Lowell National Historical Park - Back to the Mills

Massachusetts has many museums tracing the richness of its history and heritage. And Lowell National Historical Park is a unique journey through America’s industrial revolution.

Lowell was built to harness the power of the Merrimack River as it plunges 32-feet over the course of a mile.

The power was captured by a dam and an ingenious canal system, and released to drive thousands of textile machines in the Lowell mills.

Lowell was at the forefront of the American Industrial Revolution and its heyday leading up to the middle of the 19^th century. At one time Lowell operated 10 mill complexes with more than 300,000 spindles and 10,000 looms producing a million yards of cloth each week. Cotton was transported from the southern fields to Lowell and turned into cloth.

Over time more efficient technologies introduced into other northern mills and lack of investment by the owners in the Lowell mills led to their decline and closing, and the city fell on hard times. But for a number of years Lowell was prosperous and it must have been impressive to see the thriving “miles of mills” operating at full throttle.

The Lowell National Historical Park comprises a number of tours and walks through this industrial city’s past. Start at the Park Visitor Center at Market Mills to plan your day.

Exhibits include Boott Cotton Mills Museum where you can see a 1910s weave room, experience interactive exhibits and watch videos. You can see how and where mill girls lived, and walk through exhibits covering the cultures of the immigrant labor force in the Working People Exhibit. Lowell pioneered the replacement of water wheels with turbines and you can see for yourself how this changed the efficiency of operating looms at the Suffolk Mill Turbine Exhibit.

But the true marvels of engineering were the system of canals and locks that made the operation of the mills possible. Take one of the tours out to see the Francis Gate/Guard Locks complex and also the Pawtucket Gatehouse – the largest in the canal system. You can also visit the Lower Locks – part of the older canal system – and Swamp Locks.

Lowell National Historical Park is operated by the National parks Service and find out more about the exhibits and operating times here: http://www.nps.gov/lowe

While in Lowell take some time to also visit the New England Quilt Museum and of course the city is home to the thriving campus of University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Massachusetts has many living museum destinations and scenic attractions and to discover more about what is on offer check out our Massachusetts Vacation Guide here.

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
New England Vacation Online Guide

Off-Season Cape Cod Getaway for Spring Break

I’m not suggesting the college spring break crowd head to Cape Cod instead of Florida but for those looking for a quieter party then consider the Cape.

It's way cooler.

If you’ve ever been to Cape Cod, Massachusetts during the summer then you’ll know at times, and in some places, it can feel like Panama City Beach in Florida at spring break. Lots of bodies and lines for everything and nowhere to park!

Off-season the Cape is a different world. Quiet and busy with residents going about their business. It’s true much of what attracts those for the warmer months is missing, such as beaches for swimming and tanning, whale watching, clam shacks, and miniature golf if you’re got kids. But there’s plenty left open off-season to enjoy about the Cape.

Popular activities you can still do during off-season getaways include: beach and dune walking, lighthouse viewing, bird watching, museums, historic sites, and shopping for antiques. And of course many hotels and inns offer special pricing during off-season months.

Cape Cod Beaches:

Cape Cod beaches are world-famous particularly those in the Cape Cod National Seashore Park. If you love to stroll along miles of unbroken white sand beaches then head out to Coastguard Beach in Eastham or Marconi Beach in Wellfleet. Both of these beaches offer miles of uninterrupted walking opportunities with steep cliffs as dramatic backdrop.

In the cold winter months these beaches can become frozen and easier to walk on. In addition the powerful, and sometimes devastating winter storms, change the landscape of all the beaches as sand is shifted around the peninsular. This makes for remarkable walks.

The Cape beaches have serious erosion issues and so when walking on these beaches keep off the cliffs and dunes as they’re fragile and also a habitat for nesting birds during spring. The best way of visiting the dunes of the Cape is by official tours operated by park rangers and Art’s Dune Tours.

Get your self orientated by visiting the Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor’s Center in Eastham on Route 6. You can find more Cape Cod beach information here.

Cape Cod Getaway Off-season Attractions:

Cape Cod Lighthouses are always a popular fascination and the Cape has 14 you can view and photograph. Access to view the inside is limited and you’ll need to research each for public viewing dates and times. Also a few are privately owned so you can only view them from a distance.

Nauset Light with its red and white stripes is the most photographed and has a history of being relocated a few times due to beach erosion. Other lighthouses along the same National Seashore coastline include Monomoy and Chatham Light, Highland Light, and Race Point, Wood End and Long Point Light in the Provincetown region.

Bird watching is always popular around the cape area even during winter. Spring is nesting time and for those that nest on the dunes there will be restricted access to specific beach areas. Popular places for bird watching include: Sandy Neck in Sandwich, Ashumet Holly Wildlife Sanctuary in Falmouth, Monomy National Wildlife Refuge in Chatham, and Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellfleet. More details on Cape Cod Bird-watching Destinations here.

Summer visitors know all about the tacky T-Shirt barns, fake lobster trap souvenirs and plastic gnome establishments that litter the major highways throughout the Cape. Most are shut during off-season. But if you know a good bargain when you see one or just like to browse antique shops then take a ride along Route 6A - better known as Old King’s Highway. I’m not saying they don’t have their own versions of plastic souvenirs but you’re more likely to come across something authentic and the ride is picturesque anyway.

Museums and historic sites are littered throughout Cape Cod. One mentioned earlier was Marconi Beach. Here you can find the remains of the famous Marconi Wireless transmitter used for the first historic transmission from the U.S to England.

Other places to visit include: John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster, Cape Cod Children’s Museum in Mashpee, Glass Museum and Heritage Museum and Gardens in Sandwich. The Heritage Museum closes during the winter but opens in spring – the gardens are famous for their Rhododendron displays so plan a visit in early May.

Cape Cod has some of the best biking trails in Massachusetts and they’re flat and paved. There are three paved paths but the longest is the Cape Cod Rail Trail that winds its way from Dennis to Wellfleet. You can either take your own or rent locally. My favorite section runs through Brewster to Nickerson State Park.

Where to Stay:

Staying on Cape Cod off-season usually means a hotel and Inns and/or Bed & Breakfasts. Rental homes are usually shut-up until the summer season approaches, although it’s always worth calling a Realtor to see if you can get something for a getaway lasting a week.

If there’s just the two of you looking for something modest then look for an Inn on the Outer Cape towns of Chatham, Orleans, Eastham and into Provincetown. Orleans has a number of Inns in the town and close to Nauset Beach in East Orleans.

Brewster and Chatham have some resort-type lodging such as Ocean Edge and Chatham Bars Inn, and for bed and breakfast check out the Chatham Old Harbor Inn and Cranberry Inn.

Hyannis is the largest town on the Cape and offers a wide variety of lodging and it’s central to most of the cape. There’s a number of hotels modestly-priced and with indoor swimming pools within striking distance of the town and you’ll be spoilt for restaurants and shopping at the Cape Cod Mall.

For more accommodation suggestions together with deals check out this Cape Cod Lodging Guide here.

If this article on Cape Cod has you thirsty for more information for planning a summer trip then check out our Cape Cod Vacations Online Guide.

Cliff Calderwood
Executive Director
New England Vacation Guide