“Fishing provides that connection with the whole living world. It gives you the opportunity of being totally immersed, turning back into yourself in a good way. A form of meditation, and a form of communion with levels of yourself that are deeper than the ordinary self. “ –Ted Hughes

Last summer was the first time I was lucky enough to experience a large-scale fishing trip out of the Port of New Bedford. What a great learning experience! I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I gained from such a simple summer excursion. I am calling attention to all those who think dealing with fish is grimy, hard work, and no play. You have been misled!

Though fishing is a lot of hard work for the professionals, for the Average Joe there are some serious perks in learning how to fish. For a reasonable price you can spend an awesome morning learning a new hobby, while at the same time taking home dinner for the next month or so.  That’s right: On almost all boats, you keep what you catch! So if you are looking for a fun, outdoor activity that will also save you money on food, here it is.

Catching fish is almost a 100% guarantee on these boats, so don’t fear that you won’t be able to successfully grasp the technique; if there is a worm, the fish will bite! Fish can be frozen and some can be saved up to 6 months – 1 year, so you don’t need to worry about catching too many fish!

Ladies…spending ridiculous amounts of money on tanning beds is not the way to go. Instead, plan a weekly fishing trip with some friends and you’ll realize that the fastest way to get a natural tan is to head out on a boat for six hours! And as long as you are taking care of yourself, remember that fish is a great food for the health-conscious individual, especially one who is trying to lose a few pounds (or keep them off) for that summer body. They are healthy and low in fat, and since we live so close to the ocean, we always get them fresh.

A fishing trip is also a great way to meet people.  Fishermen and women travel from surprisingly far distances to sail these seas in the hopes of catching fish. I met all sort of people from lots of different areas in the country, locals and tourists, near and far.  I even met some people from Pennsylvania that made a day trip here to experience the charter fishing boats of New Bedford, and to bring home some delicious sea bass and porgies.

Some people might say: “Well, even though  I would love to go fishing, I get sea sick.”  Fear not! I have an answer for you.

You can buy bracelets at any drug store that specifically help against motion and/or sea sickness. Through acupressure technology, the bracelet applies pressure to parts of the body so that the transmission of motion sickness is blocked and cannot be registered by the brain. If that technique fails, have confidence in knowing that a lot of charter boats let you B.Y.O.B. or they have a bar area on board, so there’s always the option to enjoy a nice beer or a mimosa to take the edge off.

Listed below are some of the fishing charters offered here in New Bedford:

Captain Leroy’s
(508)-992-8907
www.captainleroys.com

Cape Shark Marine Sport Fishing Charters
(877)-739-0186
www.capesharkmarine.mysite.com

Bottom’s Up Charters
(508)-673-4572

Bounty Hunter Fishing Inc.
(508)-748-3474
http://www.fishbountyhunter.com/

Captain Chip Genthner’s
(508)-995-8518

Captain Ken Murry’s
(508)-999-4999

Many local businesses give discounts on fishing charter trips out of New Bedford, such as the UMass Dartmouth Marine Biology Department or SMAST.  You can also check out the New Bedford Public Library and the New Bedford Whaling Museum for exclusive discounts on fishing trips.

This summer, don’t miss your chance to take advantage of one of the great opportunities New Bedford has to offer by going on a charter fishing trip. Not only will you be profiting from this trip, but you will also be supporting one of the largest historic fishing cities in the country.  So come out and enjoy the sun in New Bedford!

When one thinks of wine in America they imagine it coming from the popular Monterey, Napa and Sonoma Valley regions of California.  Some might also recognize the new and ever-popular Washington State varieties.  These so-called “New World” wines are rapidly becoming popular with wine lovers nationally and worldwide as well.  Wines produced outside the usual growing areas in Europe are considered New World wines.  These wines are produced in places like Argentina, Chile, Australia, Canada, and the United States. What people may not realize is that there is a fledgling wine industry right here in Massachusetts.

The first thing you need to know about wineries is how they use the land and ecosys­tem to grow their grapes.  Grapes are obviously the foundation of any wine.  The end result of these grapes is that they are transformed into popular bottles of wine, such as Westport Rivers Brut Cuvee Champagne.  Climate, harvesting traditions and local knowledge are essential factors in the characterization of the grapes involved in making wine.

There are 24 wineries currently located in Massachusetts, four of which are located within a few miles of New Bedford.  For those of you who love wine, who want to learn about it, or for those just looking for something new to experience, New Bedford Guide would like to point out these local wineries and the services they offer.

The first winery we have is Travessia Urban Winery, located in downtown New Bedford. The growers offer selec­tions of merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, and their new Bas­tard Rose 2008 Vintage. They are open year all year from 12-6pm for tastings and tours. Most of the wine is sold in-house, but can also be found at the Inner Bay restaurant in New Bedford, as well as these stores: Bin Ends in Braintree MA, The Reserve Bin in Foxborough, and the One Stop Mart in Rockland.  Travessia Urban Winery is a risqué vineyard that likes to experiment with new wine techniques as well as honoring their simple traditions with their current collections.

Next we have the Running Brooks Vineyard located in North Dartmouth. They offer chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Cab Franc Merlot, Petit Verdot and Pinot Noir.  All the wines here are produced from hand-picked grapes that are grown on their 20 acre site. They are open year round as well, with hours Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm and Sunday 12pm-5pm. The vineyard is owned by Pedro Teixeira and Manuel Morais, both with backgrounds in wine from Portugal, the Azores and California. You can read more about their journey on their website www.runningbrookwine.com and how they ended up opening a winery in North Dartmouth.

Not too far from Running Brooks Vineyard is the Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery, located in Westport. Cool climates create the most dramatic Sparking, White and Rose wines in this area, which have been noted by wine critics near and far.  It is for these three types of wine that Westport Rivers is known for. The vineyard also creates chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Gruner Veltliner, among others. Westport Rivers Vineyard proudly announces their new VIP Club that offers a number of services to its members including bottle and case dis­counts, invitations to vineyard events and promotions, hands on participation in the harvest, and much more. The winery is open Monday through Saturday from11am-5pm for wine tasting.

Finally we finish our tour at Cape Cod Winery, located in East Falmouth.  The winery was founded in 1994 by the Lazzari Family, offering varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, merlot, Pinot Grigio, Seyval and Vidal Blanc.  The vineyard has sandy gravel soil and gentle slopes that bring to mind the landscapes of France and Italy, which make the area ideal for growing grapes.  Recently the winery won a Bronze Medal for their Nobska Red in the International Eastern Wine Competition. Wines are grown on-premise and sold in-house, as well as various liquor stores including: John’s Liquor Store, Murphy’s Fine Wines, Kappy’s and Liberty Liquors.  Cape Cod Winery is open on weekends from 11am-4pm for tours and wine tasting.

The rise in wineries operating along the south coast of Massachusetts brings a new, classic aspect to the lifestyle of the permanent residents of this area. This new boom in wineries could mean a lot for the New World wines coming from the East coast.  When venturing through the area, I recommend taking the time to visit these local vineyards.  The wines they offer have been noted by critics worldwide including: The “O” Magazine, The Observer, Best American Sparkling Wine, SouthCoastToday, The Wallstreet Journal, The New York Times, Wine Enthusiast, The Wine Spectator, The Providence Journal, and the Boston Globe.

For many residents of Massachusetts, spending the summer in Cape Cod would be the perfect scenario.  When you think of Cape Cod, you think of beautiful, clean beaches.  You can picture the quaint, historical homes that line the narrow streets of many downtown areas, like Harwich or Chatham.  You can close your eyes and remember eating a meal outside at any number of top restaurants.  And you can definitely remember the amazing ice cream you bought from a local ice cream stand afterwards.

Speaking as someone who grew up on Cape Cod, I know how thoughts of poverty, crime, and abrasive scenery stay far out of sight and out of mind.  Tourists who travel from near and far to enjoy this great vacation haven in our state don’t consider the the negative aspects of life in the southeast corner of Massachusetts.

Yet not far from our famous vacation destination there are towns and small cities that are quite different.   Towns just off of Cape Cod, the landlocked ones, are mostly rural farmland and cranberry bogs.  The ones with coastline are very small, their beaches lacking the appeal of those found on the Cape. The cities in this area exhibit the usual problems faced when a small piece of Earth is inhabited by many people-crime, poverty, over-crowding.  The cities I am talking about specifically are New Bedford and Fall River, or as the locals refer to them: New Beige and The Rivah.

Recently I graduated from Umass Dartmouth, which is located one town over from New Beige.  I have since moved to The Rivah, and when I tell people this news, their facial expressions resemble those you might find on someone witnessing a murder.  You would think I was recently put into jail!

When a person hears the names of these towns, they immediately think of filth, poverty, old rotting buildings, crime, murder, and disease.  I had always taken these generalizations as truth, but as the old saying goes, “It takes one to know one.”  Since I now call Fall River home, my aim is to disprove some common misconceptions about The Rivah by telling you first-hand what it is like to live here.

In reality, once you have actually lived in these cities you will be happy to find the good that lies between the cracks of these old buildings. Many wonderful aspects of each city reveal themselves when you spend a little time exploring.

For instance, lets take a walk on Union Street in  downtown New Beige. This one street is home to some of the most important whaling history on the East Coast. Cobblestone roads and courtyards lie to the north of Union, and are home to some really great restaurants, like No Problemo and Freestone’s City Grill. No Problemo easily has the best burritos in town, and they have a new bar so its a great place to hang out.  Freestone’s is a bit fancier, but the prices are reasonable, and the place has a great atmosphere.

If you head south from Union Street, eventually you will arrive at the ocean.  You’ll be greeted with multiple viewing areas, as well as several beaches.  If you enjoy history or simply want to take a stroll with your dog, take a drive out to Fort Tabor (originally built as a lighthouse during the thriving whaling days of the 1800’s.) Here you can find panoramic views of the water and surrounding peninsulas.

Now lets travel northwest to The Rivah.  The topography of The Rivah has always been a point of discussion among its visitors, due to the prominence of the rolling hills that the city was built on.  Also of note is the Taunton River, which bisects this vast land of clustered homes. If you’re feeling hungry, head over to Bedford Street and you will find two of the cheapest, most delicious sub shops: Marzillis and Marcuccis.  Want an 18 inch sub for $6? Done.

The Rivah also holds the very popular Fall River Celebrates America. This festival displays a diverse array of Portuguese food and culture, plus there are plenty of activities for children and adults.

Fall River is full of many beautiful and historic buildings.  Saint Anne Parish and Shrine is just one of the towering cathedrals built in middle 1800s and more are scattered along the crisscrossed roads in this town.

Looking for a bottle of wine for your dinner party? Take a trip to Douglas Wine and Spirits, where you will not only be recommended the best choice of wine for your needs, but you’ll also receive a free lesson about some of the local wineries in the area.

These are just some of the qualities that make The Rivah and New Beige great.  What is of even more value, in my opinion, are the people. Welcoming, helpful, and hard working are the first words that come to mind when I think of New Beige.  One never feels judged when walking down the street, and it is common to be greeted by a random stranger passing by.  People have a drive to be happy and healthy, whether it be a business owner or a student at the Umass Dartmouth Star Store grabbing some lunch for the day.

In these South Coast areas people work with what they have and live frugally while enjoying the land and ocean all around them. I have found that my previous assumptions were incorrect about these towns, and truth be told, they are enjoyable places to become part of.  If you find yourself passing by I would recommend stopping in to grab a bite to eat, indulging in the cheap gas prices, and see for yourself what these towns really have to offer.