Atlantic Coast Ports and Rivers Itinerary

New York City Hudson River Jersey Shore Philadelphia Delaware River Valley Savannah and Palm Beach

New York City is situated in the southeastern New York State at the mouth of the Hudson helping the city grow in significance as a trading port. The land has been altered by human intervention, with considerable land reclamation along the waterfronts since Dutch colonial times.

The Fort Schuyler Museum is housed on the campus of the State University of New York Maritime College at historic Fort Schuyler, in the Bronx. The center bastion is dedicated to the history of Fort Schuyler, completed in 1856, and the Port of New York-New Jersey, both of which played major roles in the development of regional and the national commerce.

The Evolution of Seafaring exhibit encompasses maritime history from the ancient Phoenicians to present day steamship companies and passenger ship lines, with information on Clippers, famous naval battles fought in the United States during the 1700s and 1800s and the technology in ship building
tools and navigational equipment used throughout different maritime eras.

Newburgh is situated on land that rises sharply to a bluff; many historic homes are located here with sweeping views of the Hudson river and highlands to the south. Newburgh's preservation history can be traced to 1850 when Washington's Headquarters was designated a state historic site, the first in the country.

Kingston was New York's first capital in 1777; in the 19^th century, the city was a transport hub, with rail and canal connections. The city has three historic districts: Stockade, the Midtown Broadway Corridor, and Rondout West Strand downtown. Kingston Landing is a short navigable distance from the Hudson River and the point of reference for coal shipments and bluestone via the Delaware and Hudson Canal.

The Hudson River Maritime Museum is located at 50 Rondout Landing at the foot of Broadway along the old waterfront. Its collections are devoted to the history of shipping and industry on the Hudson. In the early 1800s, four sloops plied the river from Kingston to New York. By 1829, steamers made the trip to Manhattan in a little over twelve hours, usually travelling by night.

Rondout ​Walking Tours highlight the industrial history of the region

Tuckerton Borough Seaport New Jersey and the Bay Men Museum nestled in Southern Ocean County between the Pine Barrens and the Bay Tuckerton Borough was once a thriving seaport community. Ocean County is home to one-third of the Jersey Shore’s 44 miles of the Atlantic Ocean coastline with sandy beaches, surfing, fishing and water sports.

Tuckerton Seaport preserves and interprets the rich maritime history, artistry, heritage and environment of the Jersey shore and the unique contributions of its bay men. An educational and interpretive center showcasing New Jersey’s rich maritime history and contemporary folklife through interpretation of the cultural heritage and environment of the New Jersey shore and the surrounding environment.

The Tucker’s Island Lighthouse features exhibits on privateers and pirates of the Jersey Coast

The Delaware River Valley is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia, the region's major commercial, cultural, and industrial center. The region’s excellent road and rail network make it the perfect location for a vacation or business trip to the Middle Atlantic States.

 Rivers History and the Environment

The Delaware River is comprised of 36 tributaries and flows 330 miles from New York to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware to the Atlantic Ocean. It extends from the Catskill and Pocono mountain springs and streams flowing down to the Delaware Water Gap where steep slopes give way to gently rolling hills and sweeping valleys. Then, it stretches 134 miles from the Trenton falls to the mouth of the Delaware Bay.   

The River Town of Marcus Hook’s historical significance comes from its identity as a maritime town. Originally a Lenape settlement, it became a New Sweden trading post in the 1640s with shipbuilding and fishing as early industries. The Hook was also a haven for pirates in the early 18th century and its market provided a place to sell plundered goods and re-supply for their next voyage.

The Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild maintains and sails historic ships to bring the past to the present. A non-profit organization that teaches and practices seamanship, traditional restoration, maritime culture, and sailing skills in a fun and team focused setting.

The Independence Seaport Museum features the Schooner Diligence, designed and built by Joshua and Samuel Humphreys in Philadelphia in 1797 for the Revenue-Marine and later transferred to the Navy. Schooners like Diligence played a vital role in the development of the early Navy in defending American merchant ships from attacks by Britain, France and the Barbary pirates. 

The original Diligence served in the West Indies Squadron under John Barry, who commanded the Frigate United States during the Quasi War with France in 1798-1800.

Savannah Georgia was founded in 1733 on the Savannah River, it became the colonial capital and later the first state capital of Georgia. Its port was of strategic importance during both the American Revolution and the Civil War.

Diverse Neighborhoods over 100 distinct neighborhoods can be identified in six principal areas of Savannah. The city's location offers visitors access to the coastal islands and the Savannah Riverfront, both popular tourist destinations.

The Savannah Historic District is one of largest in the United States

Architecture Savannah was named as America's second-best city for Cool Buildings and Architecture, behind Chicago. The historic district has 22 squares that vary in size and character, from formal fountain and monuments to playgrounds.

Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum Educational Programs

Women Pirates like Rachel Wall, Grace O’Malley and Madame Cheng are featured in an interactive program about the exciting role female pirates played in maritime history. 

USS Savannah and her storied history of service in the United States Navy, from 1933-1946, on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, from operation Torch to operation Magic Carpet.

Palm Beach Florida and the Maritime Museum. Palm Beach is the easternmost town in Florida, located on an 18-mile (29 km) long barrier island between Lake Worth Lagoon on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east.

The wreck of the Providencia is credited with giving Palm Beach its famous name. The Providencia was traveling from Havana to Spain with a cargo of coconuts harvested in Trinidad, when the ship-wrecked near Palm Beach. Many of the coconut were planted along the coast and a grove of palm trees soon grew on what was later named Palm Beach. Today the tallest coconut palms in the United States can be found along this coast.

The Lake Worth portion of the waterway, filled with mega-yachts, was a freshwater lake until Henry Flagler opened it to the ocean. Flagler was the railroad tycoon who opened Florida all the way to the Keys and his Lake Worth mansion, now a museum, is open for tours.

John F. Kennedy's Bunker was constructed by the Sea Bees under the direction of the Secret Service.

An innovative Virtual Port includes automated data collection from in situ sensors - salinity, turbidity, pH, tides, current - as well as real-time television both above and underwater.

The Palm Beach Maritime Academy is a Charter School, operated by the Palm Beach Maritime Museum that meets the guidelines for the School District of Palm Beach County, with a focus on maritime studies.

Historic Great Lakes Towns

The Story of Mobility in America in the Maritime Museums of

Milwaukee Chicago South Haven Marquette and Buffalo

Milwaukee lies along the shores and bluffs of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three rivers: the Menomonee, the Kinnickinnic, and the Milwaukee. Ideally situated as a port city, and as a center for collecting and distributing produce, Milwaukee shipped more wheat than any place in the world.

The name Milwaukee comes from an Algonquian Word meaning Good Beautiful and Pleasant Land

The Wisconsin Marine Historical Society is a self-supported, nonprofit organization that collects, preserves, archives and makes available to the public materials related to Great Lakes marine history.
The Great Lakes Collection is maintained at the Milwaukee Public Library, one of the most important repositories of Great Lakes marine materials in existence. The collection contains more than 11,000 vessel files, 32,000 vessel index cards, and over 50,000 photographs and graphic images, along with books, nautical charts, manuscripts, journals, nineteenth century newspaper stories, and ship artifacts.

The Intermodal Station provides Amtrak riders access to other intercity bus operators; the Amtrak Hiawatha line connects downtown Milwaukee and downtown Chicago daily.

Chicago is on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan. The Chicago Portage connects the Mississippi River and Great Lakes Watersheds. The city's history and economy are closely tied to its proximity to Lake Michigan. While the Chicago River historically handled much of the region's waterborne cargo, today's lake carriers use Lake Calumet Harbor on the South Side. When founded in 1837, most of the early buildings were around the mouth of the Chicago River and the original 58 blocks. Chicago’s history and development stem from its axis at the foot of the Great Lakes.

The Story of Chicago’s Waterways and their Impact on America’s Economy

The Chicago Maritime Museum collects items that commemorate Chicago’s maritime history.  More than 6,000 items have accumulated, including watercraft, models, articles, books, displays, art, images and artifacts.  The collection makes historic materials accessible to scholars or anyone seeking to understand Chicago’s unique historical connections.

Preserving and Divulging a Community's Cultural Heritage with Local Museums

South Haven is a port city at the mouth of the Black River on the southeastern coast of Lake Michigan and a port of call for passenger and cargo shipping lines. In the early 1900s South Haven became a resort town because of its recreational harbor and beaches. It is the western terminus of the Kal-Haven Trail, popular with bicyclists and snowmobilers. 

The Michigan Maritime Museum presents the rich maritime heritage of the Great Lakes and is Michigan's most distinguished institution of maritime research, preservation and education. Five separate buildings offer a variety of engaging opportunities: exhibits on Michigan maritime history, a center for the teaching of boat building and related maritime skills, and a research library. The Friends Good Will promotes tourism in West Michigan by providing the public with a wide variety of cultural and educational experiences. The dramatic story of this sloop speaks to the history of commerce in the early 1800s, as well as her pivotal role in the War of 1812.

Marquette is a major port city on Michigan’s Lake Superior, known primarily for iron ore shipping. The land around Marquette was known to French missionaries of the early 17th century and the trappers of the early 19^th century. The village of Marquette began on September 14, 1849, with the formation of a second iron concern, the Marquette Iron Company. In the late 19th century, during the height of iron mining, Marquette became nationally known as a summer haven. Visitors brought in by Great Lakes passenger steamships filled the city's hotels and resorts. Marquette continues to be a shipping port for hematite ores and enriched iron ore pellets, from nearby mines and pelletizing plants.

The Marquette Maritime Museum Association began in 1980. The Museum was opened in the old City Waterworks building in the summer of 1984. The building is a one story, stone, Romanesque style structure. Area school kids learn their local maritime history along with guests from all over the world.

Stannard Rock Marquette Coast Guard Station provided the support necessary for Stannard’s Rock Lighthouse. The 110-foot sandstone tower was built on a desolate reef first discovered in 1847. Located 44 miles due north of Marquette, its lightkeepers called it the “loneliest place in North America” since it is the most distant lighthouse from land on the entire continent.

The Buffalo area was inhabited before the 17^th century by Native American Iroquois tribes and later by French settlers. The city grew significantly in the 19^th and 20th centuries; immigration, the Erie Canal, rail transport and proximity to Lake Erie fueled trade with the midwestern part of the nation. 

Buffalo is located at the head of the Niagara River 16 miles south of Niagara Falls

The Buffalo Maritime Center promotes traditional hand skills and a craftsman-like attitude while advancing knowledge of the Western New York maritime heritage. The high standards of craftsmanship intrinsic to the work of boat building form the basis of educational programs that encourage self-discipline, self-sufficiency, and the pride of performing meaningful work.

Durham boats flat-bottomed, double-ended craft were used throughout the inland waterways of North America to ferry supplies and people. They were used to transport George Washington and his troops across the Delaware River during the American Revolution and were especially common along the Niagara River to transport salt and lumber from Little Niagara (Fort Schlosser) to Black Rock. Durham boats eventually were replaced in the Niagara region by larger, more efficient canal boats after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825.

Navigable Canals in America

American Navigable Canal Itineraries

Illinois and Michigan, Wabash and Erie, Erie Canal, Delaware and Hudson, Chesapeake and Ohio, Chesapeake and Delaware

European and English canal systems proved the feasibility of inland waterway transport and provided fine examples to be improved upon. As the need for improved inland transportation became obvious for westward expansion, America plunged into an era of canal building activity.

The Illinois and Michigan Canal connected the Mississippi and Great Lakes Basins. making
agriculture in northern Illinois profitable by opening-up connections to eastern markets and leading to the creation of Chicago. Chicago was the eastern and LaSalle the western terminus with the latter becoming a transshipment point from canal boats originating in Chicago to steamboats heading for St Louis and New Orleans.

A Cultural Meeting Point between North and South

Canal and Steamboat basins were located at locks 14 and 15 with New Orleans steamboats unloading molasses, sugar, coffee, fresh oranges and lemons whereas the Chicago cargo included lumber, stoves, wagons, and the latest clothing styles from the east.

Mastery of the American Mid-Continent

The Wabash and Erie Canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes to the Ohio River; 460 miles long, it was the longest canal ever built in North America. The waterway was a combination of four canals: the Miami and Erie, the original Wabash and Erie from Junction to Terre Haute, Indiana, the Cross-Cut Canal from Terre Haute to Point Commerce, and the Central Canal from Worthington to Evansville.  

The Wabash & Erie Canal Association is dedicated to Indiana's canal heritage. The center serves as a physical focus of a 2.5-mile (4.0 km) segment of the canal that has been rebuilt and reopened as a waterway and parallel towpath.

Syracuse New York and the Erie Canal Museum Syracuse stands at the northeast corner of the Finger Lakes region and is a city comprised of many neighborhoods which were originally villages that joined the city over the years. Land to the north of town is generally flat while land to the south is hilly.

A major Crossroads for two Centuries with the Erie Canal and a Rail Network

The Erie Canal Museum is dedicated to preserving the 1850 National Register Weigh Lock Building, the last remaining structure of its kind, and to telling the incredible adventure story of the Erie Canal. The collections of the Erie Canal Museum consist of nearly 60,000 artifacts, covering a wide variety of items reflecting the culture of the 19th and early 20th centuries in upstate New York.

The Delaware and Hudson Canal a British blockade preceding the War of 1812, which cut off the supply of imported bituminous coal, led to the commercial development of Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal fields. The 108-mile 108-lock waterway operated from 1828 until 1898 transforming the economic landscape, as towns and villages sprang up along its route, and industries developed to exploit local resources such as lumber, agricultural products, and bluestone.  

The D&H Canal Historical Society maintains a Canal Museum and Five Locks Walk trail to preserve canal-era artifacts, and document the canal’s creation, operation, and importance as an engine of economic development in the region and beyond.

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland. Construction on the 184.5-mile (296.9 km) course began in 1828 and ended in 1850 with the completion of a 50-mile stretch to Cumberland, rising and falling over an
elevation change of 605 feet (184 meters) that required 74 locks. In 1938, the abandoned canal was obtained by the United States and is now the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal national historic park.

Boatmen and their families were an independent lot often intermarrying within their own group. They frequently fought amongst each other and with lockkeepers over company rules. During winter when the boats were tied up, they lived in their own communities away from others. One boat captain observed that on the canal, women and children were as good as the men.

The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal is 14 miles long, 450 feet wide and 35 feet deep across Maryland and Delaware, connecting the Delaware River with Chesapeake Bay. The C&D Canal is owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, and is the sole major commercial navigation waterway in the United States built during the early 1800s still in use.

The C&D Canal Museum in Chesapeake City provides visitors with a glimpse of the canal’s early days. The steam engines are the oldest of their type in America still on their original foundations.

The Delaware City Historic District is significant for its architecture, for its beginnings as a planned settlement, and for its importance as a nineteenth century canal-oriented transportation center. The town was envisioned by its backers as a place that would develop into a major shipping and trading point for traffic that passed along this trans-peninsular trade route, and so, its early plans were based on the completion of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal.

Val Metauro Marche Italy

Nature History and Superb Culinary Traditions

Val Metauro is named for the rivers Meta and Auro that orginate in the Appenine Mountains and flows to the Adriatic Sea. The hills of this ancient and historic valley overlook the seaside town of Fano and its historic center, rich in monuments and buildings dating from the Roman, medieval, renaissance and baroque periods. The Via Flaminia still connects Rome with this province; there is also a superhighway that parallels the ancient route.  

The Historic Borgo of Cartoceto here, you can taste unique cheese products, experience the local goat farm and millstones where a DOP olive oil is produced.

Fratte Rosa is a hilltop borgo near the renaissance town of Urbino, famous for its clay products and artisan shops dating back to the 18^th Century that display products for decorative as well as domestic use. Here, you can also visit the Terrecotte Museum in the convent of Santa Vittoria, a winery to taste the three doc wines of Pesaro-Urbino province – bianchello, sangiovese and pergola rosso – as well as experience the local cuisine, rigorously and slowly prepared with coccio, the local earthenware utensils.

Stay in a Traditional Mansion, superbly located for wine lovers and seekers of a typical local food experience, in a fairytale setting dotted with castles and villages just a few kilometers from the Adriatic Sea and the Marche Appennine mountains.

An Open-Air Museum Featuring Ancient Arms

Mondavio Castle and Rocca Roveresca, a masterpiece of military engineering by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, architect to the Duke of Urbino, charged with the fortification and restoration of structures in the Montefeltro area.

A Unique Culinary Experience

Help prepare truffle dishes and other Marchigiano specialties in these magical surroundings

The Furlo Gorge is part of a Natural Reserve park. The emperor Vespasian had a tunnel built here to facilitate passage on the Via Flaminia at the narrowest point of the gorge; next to it is a similar but smaller tunnel dating from Etruscan times.

An Open-Air Museum featuring ancient arms. Mondavio Castle and Rocca Roveresca, a masterpiece of military engineering by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, architect to the Duke of Urbino, charged with the fortification and restoration of structures in the Montefeltro area.

The Fifth Avenue Historic District in Nashville Tennessee

The Fifth Avenue Historic District is significant both in Nashville's commercial history and architectural development. Located in the central business district, this area has traditionally been the retail center of the city and its architecture is reflective of a period of prosperity from 1870 to the 1930s.

The buildings pre-date 1935 and most retain their original architectural character

Before the Civil War the Fifth Avenue area was characterized by up to three- story brick stores and residences while most of the city's commercial activities centered on nearby Second Avenue. The post-war prosperity brought about an expansion of activities with the Church Street and Fifth Avenue area one of the main centers of this development. Companies specializing in dry goods and clothing relocated here. Property changed hands often during this period with new brick buildings erected on the site of former residences and vacant lots.

The oldest buildings from this era are the St. Cloud Block and the Thompson Building both of which were constructed in the late 1860s. The St. Cloud Block was built on the site of the St. Cloud Hotel and was a major storehouse for three businesses. One of the developers was Charles Thompson who opened an adjacent dry goods company in 1868 at 213 Fifth Avenue North. On Fourth Avenue the 219-221 Building was constructed in 1871; occupied by the McEwen Steam Laundry Company, it was the largest cleaning establishment in the city. All three buildings were three-story with Second Empire and Italianate detailing.

Between 1870 and 1890 seven major buildings were constructed along Fifth Avenue, Fourth Avenue and Church Street. Most of these were designed in the Italianate, Romanesque or Chicago commercial styles. Occupants of these buildings catered to middle and upper-class women who shopped for clothing, shoes, sewing goods and household items. Other establishments listed were music teachers, hair dressers, and sewing machine companies.

Many of Nashville's department stores opened their doors in the area during the late 19^th century

Another major business of this period was the Jesse French Piano Company, one of the largest piano makers in the South, which constructed the ornate building at 240 Fifth Avenue in 1889. Other major businesses including the Kress Company, W.T. Grant Company, and Woolworths have or continue to occupy buildings in the district.

During the 1890s a distinctly Victorian phenomenon appeared in the downtown area. Fourth Avenue between Church and Union became known as the "Men's Quarter" with the city's most famous saloons and gambling houses located along this block. The corresponding block on Fifth Avenue became the center for women's shopping where businesses catered primarily to female clients.

Between 1890 and 1910 the Fifth Avenue area reached its height of popularity as the retail center of the city. In 1903 the Nashville Arcade created a new shopping complex for the downtown area along this block between Fourth and Fifth. Motion picture theatres were found along Fifth Avenue. At 235 Fifth Avenue was the Strand Theatre, and on the east side of the street was the Rex and Fifth Avenue Theatres. These early theatres provided amusement for children while mothers shopped along the street. Construction of new retail establishments continued along Church Street and Fifth Avenue into the 1930s. The last building erected in the district was the five-story Art Deco Kress Building constructed in 1935; although many storefronts or interiors were altered in later years, the basic architectural configuration of the district remained unchanged. These properties constitute an important architectural, historical and commercial resource reflective of the evolution of downtown Nashville.