Festival, Factories and Other Stuff

Distance        29 miles
Time             2 hrs. 23 mins
Max speed    25.1 MPH
Ave Speed   12.0 MPH

The town of Acushnet is celebrating it's annual Apple Peach festival this weekend.  It's a real old fashioned country affair where lots of people attend but nobody does anything.  Sit around waiting for the parade, then walk around the grounds and nearby flea markets and garage sales. Many of the items have been sold and resold at this event for years.

Waiting for the parade

Festival grounds

After breaking away from the festival area, things got really quiet on the roads.  Very little traffic allowed for meandering along the country roads which lead to lots of stops at newly discovered places. The head of the Acushnet River is a nice wildlife area that gradually winds it way to the factory areas before breaking out into the bay and finally the Atlantic.

Old road to somewhere

Fantasy lot in Rochester, MA

Rivers End (Acushnet River in New Bedford, MA)

Rivers End Pub

The problems of the 20th century become evident as the river passes along the old factory areas.  New Bedford was twice the richest city in the country. During the Whaling era and again the Manufacturing era when cotton mills ruled.

Bellville Ave has massive factory building lining both sides

The early 20th century when cotton ruled.

High tech communications strapped to low tech waste disposal

Note the handicap entrance sign

Converting massive old mills to apartments in New Bedford, MA

More waste disposal into the river

All the factory waste and sewer overflow lead to this

All that will be left after the super fund clean up is new roads to nowhere