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Photo Travel Essay of Fairhaven and
Mattapoisett, Mass.
"Two coastal Massachusetts towns that remain true to their roots"
A
section of downtown Fairhaven, Mass., featuring the Millicent Public
Library (front right) and Fairhaven Town Hall (photos by Eric H.)
Article and photos by Eric H.
While many coastal towns
have become gentrified, refined and overly precious and touristy, towns
like Fairhaven and Mattapoisset remain joyously normal and
unpretentious. On a recent day trip to these southeastern Massachusetts
towns east of historic New Bedford here are some
observations...
Fairhaven
Fairhaven is more than a fair haven.
Ideally located just over the bridge from urban New Bedford, you'll
find plenty of coastal scenery in Fairhaven where the Acushnet River
flows into
Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. Fort Phoenix State
Reservation on Green St. offers some nice public beachfront where
swimming and hiking are most popular. The most impressive part of
Fairhaven, however, is the historic downtown district where you'll can
still feel the whaling and shipbuilding feel in the air. Fairhaven, in
fact, was once --along with New Bedford -- one of the most important
whaling centers in the United States. The mix of sea captain's homes,
well-maintained smaller (but still pretty big) colonial and Victorians
and public buidlings are perhaps one of the most impressive I've seen
in New England. The stately gothic tall brick Town Hall, the Italian
Renaissance Millicent Library, and the English Gothic Unitarian
Memorial Church -- with its castle-like look and beautiful front lawn
-- will
all make you want to walk around the block again and again. I did just
that!
The downtown is small but tree-lined and charming and includes a few
restaurants, an old barber shop and a Fairhaven Visitor's Center that
offers walking tours of the historic Fairhaven district. Usually, I
want more stores in a downtown, but in small town Fairhaven it doesn't
matter: here, it's
just nice to walk the area and admire all the architectural history and
water views. Plus, with plenty of restaurants and stores on commercial
Route 6 and an excellent dining and shopping scene in the Historic
Whaling District of New Bedford, you'll do just fine.
Also of significance in Fairhaven is the Elizabethan style
Fairhaven High
School and a 3.5 mile bike trail with nice views of the water.
Fairhaven is truly beautiful. It doesn't get much press, but it has
plenty of pull with us, given its pure New England coastal beauty with
a significant amount of well-preserved history. Book
a hotel room at the lowest rate in Fairhaven
Mattapoisett
Shipyard Park in Mattapoisett
(photo by Eric )
My wife, Joan, used to
vacation in Mattapoisett during childhood with her family (the
Kerrigans) where the brothers and sisters, mom and dad, and relatives
gathered for memorable times swimming, picnicking, clam digging and
boating.
The town doesn't look much different than 40 years ago with well-kept
summer homes and rentals and pleasant modest Cape Cod-like residential
neighborhoods. The Town Hall looks like a home, too, nestled in a
residential neighborhood. Upon arriving at Mattapoisett, you can
instantly see and feel the appeal of
Mattapoisett with some
wonderful Buzzards Bay coastal views and recreational opportunities at
Shipyard Park and the Town Beach. There's no hype, bright
lights, obnoxious souvenir shops or overpriced restaurants. What you
see is what you get -- a nice, relaxed community that wouldn't look out
of place on the roads less traveled at Cape Cod.
Back in the day, the Kerrigans always gathered at the Nest Diner where
hard-working Uncle Joe provided comfort food. The Nest is now called
The South Coast Local (81 Fairhaven Rd., Route 6) and serves breakfast,
lunch and dinner. I arrived early at the diner and was the
only one in the dining room. Eventually, many locals arrived sharing
relaxed conversation with one
of its owners, Sherry. I told Sherry about Joan's family and The Nest
and she knew and appreciated the diner's lineage. As
validation of Sherry's respect for the diner, Joan said the diner
hadn't
changed much at all after viewing the photos I took. Sherry and her
husband Bill, who is an
accomplished local chef, have kept the place spotless and meticulous
with not a glass or plate out of place behind the counter.
I sampled a delicious light but tangy New England clam chowder and tuna
melt, and will
definitely be back. Nice to see a diner that holds onto to its past
while taking pride in its current presence. "We make
everything from scratch!," exclaimed Sherry before I returned home.
While at home, I kept going back to my digital camera to see the photos
of Fairhaven and Mattapoisett. Like visiting other places, one of my
main criteria of a "A List" travel destination is "Does this place
serve as just a travel destination or could you
picture yourself living here?" While I strongly believe that a travel
destination should serve as an escape from the routine, I also value
the sense of place of a community. Preservation, nice people, a
balanced quality of
life are just a few of the criteria I look at when evaluating a town or
city. With Fairhaven and Matapoisett, the answer is an enthusthiatsic
"Yes!" to being nice travel destinations and "real places." Look
forward to returning soon!
South Coast Local Diner (photo
by Eric H.)
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