Perhaps masts and sails are now reserved for pleasure yachts and cargo is now carried aboard boxy, less-than-glamorous freighters and container ships, but seagoing trade and tradition is alive and well in New Bedford. If part of the charm of a New England port city is the ability to look outward from land and see a working waterfront, there is no better place in New England.

Like many South Coast, Cape and Islands ports, New Bedford's courageous young men once set sail in search of whales, traveling to all corners of the globe in their quest. New Bedford has always held their memory dear. The New Bedford Whaling Museum, recently merged with the Kendall Whaling Museum of Sharon, Massachusetts, tells their story in all its glory.

The whole region, in fact, has more to tell you than you can take in during a single visit. Fairhaven, across the Acushnet River, offers architecture buffs the walking tour of a lifetime. Standard Oil millionaire Henry H. Rogers poured his expendable cash into the town's public buildings, leaving Fairhaven today with some of the most picturesque downtown views in all of New England. Padanaram, on the other hand, is filled with splendid private homes and gorgeous water views.

The area is also home to the Hetty Green Museum which chronicles the life of that remarkable eccentric who became the richest woman in the world, the Buttonwood Park Zoo, innumerable art gallerys, and a steady stream of cultural festivals at local parks. How do you like your downtime, with a heavy dose of New Bedford, a side of Fairhaven and an after dinner Padanaram?

Then again, you've got the time. Why choose? See them all.

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