pet sematary | Petite Retreater

*Exeter, New Hampshire, birthplace of John Irving, the novelist.*

National Read A Book Day is observed annually on September 6. We’re feeling a little bookish this month and are ready for an adventure that’s one for the books!

Take a page from our Book Tour travel guide, and head to these cities that were either the setting for a famous book or the hometown and/or inspiration for some of the most famous authors in the US.

*Cozy cabins at* ***Narrows Too*** *in Bar Harbor, Maine.*

One of the most prolific writers of horror and supernatural fiction, Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine. Plan a trip to Maine and stay with us in a cozy cabin at our Bar Harbor resorts, Mt. Desert Narrows and Narrows Too, and then head about an hour northwest and explore the town of Bangor. In addition to seeing King’s current residence, you can check out some sites related to King’s novels in Bangor that include the Paul Bunyan Statue located in Bass Park that was featured in It, and Mount Hope Cemetery which was featured in Pet Sematary.

*Fisherman’s wharf in Monterey, California.*

John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, and the area became the inspiration for so many of his classic novels. Book a stay in a cabin, cottage, or ultra-unique safari tent at Morgan Hill RV Resort and you’re less than 50 miles from Steinbeck’s California. Visit Monterey, the setting for his acclaimed Depression-era novel Cannery Row, which depicted life in the town known as the Sardine Capital of the World. Don’t miss the Cannery Row tour. The town was also the setting for Tortilla Flat, the novel that earned both commercial and critical success for the author. Steinbeck’s home and the National Steinbeck Center can be found in Salinas.

John Irving, author of many novels including The World According to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire, is a native of New Hampshire and attended the University of New Hampshire. If you’re considering a stay with us at the Tuxbury Tiny House Village in South Hampton, you’ll be less than 10 miles from Exeter, which is not only Irving’s birthplace, but also the model for the town of Gravesend, featured in the bestseller, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Fans of the movie Cider House Rules, which was based on Irving’s novel of the same name, will be interested to know that three scenes from the movie were filmed at the Northfield Drive-In in Hinsdale, which is still in operation and is about 100 miles from the Tuxbury Tiny House Village.

*Tiny house Lucy at* ***Sunshine Key Tiny House Village*** *in Big Pine Key, Florida.*

Ernest Hemingway and Key West, Florida, pretty much go hand in hand. Not only did he write about Key West in his novel To Have and Have Not, but he also spent many years living on the island. Undoubtably one of Key West’s most famous residents, the town honors Hemingway every July during Hemingway Days. Book a stay with us at the Sunshine Key Tiny House Village (where we have a tiny house named after him!) and head down to explore Hemingway’s Key West. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, which is located in the house in which Hemingway lived for over 10 years, offers tours of the home and garden. The Blue Heaven saloon was a favorite of the authors and visitors today can enjoy breakfast or lunch here. Another favorite Hemingway haunt was Sloppy Joe’s. Famous for its sandwich of the same name, the bar pays tribute to Papa with an annual look-alike contest.

From old Hollywood westerns to horror films, many movies are filmed on location. For your next stay at a Petite Retreat, check out some iconic locations of some of your favorite films. There are many more than this list, so share with us your favorite places to visit that are the backdrop to some of Hollywood’s most famous scenes in the comments!

Old Hollywood Westerns – Pioneertown, CA

Founded by a group of Hollywood investors in the mid-1940s, Pioneertown was built to be a movie set worth visiting. Over 50 movies were filmed here including ones that starred some of its founders like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, but it also had things for visitors to do like bowling alleys, saloons, and ice cream parlors. While movies aren’t filmed here anymore, Pioneertown sees plenty of visitors each year who come to catch mock-gun fights, see live music at world-famous Pappy & Harriet’s, and get a taste of what the old west was like. Or perhaps even, what the old Hollywood version of the old west was like!

Pioneertown is about a 45 to 60-minute drive from Palm Springs RV Resort. Visit the Colorful Cottages at Palm Springs RV Resort.

Rocky – Philadelphia, PA

If you’ve seen the movie, Rocky, or even if you haven’t, you know the iconic training montage of Rocky Balboa as he runs up the 72 stone steps that lead to the Philadelphia Art Museum. He reaches the top and throws his fists in the air and he is ready to enter the boxing match that will change his life forever. You too can huff and puff your way up the steps to the museum and remember to take a photo when you get to the top – the view of the City of Brotherly Love from the museum is spectacular.

Spring Gulch RV Campground is about an hour drive to Philadelphia, PA.

Hocus Pocus – Salem, MA

This cult classic film starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy may have debuted over 25 years ago, but the film is still beloved by so many. Every year, lovers of this classic Halloween film head to Salem to visit some of the main haunts of the film. Visit the Old Town Hall on Essex Street where the Halloween party scene takes place; or Salem Common, where many of the outdoor scenes were filmed and is also where Hocus Pocus is screened every year in October!

Tuxbury Pond RV Resort, home to the Tuxbury Tiny House Village, is about a 45-minute drive from Salem, MA.

Pet Sematary – Bangor, ME & Hancock, ME

Whether you’re a lover of horror fiction or not, Stephen King is one of those infamous names linked to horrifying stories and films. Maine is where many of King’s frightening stories take place including one of his most beloved, Pet Sematary. The 1989 movie was filmed mostly in the towns of Hancock and Bangor. In one of the scenes, King makes a cameo as a minister presiding over a funeral, and filming of this scene took place at Mount Hope Cemetery in Bangor, ME. The famous red-roofed, yellow house from the film can be seen from the street in Hancock, ME.

From Mount Desert Narrows Camping Resort, Hancock, ME is about 25 minutes; and about an hour drive from Bangor, ME.

Make your reservations for your next getaway at a Petite Retreats location, today!

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