New Bedford is the next Newport. Once one of the world's richest cities during the height of the whaling era, New Bedford's wealthy past is evidenced by the many old banks crowding the downtown area, along with the hundreds of huge historical whaling-era houses that are all over the city's West end. Visit the world-class whaling museam in the Historic district, or browse some of the ecclectic shops in the downtown area, look at a few of the very interesting art gallerys and artist studios, or eat in one of the beautiful bank-turned-restaurants (Such as Freestones or OceAnna). Plenty to do to keep you busy all day. If you want good food, try Antonio's a Portuguese restaurant off of Route 18 that is a local favorite. New Bedford is also home to the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in early August, the world's largest Portuguese cultural festival.
Pros: Easy to Park, Lots to do, Whaling Museam
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