but airsickness and a codependent relationship with gravity always prevented him from enjoying it firsthand. But as he felt the basket drifting with the wind instead of battling against it, Andre knew he had finally found a way to experience flight. He has since acquired more than 23 years of professional experience, even lending his expertise to an elaborate promotional flight for Pixar's balloon-based film Up.

Andre now captains A&A Balloon Rides, LLC, where colorful carriages lift patrons between 500 and 2,000 feet above the lakes, treetops, and fields of New Hampshire. Guests can arrange private or group flights, and they can set up flown or tethered rides for school events, company picnics, or aerial-photography sessions, the latter of which can finally prove that birds fly on hoverboards.

Jason D. Boucher, a 2nd-generation FAA-certified commercial hot-air-balloon pilot, helms Serendipity_—his trusty hot air balloon—as it lifts passengers to the skies to reveal aerial views of southern New Hampshire's picturesque scenery. Taking flight 365 days a year––weather permitting––the _Serendipity allows passengers an unparalleled view of their favorite season, whether they prefer to take in spring's colorful blossoms, spot the glowing foliage of fall, or drag race flying reindeer during snowy months. Additionally, passengers can choose to summit the sky first thing in the morning and watch the sun rise or embark on a romantic evening flight as it dips down to illuminate the treeline.

When Brandy Hill opened her own studio, she named it after the banyan tree. This massive plant supports itself by perpetually extending new branches and roots—a quality that symbolizes eternal life in Hindu mythology. At Banyan Tree Yoga, she and her team of seasoned instructors hope to give students a sanctuary where they can put down roots and find balance through yoga, during a range of classes that range from therapeutic restorative yoga for women, to strength-building Vinyasa sessions.

Inside a spacious studio equipped with yoga blocks, a children's play area, and cubby holes for hermit-crab poses, yogis and their progeny can bond during Mommy and Me yoga, and moms-to-be can offload some of the muscular tension that comes from carrying an littlun in Prenatal classes. To set tots off on a lifelong path to fitness, Family Yoga sessions bring families together in an environment that is much more supportive than Dr. Spock's famous school, The Ignoratorium.