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.

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.

Annapolis e Baltimora

architettura commercio marittimo navi storiche progetti di sviluppo e conservazione

Annapolis

Hammond-Harwood House e’ un museo di Arte e Architettura del 18^th secolo ubicato nel centro storico di Annapolis, la capitale del Maryland e sede dell’Accademia Navale degli Stati Uniti. Il nobile proprietario di piantagioni Matthias Hammond inizio’ la costruzione nel 1774 in collaborazione con il famoso architetto William Buckland per una nuova dimora nella zona piu’ elegante di Annapolis.

Una Villa Anglo-Palladiana con Sculture in Legno e Intonaci

Leggere e Scrivere la Storia Progettata per fornire agli studenti delle scuole superiori una lezione pratica sulla storia coloniale americana, il programma è diviso in tre mini-sessioni ognuno con i seguenti obiettivi: una visita ad una casa coloniale, una introduzione alle risorse della storia, e una sessione pratica di studio di gruppo. Il programma copre argomenti che comprendono lavoratori comuni e a contratto, la vita degli schiavi, la vita di artigiani, le attività dei nobili e il tempo libero, le arti decorative, e l'architettura.

Baltimora

Navi Storiche un programma di mezza giornata che da una esperienza storica pratica e immersiva con applicabilita’ da ventunesimo secolo che incoraggiano il lavoro di gruppo, la soluzione di problemi e l’apprendimento. I programmmi includono visite guidate alle navi dopodiche’ gli studenti si concentrano su due di sei particolari aree della nave e sviluppano il vocabolario specializzato e le tecniche a bordo.  Alla fine del programma di 2 ore e mezza, l’apprendimento viene verificato con un esercizio scritto ed una valutazione che poi vengono messi a disposizione degli insegnanti. I programmi sono pratici, mirano alla lettura, all’ascolto, al divertimento che include sparare i cannoni a bordo della Nave Constellation.

 Progetti di Sviluppo e Conservanzione Negli anni 60s, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, ubicata nella storica Brandywine Valley, si cimentava con progetti industriali e conseguente effetti su una comunita’ prevalentemente rurale; detti piani minacciavano le aree alluvionali e le forniture di acqua nella Pennsylvania sudorientale ed il Delaware settentrionale. Un gruppo di residenti acquisto I terreni e diede nascita alla Brandywine Conservancy nel 1967, attuando le prime misure di conservazione, mirate a proteggere oltre cinque miglia di spartiacque sul fiume Brandywine. 

Queste Esperienze rendono le comunita’ della Brandywine Valley all’avanguardia dell’uso responsabile dei suoli, la preservazione degli spazi aperti e la salvaguardia delle risorse di acqua, con enfasi sull’integrazione di conservazione e sviluppo economico, tramite una saggia amministrazione dei terreni, l’utilizzo di programmi pubblici locali in un partenariato che coinvolge individui e organi no profit per proteggere risorse naturali, culturali e sceniche. Nel 1971, la Conservancy inauguro’ un museo nella rinnovata Hoffman’s Mill, un mulino che risale al 1864, che oggi ospita una importante collezione d’arte americana sul territorio, illustrazioni, opere di natura morta, dipinti di paesaggi e le opere della famiglia Wyeth.