Back in 1846, a candle factory was built by the Mitchell family just shortly after Nantucket’s Great Fire. Less than two years later, two island businessmen put their mind and money together in keeping the candle factory running until the end of the island’s whaling era in the 1860s. The building remained a warehouse before it became the New England Steamship Company’s offices and then finally converted into the NHA’s Whaling Museum in 1929. Since then, it has been dedicated to the history of whaling and restored for prime exhibition space, a fully accessible rooftop observation deck overlooking Nantucket harbor, and the sperm whale skeleton. In 2008, the whaling museum received accreditation from the American Association of Museums, which only 22 other museums have been awarded across the nation. Inside the museum you’ll find a vast array of whaling artifacts and memorabilia, including longboats, harpoons, and scrimshaw, but the centerpiece is the complete skeleton of a 46-foot bull Sperm whale suspended from the ceiling. They’re only open for a short period of time: September 7-October 31 from 10am to 5pm for $15 a person and an extra $3 to see the other historic sites around the area (Hadwen House, Oldest House, Old Mill, and Quaker Meeting House).

A 46-foot skeleton of a sperm whale that washed ashore on New Year's Day in 1998

The Rhode Island Watercolor Society (RIWS) is the oldest and largest watercolor organization in America. Since 1896, they have provided artists and the general public the opportunity to view, purchase, exhibit and learn about watermedia art. They offer classes for any level, demonstrations, workshops and even Saturday “Paint RI!” Paint Outs. One Saturday each month, RISW encourage their members to get together somewhere in Rhode Island for an outside painting group session to build painting experience, network with fellow RIWS members, and develop work for the annual Paint RI exhibition. They also organize educational trips to art exhibitions, which is a perfect way to get the young students out of school for a day. The art gallery, library and studio space is located in a historic lakeside “boathouse” in Slater Memorial Park. They’re open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm and Sundays 1-5pm.

For more information, contact RIWS or click on their website.

If you live North of Providence, RI and are traveling, the RIWS could be a great pit stop toward the Cliffside Inn for the perfect weekend or weeknight getaway. They are now promoting the all new Best of Newport Package for September & October 2009. It includes two nights in a deluxe State Room or Suite with the best rates, plus entry to The Breakers Newport mansion; Newport Harbor cruise and tour aboard The Gansett vintage wooden power boat; entry to Norman Bird Sanctuary; Cliff Walk map and walking guide; and the Destination Deal Book with $500 in savings at other attractions, restaurants, and shops. The Sunday Boston Globe has called the package Newport’s top luxury getaway value. Check room availability here but the Best of Newport Package can only be reserved by phone 401-847-1811.

Going northeast up Old Harbor Road for just about a half a mile is the Captain’s House Inn. The most distinctive Cape Cod bed and breakfast, the Captain’s House Inn is regarded by many respected lodging reviewers as “The Cape’s” finest smal inn. This four-diamond sea captina’s estate on two acres in Chatham, Massachusetts is the perfect choice for an affordable romantic getaway. There are four distinct facilities – the Main House, an 1839 Greek-Revival style mansion, the attached Carriage House, the luxurious Stables and the 200-year-old “bow roof cape” called the Captain’s Cottage. Find the right accommodation and check out their specials and packages to make your romantic getaway weekend perfectly fit for you.

Chatham Railroad Museum

Who would have ever thought just a simple general country store could be a must-see place to visit in New England. Nestled in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire is among the oldest store in the country and also one of the oldest surviving businesses of any kind. The Old Country Store and Museum off Whittier Highway in Moultonborough, NH is celebrating 228 years of being the “place to go” when you need something. What makes this general store so unique is the history behind it all. In 1777, General Jonathan Moulton sold the land to Samuel Burnam “with barnframe thereon”. It was sold again 2 years later then the store was publicized in the Hollands New Hampshire (printed in London, England) as the only building in town. Since that time, the Old Country Store and Museum hasn’t moved and has only blossomed. The list below is just a preview of what to expect at the store:

Visit the home of where infamous Pulitzer prize winning American poet, Robert Frost, unraveled his work in the early 1900’s. He is known for his realistic portrayal of rural life in New England by expressing his intricate social and philosophical ideas. His home for 5 years with Elinor Frost has now become The Frost Place, a non-profit educational center for poetry and arts owned by Franconia, NH. Since 1977, the Frost Place awards an emerging American poet one summer of full-board residency to flourish their mind and work. Every year this historical home hosts an annual Festival and Conference on Poetry for writers seeking classes and workshops, which have opened up to high school students, teachers’ conferences, and advanced seminars. The Frost Place is a “house museum” with spectacular views of the White Mountains and isn’t your typical museum with multi-media displays and cafes. It’s simply an exhibit in itself for you to see first hand exactly what Robert Frost lived in during his time. The museum is free of admission, welcome to donations, and opening hours are not all-year around.

About a one hour drive east through Crawford Notch State Park is The Inn at Thorn Hill who are having affordable July getaway packages. The Midweek ‘Spa-aaaah’ Getaway Package is added to any Midweek Room Rate with the addition of two 60-minute Swedish massages, two healthy, chef-made spa lunches, a complimentary half bottle of sparkling Prosecco upon arrival, and finally a three-course dinner. Also, for the entire month of July will be best available room rates for the month, midweek AND weekend. Book any two consecutive nights midweek and get the best rooms in the house for $259/per night. Check out their website for further restrictions on these fantastic, cheap, summer package deals.

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.”
- Robert Frost

YARMOUTH, ME

Always wondered what the world looked like from the outside? Take a trip to Yarmouth, Maine and you’ll be able to do just that at the Eartha exhibit in the DeLorme headquarters. This 3-dimensional, 42-foot scale model of our earth with mountains and landforms all in 3-D set the Guinness record for the “World’s Largest Revolving/Rotating Globe” in 1999. How did they make such a masterpiece? It took David DeLorme, the CEO of DeLorme, one full year to compile satellite imagery, shaded relief, colored ocean depth data, and information from actual earth grounds to create 140 gigabytes of mapping data. The Eartha’s lightweight aluminum surface is perfectly shaped to replicate the earth and then actually revolves on a specially designed cantilever arm while rotating on an axis. Every continent is meticulously detailed with vivid colors illustrating all levels of vegetation, major roadways and cities, and ocean depths. And best of all, it’s all free! The DeLorme headquarters are open Monday-Saturday from 9:30am to 6:30pm and re-opening on Sundays starting April 19, 2009. For more details call toll free at 1-800-642-097 or locally at 207-846-7100.

“Eartha is the largest image of earth ever created,” says DeLorme. “Eartha will instill a sense of wonder in people when they first see it and we hope they walk away from it with a better appreciation and knowledge of the world around them.”

With the few extra bucks you save visiting this New England attraction, put it towards a State of Mainer one-night getaway package at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, ME. You’ll receive the best room available in the entire inn for the lowest prices around including dinner and breakfast. Enjoy your Maine stay and your visit to our earth right before your eyes.

Essex, Connecticut

At the Museum of Fife & Drum learn about America’s visual and music background dated from the Revolutionary War to today. Listen to shrills of fife and the beats of long drums as you observe the numerous artifacts on display such as drums, fifes, military swords, uniforms, medals, awards, and photographs. If you enjoy colorful and upbeat parades, then this is the perfect place for you to visit on your next Connecticut River vacation. There will even be free concerts every Tuesday evening during July and August usually featuring two corps per night. If you’re a drum corp, club, historical society, or college/high school music group, call the museum at (860) 767-2237 to arrange for a group tour. The donations are only $3 for adults, $2 for youth (ages 13-17), and children under 12 are free. Click the link proceeding for travel directions. Not even one mile down Comstock Avenue is the Copper Beech Inn, a four-star country inn and four-diamond, wine-spectator-award winning restaurant. It’s located in the beautiful Connecticut River Vally aside the Long Island Sound shoreline nearby several charming historic towns, shops, attractions and many outdoor activities. Currently they are advertising a two-night Summer package highlighting an Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Cruise, champagne upon arrival, free dinner for two one night in Brasserie Pip, and VIP discount coupons for Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets. Add a 3rd night for 50% off the regular room rate and enjoy your stay in Ivoryton, Connecticut.

For 40 years now, the ZooQuarium in West Yarmouth, Massachusetts has provided a fun-filled family adventure for you to explore and discover the marvelous creatures that live close by to the busy roads of Cape Cod. At the Petting Zoo you can get right up close and feed the farm animals while learning how they came to be such an important part of human life. At the Aquarium, you’ll see up close the creatures that lurk the Cape Cod waters from Stripers to Lobsters, Frogs to Turtles. You can even pick up and touch the little critters that inhibit the shoreline at the Tidal Touch Pool. You may see hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, mussels, sea stars, urchins, clams, fiddler crabs, and much more. At the Zoorific Theater, the naturalists present and will teach you about the animals that you may have never gotten close to like skunks, alligators, or even hedgehogs. In one upcoming event (July 18 & 19, September 5 &6), the Rainforest Reptile Show from Beverly, MA will demonstrate why reptiles are so important to the planet and will let you get up close and personal with many different type of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. About 25 minutes east down Route 28, is a four-diamond sea captain’s estate nestled on two acres of Cape Cod soil now called the Captain’s House Inn. Check out their many specials and packages and enjoy a luxurious weekend in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Hay Cart - Photography by Allen, Frances and Mary (c. 1899)

One of the greatest treasures in Memorial Hall Museum and Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association in Old Deerfield, Massachusetts is the vast collection of Allen sisters’ prints and glass plate negatives. Frances Allen and Mary Allen are renowned for idealized photographs of country scenes, figure and child studies, and landscapes dating from 1885-1920. This excerpt from their photography journal in 1894 is a bit of insight to their work:

We use the camera simply as a quick way of sketching, and regard all the technical part, which comes after the exposure is made, as a necessary evil…. In pictures, artistic excellence is usually entirely at variance with what is called a perfect photograph. The eye cannot focus itself on every object in its field of vision at the same time. If a photograph does this, the effect is hard and unnatural. But there must be method in this madness. A picture is not necessarily beautiful because it is blurred, and there’s need of all one’s technical skill, even after a good negative is made, in adapting the print to its peculiar individual qualities.

The Memorial Hall Museum is open seasonally (May 1 – November 1) from 11 am – 5 pm, 7 days a week. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for youth and students aged 6 – 21. Only a few blocks away is the Deerfield Inn, a traditional country inn located in the center of this 350-year old landmark village. Right now they are running a special package to get a free third night at the Deerfield Inn! When you book a two-night weekend stay and extend your getaway into a Thursday or Sunday, that third night will be free! Also included is a twenty-five dollar credit towards food and beverage on your free room night. This offer is only for a limited time (June 18-July 25, August 14-September 6) so book soon and enjoy your stay in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Dream Team and Piston Coach Hall of Famer, Chuck Daly, passes away at 78
May 11, 2009

Chuck Daly in 1994 with his Hall of Fame Medallion

Chuck Daly gained worldwide fame as coach of the legendary Olympic Dream Team in 1992, but long before Barcelona and the gold medal, the twelve-year NBA coach was established as one of the game’s premier mentors. (Read more)

For all you extreme basketball fans or simply the interested, visit the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame museum in Springfield, MA and learn about the most incredible athletes of our past. Learn and understand the fascinating stories of legendary players and coaches whom performed phenomenally and touched many lives. Tickets run for no more than $17 and its usually open from 10am-4pm (click here for details on tickets and hours). After all the basketball excitement, you have plenty of choices of where to go for dinner: Max’s Tavern, Pazzo Ristorante, Cold Stone Creamery, j.Quincy’s & Samuel’s Sports Bar, Subway, Onyx Fusion Bar & Restaurant, and UNO Chicago Grill. Stop by the Official Museum Store online or in Springfield, MA and grab something suitable before visiting the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.