New Bedford, MA

After misreading the literature, Bill and I loaded up the dogs and took off for New Bedford. We understood that they had a dog area but when we arrived the brochure meant that we could walk them on a leash. But Rojo made the best of it. New Bedford is a quaint, old town with narrow, cobblestone streets.

It has an amazing amount of history. It was the whaling capital of the world. We crossed over a walkway to visit the working waterfront. Rojo picked up a whiskey bottle on the way and brought it with us. It employed large numbers of African Americans and quickly became a vehicle of the Underground Railroad. It was a place people of color could show up, find a job that took them away for long periods of time (5 months to 5 years) so they couldn't be caught and could earn a living. They had opportunity also because some became a mate and even a captain.

Herman Melville embarked there. Melville wrote Moby Dick considered to be one of America's greatest novels. He sailed on a whaling ship and learned about the life. Moby Dick is based on the true story of the Essex (an American whaling ship). Frederick Douglas began his career after running away from slavery. Douglas led the people of color in their fight for freedom. He was a powerful spokesman for equal rights.

We visited The New Bedford Whaling Museum. It was fascinating. There is a blue whale, a humpback whale and a right whale skeleton hanging in the lobby. One of the whales was killed by hitting a ship and she was pregnant so they had the skeleton of the baby in her belly. There was a exact model of a whaling ship that you could climb up in and look around. The museum had a replica of the quarters where the workers slept. There was also an amazing display of artwork as well as a nice gift shop.