New Bedford-For a Whale of a Good Time

New Bedford has a long maritime history. Whaling came here is the late 1700's and soon brought all the other business' that support the trade. One of the founding families was the Rotch family. We visited the home of one of the grandsons of the family and got a firsthand look at the wealth and prestige that the whaling trade brought to the shipowners.

The restored downtown area is very attractive. The cobble streets give the impression that this is a pedestrian zone. It isn't, so be careful, cars seem to race through the area.

We began our visit at the Whaling Museum.The downtown has a visitor center which you may want to visit first. I already had a good map and it was helpful. The Whaling Museum is a very popular stop, especially with children. It's a very hands-on kind of place. A harbor front aquarium complex is in the works and should be opened with the next couple of years making this an even more family oriented destination. Take the time to visit the Seamen's Bethel which is a Chapel made famous by Herman Melville in Moby Dick. It is right behind the Whaling Museum.

We did a little shopping downtown at the Bedford Merchant and also had dinner in the same area. There were several good choices, but when we returned on Sunday , almost all the restaurants were closed.

Quick Tips:

If you want to do some serious shopping then the Vanity Fair Outlet is the place to go. It is 3 exits west on I 195 from downtown . If you want real outlet shopping, Fall River is about 15 miles west and they invented the factory outlet.

We like to antique and have driven to New Bedford before just to go the the New Bedford Antique Company, a 250 dealer shop. It opens at noon on Sundays so we had time to grocery shop (I found a discount grocer, believe it or not) at Price Rite, visit the Whale Town Flea Market, go to church and have breakfast before we went antique shopping.

Best Way To Get Around:

Drive to the city. There are lots of one way streets but parking wasn't a problem at this time of year. There is a parking garage on Elm Street near the Whaling Museum, if you can't find on street parking. The streets have parking meters. We found a spot on Elm, for a quarter you get 45 minutes. The meters only take 2 quarters which means you will have to return several times if you plan to make a day of it. There is also a trolley bus that can take you to the major sites and one stop is right near the Elm St. garage.

What lured me here was a rate of $53. This is my first ever stay at a Days Inn. I had a very mixed reaction. The lobby was quite attrative. Service at the desk was slow but one girl was being trained. The trainee was very nice, the trainer needed attitude adjustment. I think it was the comment "we have to guarantee more than the room rate to cover damage to the room" comment while I stood there with others at the desk, that first turned me off. Yes, I do look like the type who gets rowdy in a room but does the whole world have to know that?

They have a convention center here and certainly all the decorating money has gone into furnishing the public areas. The pool area is particularily attractive and the part of the motel that is adjacent to the pool area is also nice , not so our room.

Ours was a no smoking room. It was obvious as soon as we opened the door that this had not always been the case. It reeked of stale smoke. The curtains (pink) and bedspread(blue and orange floral) didn''t match, not even the same color family, and the furniture was pretty used looking. The tub was fiberglass and scratched looking. Also there was a glaring lack of hot water in the shower.

Now least you think this whole report is bad, its not. The bed was large, the bedding was clean, there were extra pillows on a shelf and it was quite comfortable. There was an extra large remote control color tv in the room with a variety of channels offered. The bathroom had a coffee maker and a hair dryer and also an amenities basket. There were ice,water and soda machines in the hall . The Pool was large, indoor and heated and there is a laundry with washers and dryers.

In the morning a very simple continental breakfast was offered: coffee, juice and muffins.

Soundproofing is also an issue here. We could hear every door closing, every step and every word from the hall.

Would we return here? No, but if you have kids this might be just the place for you. The pool would certainly be a draw.

I loved this place as soon as we walked in the door. I described the decor as Victorian brothel/pub . The ceiling was bright pink, there are lights with fringed shades, ceiling fans, door ways with tied back curtains and lots of heavily carved wood.

I started off with a drink called a Hawaiian Killer Whale. It was hot cider with coconut rum and a cinnamon stick, served in a crystal Irish coffee mug with cinnamon sugar on the rim. Need I say more. It was fabulous. And on a cold February day it warmed me all the way through. If it wasn't for the $5 price tag I would have had several.

We split an appetizer of Maine and New Bedford Crabcakes. They are a combination of Maine crab and New Bedford scallops. They are served with two sauces, one a sweet aioli and the other a salsa. There are two really good sizes cakes, nice texture and very tasty.

Another appetizer that tempted me was fondue. Not a usual offering. Since I had just had the fabulous fondue in Switzerland I figured I would wait for another visit to try the fondue here.

We both chose City Grill Wrappers for our meal. They are large totillas wrapped around different fillings. I had a cheddar tortilla with Jamaican Chicken and Al had Roast Beef in a garlic/herb tortilla. They were both well stuffed and excellent. They are served with kettle chips and a pickle spear. We were only able to manage half of the wrap so we took the other half for our late evening snack.

They have lots of seafood and steak offerings here as well as burgers, soups,chili, salads and sandwiches. The special was a lemon-pepper swordfish. They also have a seafood chowder which is a specialty of the house.

Service was efficient and we would certainly return here again. We were too full to try the desserts but they certainly looked worth a try (the people at the next table tried several).

If you want to eat among the locals, to enjoy a good working class taste of New Bedford, you'll enjoy this restaurant.

We found it because it was listed in an ad at our hotel. It said that they had the best breakfast in New Bedford. Who could resist?

We arrived around 8am on Sunday morning. It was packed, we got the last table a small 2 seater. Our waitress was young and very bubbly. There are specials here if you arrive before 8am. $1.50 for 2 panckes or 2 eggs. Also we found out later if you order any egg dish you get your coffee free.

This is good honest food made with fresh ingredients. The front of the menu has a quote from Escouffe which is the goal of the modest eatery. They offer pancakes, if you want you can have chocolate chip or blueberry, French toast , Texas or regular, they can be stuffed with bleuberry or apple pie filling. Omelets of all sorts and if you want to eat like a local try the one with linguica in it.

I had Texas french toast,6 fat halfs served with butter and syrup. Very tasty syrup, not real maple but very interesting. Al had 3 perfectly cooked fried eggs, toast and home fries.

Service was perfect. We got as much coffee as we wanted without ever having to ask. We were surrounded by groups of vocal locals and everyone seemed to be enjoying the food and the company.

The decor is simple with a fishing theme as you would expect in New Bedford and where else could you have a good solid breakfast for $7. It was certainly the best bargin breakfast we've ever had.

This is a great place to learn not only about whaling, but about whales . You also get an intersting history lesson about New Bedford and the people who made it the city it is today.

The first exhibit that catches your eye as you walk in the door is the 66 foot skeleton of a young blue whale. In March 1998 it was discovered off the coast of Rhode Island, after having been accidentally struck and killed by a ship. It was 4-6 years old and weighed 50 tons. The skeleton itself weights 4 tons and it's an impressive sight hanging from the ceiling.

We arrived on Saturday around 2:30 pm. There is a family program called Saturdays at Sea from 2-4 on Saturdays. We were regaled with songs of the sea and we could hear them telling stories about adventerous seamen (a whale of a good tale, I gathered). Children and their families were sitting around on what looked like sea chests listening. Children with extra energy can climb around on the Fo'c'scle which is right behind the stage. This is a mock up of the sleeping quarters and the cutaway deck of a ship.

There was a nice hands-on exhibit that lets you hear the different sounds that whales make. Different breeds have a very different call. Part of the same exhibit told facts about the different breeds, size, weight, breeding habits, etc. We watched one little boy and he was facinated by the sounds.

I enjoyed the cases full of scrimshaw. There were some lovely pieces, some pratical some sheer whimsy. I never knew that the sailors would carve scenes on whalebones stays so that their sweethearts could wear them close to their hearts. There was also several cases about the early Quakers who settled New Bedford and also New Bedford's role in the Underground Railroad.

The Bark Lagoda has a room to itself. You can go in and climb aboard this whaling ship model 89 feet long ( it is 1/2 size). You get a real feel for a whaling ship even in the smaller size.

There is an observation deck off the back of the building where you get a wonderful view of New Bedford Harbor and it becomes obvious that fishing is still a very important part of life here.

The second floor offers art work by local artists as well as an interesting exhibit about Joshua Slocum who circumvented the world. The exhibit features pictures taken of him along his route as well as articles relating to the voyage and his mysterious disappearance.

This is a very enjoyable museum and can be done in about an hour. There is a nice gift shop with some high quality tee shirts and also lots of things that children will enjoy as well as a great selection of books on New Bedford and whaling.

William Rotch (pronounced Roach) Jr, grandson of Joseph Rotch (who brought the whaling trade to New Bedford) built his mansion on County St in 1834. He chose Richard Upjohn as his architect. Upjohn was an unknown at the time who would go on to design the Connecticut State Capitol Building, Trinity Church on Wall St and Kingscote in Newport. What is truely unique about this property is that the gardens and grounds have remained intact for over 160 years. The style he chose was Greek Revival and its simplicity was very compatible with his strong Quaker ethics.

William and his second wife lived in the house until his death in 1850. His daughter then sold the house to Edward Coffin Jones another whaling merchant. His daughter Amelia was 2 years old when she moved into the house and she lived there for the next 85 years.

At her death Mark Duff bought the house. His money had its origins in the whale oil business. In 1981 the house was purchases by the Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) and it was transformed into a museum.

Your visit begins in the gift shop. We had to ring the doorbell to gain entrance. After paying the entrance fee $4 ($3 with AAA) we were given a tape recorder to take around with us. It has a 30 minute, very interesting tour. It gives lots of details about the house itself and the 3 families who lived here. It's okay if you're the only one visiting but soon we could hear the people behind us , great I guess if you happened to miss anything on the first time through the tape.

The tour begins in the double parlors. They have the doors that melt into the walls to allow the 2 parlors to become one large room. Amelia Jones piano and her picture are in the back parlor or music room.

Upstairs you get a real feeling for the improvements made by the Duff family. The bathrooms are art deco with modern European shower heads. All the rooms look like the owners have just stepped out. There are clothes laid across the beds and the closets are full. You even get to see what the well dressed maid would have worn in the maids closet.

You see elements of each of the three occupants on the tour. It isn't like visiting the mansions in Newport, you actually feel like you could live in this house. Look for the special luxury touches though, check out the Pierpoint, Mount Washington and Waterford chandeliers and the ivory spot on the newell post.

It was rainy and cold so we didn't visit the gardens but they looked attractive even in February. And finish up your visit with a stop at the small gift shop.

This is one of those great little gift shops that you find in most New England towns. I was drawn in by their candle display and soon found myself fascinated by the Lang Mugs. These mugs look like arts and crafts designs, Hudson River School maybe. They come with heavy cardboard boxes that match them. I had to buy one. It has a bird design in dark red colors. It will make a great gift for a bird loving friend of mine.

Next I wandered through a room of antique reproduction metal ware. Door stops and antique toys. Very interesting.

They have a full line of Yankee candles and also aromatherapy candles. If Crabtree and Evelyn is something you like, they have a nice selection of that as well.

My next stop was the kitchen section. I love Gooseberry cook books and I found one of never seen before. It is a collection of bakesale recipes. Always handy to have. They also had some nice dish towels and lots of seasoning packets for dips etc.

Finally I worked my way back to the Christopher Radko ornament section. Thank goodness ornaments loose their appeal for me right after Christmas because they had a pretty extensive collection. Add to this snowbabies and Boyds Bears and I'm in collectors heaven.

This is a nice shop with friendly people. They suggested we try Freestones for dinner and we happily did.

They also have a web site www.bedfordmerchant.com

For me, this is outlet heaven. This isn't one of the new modern outlet malls. It isn't slick or even very pretty. I have been coming here for over 20 years because everything is 1/2 off the lowest price on the tag. This can mean fabulous savings. I got Al a pair of Docker style Lee slacks for $18. Where else could you do that?

As you would expect there are racks of Vanity Fair underwear, nightgowns and bathrobes. But there is so much more than that here. There are Lee jeans, shirts, underwear,socks and slacks for men, women and children. There are also rack after rack of Healthtex childrens and baby clothes. There are other brands as well. Certainly you can find almost anything you might want.

But if you don't, you can try one of the 13 other stores in the building. We got some great buys at the Van Heusen Store. But we spent the most time at the Book Warehouse II. Romance novels for $.95 , westerns same price, travel books $3.95, cookbooks $4.95. We paid $32 for a huge bag of books. A bag like this at a regular bookstore would be $150 or more.

There is a shoe store, Samsonite, The Paper Factory and more. You can spend several hours here, very enjoyably.

And there were certaily plenty of bargains to be had.