New Bedford, along with Nantucket, which is accessible by ferry from Woods Hole ($25 round trip on Bonanza), were the two largest whaling ports in the United states before the decline of the industry in the second half of the 19th century.
For the intrepid, a two-hour ride on Amtrak from the South station brings you to Mystic, Conn. ($50 round trip), home of Mystic Seaport. The Seaport is an outdoor maritime museum, home to the last whaling ship in existence, the Morgan.
Mystic is also home to Mystic Aquarium, one of the largest in the country, and of Mystic Pizza, immortalized in a Julia Roberts movie of the same name.
Don't miss the opportunity to get out on the water yourself. Ferries ply the water between Boston and numerous small islands in Massachusetts Bay. Several groups run whale-watch cruises from Rockport and Gloucester on Cape Ann, and other leave from Cape Cod. Expect to spend about $25 for the trip.
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