Trazzler

Travel find on Twitter: Trazzler! They have some more unique travel/trip planning ideas on their website. I plan on utilizing some of the ones I found for Washington D.C this weekend, but I did a search for New Bedford, Massachusetts & was pleased that 3 - quite unique -things came up.

Here they are, all suggestions & photos from the Trazzler website {which I highly recommend}:

1. Moby Dick Marathon: Perfect if you're a Herman Melville fan or if you want to read the book, but haven't gotten around to it yet. This year {2011} will be the 15th anniversary of this event -a 24 hour binge reading of Moby Dick {which was set in & mostly written in New Bedford}. I believe my father participated a few years ago & I know I have other relatives who, if not a reader, have definitely been listeners. I'm thinking about going this year since I will be around!

2. Feast of the Blessed Sacrament: This might be one of the things New Bedford is best known for in the present -even though it's been going on forever {founded in 1915}. I have never been & I know my Mémère has never been even though she has lived here her whole life. Could next year be the year? Being that New Bedford's population is, at present, 60% Portuguese it makes sense that the biggest Portuguese festival is held here. It's worth it for the food & wine -even though I'm not Portguese {hey, all my French Canadians!} I have enjoyed their food while in the city.

3.Whaling Museum: It's a big deal. Founded 107 years ago, it's still a big player in local preservation activities & maritime studies.

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Lizzie Borden

So, I failed to mention that I visited Salem, MA this past Sunday. It was a first for me - I know, so close & with all my interests, ugh! - & I have a lot of information to share that inspired me in some way for New Bedford. Hey - traveling can give you all sorts of ideas!

Anyways, before I delve into the heavy stuff I thought I would share this weird tid-bit with you. Salem has a Lizzie Borden museum. {Now, I know it's Wikipedia & all, but if you need a quick reference to who Lizzie Borden was visit this link.} I figure Salem had this museum to go along with the spooky/ghost/witch vibe, but what the heck! What a coincidence - I'm doing my thesis on New Bedford & I visit Salem for the first time & look what I find. Now the location for this odd piece of dedication is way off {Fair Haven is about 70 miles from Salem}, but, furthermore, why is there a whole museum in the first place?

The 40 Whacks Museum {classy} also had a gift shop selling dinnerware {plates, cups, etc} with Lizzie's visage & other gruesome icons in the "mystery."

I have to say I'm pretty opposed to this whole endeavor. What do you think? I know it's harmless fun & maybe I'm being a stickler for the historic facts -or what we know to be facts- but this does not interest me in the slightest, especially since it's been taken out of geographical context.

Wyck's Home Farm

In a few of my classes this past semester, we discussed Germantown - a neighborhood in Philadelphia, PA. What's so cool about Germantown is the relatively recent collaboration among their historic sites {aka Historic Germantown Freedom's Backyard}. Basically, each of the sites involved {more or less classic house museums set in a not so ritzy area} realized that they were struggling to make a profit/barely making ends meet &, worst of all, they were not connecting in any way with their neighbors. Some of the residents in Germantown didn't know these places existed or felt they weren't for them. So, these 15 historic groups formed a collaboration to make themselves more visible in the area - & a united front sort of makes it easier to apply for grants. They do events together in the neighborhood, offer 3 for 2 tickets, & so on & so forth. However, the place I found most interesting - for a very specific reason -was Wyck.

Wyck's thing is sort of agriculture & farming -all in an urban setting. They have a Home Farm that they wanted to put to use - especially as a way to connect with their neighbors. Created in 2007 with a few goals in mind: {quote taken from website} "The farm grows food for a weekly on-site farmers’ market; it stands as an interactive, outdoor classroom for local children and adults; it perpetuates Wyck’s 300 years old agricultural traditions; and it enhances the bucolic landscape that visitors to Wyck have long enjoyed."

Farmers markets & urban gardening are wonderful, wonderful things. But Wyck went further. They want to make this fresh, local food available & affordable to their neighbors, who, probably can't afford weekly shopping trips at Whole Foods. {Taken from website} "Customers can use food stamps and the $5 vouchers distributed through the federally funded Farmers Market Nutrition Program."

The section about their Home Farm ends with a lovely quote: "Urban farming, put simply, is farming with neighbors. And so the cultivation of food becomes a way to cultivate relationships. The multiple functions of the Wyck Home Farm allow us to develop these relationships and fulfill our mission to enrich and strengthen community life. We accomplish this by distributing fresh, chemical-free food within the neighborhood, by renewing Germantown’s history, and by serving as both an educational and aesthetic resource."

I did some sleuthing around the Massachusetts Farmer's Markets website to see if Food Stamps {or some equivalent} were accepted at local markets in this state. Turns out 38 Farmers Markets in Massachusetts accept SNAP. View the complete list of these here. That's not a wicked big amount & most of them are located in Boston, very close metro-Boston towns, or in nearby North Shore areas. The South Shore is lacking representation, especially towns in Bristol County {aka where New Bedford is located}. Now, New Bedford has a Farmer's Market -actually it has 3! Located at Brooklawn Park, Wings Court, & Clasky Common. View complete list here. That's great, actually, & all on different days: Monday, Thursday, & Saturday. So, a lot of options, but none accept SNAP - could be something to consider?

Traveling Ideas

Sorry for the lack of posting, but to be honest I haven't done much in the way of actual research of the book-reading or thesis-writing sort. I have, however, been traveling the East Coast {or at least the northern half of it} for the better part of this last week. My sister came to visit & I took her to Baltimore, Washington D.C., & Philadelphia. Then we drove back to New England {9.5 hours total with 4 of that being spent on the G.W bridge - excellent!} & then spent the last few days in northern Vermont. All this time driving & walking about these different places got me thinking about what makes a place "visit-able" or not & how does one decide what sort of economic development is appropriate for a particular town or city?

Earlier last week I was thinking about planning a trip to the Outer Banks, specifically Okracoke Island {on a suggestion from some friends} - since I have never been. The idea was thrown out after looking at my bank account, but researching the island started a few thoughts. Foremost being that they have outlawed any chains - restaurants, hotels, etc. What a great idea! No better way to get rid of everything-looks-the-same-itis than to legally make a place find a way to be unique, stay how it is, or avoid McDonalds & Walmarts.

My travels later in the week, the ones mentioned above, also provided opportunities for thesis-thoughts. Here's the breakdown:

1. Baltimore: What does a place do with houses, buildings, & other abandoned structures that are not really loved so much anymore? They surely provide character, but they don't make me feel safe. Second - & this discusses the Inner Harbor area - what makes a redevelopment project successful or not? Incorporation of appropriate heritage using recognizable building materials? Or having recognizable chains represented {i.e Urban Outfitters & The Cheesecake Factory}?

2. Washington D.C: Should museums be free, is this a good way to get people downtown & to share art/culture with residents? What sorts of things need to be in city neighborhoods to make people want to work & live there trendy bars, cupcake shops, Whole Foods, or can it be more appropriate to the socioeconomic level of residents?

3. Philadelphia/other nearby areas of Pennsylvania: What is the best way to give equal representation to all people involved in the history of an area - important people achieving things on paper/historic record vs. workers/buildings {i.e Presidents House hullabaloo outside of the Liberty Bell Center, certain historic homes in the Germantown area}? At what point does heritage tourism go from educational/interesting/empowering for locals/characteristic to just plain tacky? Would people be interested in summer history camp {i.e available at the Brandywine Battlefield}?

4. Vermont: Farmers Markets, agritourism, microbrewery tours, local handcrafts, & letting land go "undeveloped" to maintain a sense of character & authenticity - are these things only appropriate in more rural areas or can this local & authentic mindset be transported into a city with people from many different backgrounds & income levels?

5. Highways, roads, driving: My nightmare of a drive home gave way to one giant {& perhaps a little annoyed} thought. We have got to get some cost & time effective, non-automobile forms of transportation in this country! I'm sure I'll discuss the various platforms of sustainability in train travel {from a social equity point-of-view at least} later on, but seriously!