Meeting and traveling in the Northeast

AFRICAN AMERICAN GUIDE TO MEETING AND
TRAVELING IN THE NORTHEAST

Sonya Stinson

Explore regional arts and crafts at an Amish village or New England artists’ colony. Go back in time on a tour of Underground Railroad stations, a Colonial home or a living history museum. Take in a production at a local African-American theater, or head to a bustling urban entertainment district for some live music and fine dining. Enjoy a summertime stroll along an Atlantic beach, or marvel at a magnificent view of rolling hills blanketed with brilliant fall foliage.

There’re all sorts of culture, history, nightlife, outdoor recreation and sightseeing in store for you if you travel to the Northeast.

With a large number of major metropolitan areas in the region, it’s easily accessible. You’ll find a wide selection of lodging accommodations from quaint country inns to casino hotels, and a choice of meeting facilities that includes hotels, campus conference centers, large exhibition halls and major convention centers.

CONNECTICUT

Journey to some of the sites where fugitive slaves sought refuge on their flight to freedom, including several homes in Farmington, which was considered the “Grand Central Station” of Connecticut’s Underground Railroad.

If you travel New Haven, be sure to see the Amistad Memorial, dedicated to the memory of the Africans who commandeered the Spanish ship Amistad to escape slavery. The nation’s largest collection of British art is housed at Yale University’s Center for British Art. And any kids in your travel group are sure to be wowed by the 67-ft. brontosaurus and other fascinating exhibits at the New Haven’s Peabody Museum of Natural History.

The Fairfield County region on Connecticut’s southwest coast is home to Norwalk and Stamford. The Maritime Aquarium, Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, and Sheffield Island are among Norwalk’s main attractions, while visitors to Stamford can check out the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Stamford Museum & Nature Center and the Palace Theatre.

HARTFORD
Connecticut’s capital and largest city, situated in the River Valley region, is home to America’s oldest statehouse. One of the trials in the case of the slave revolt on the (i)Amistad(ei) ship took place at the Old State House, and if you go there you can learn more about the trial and watch a daily cannon-firing ceremony.

Hartford has two major literary heritage sites: the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and the Mark Twain House & Museum. For more history and culture, you can tour the Museum of Connecticut History and the Wadsworth-Atheneum Museum of Art, which houses more than 50,000 works.

LEDYARD
The Connecticut region called “Mystic Country” includes Ledyard, home to the world’s largest gaming facility, the Foxwoods Resort. Along with 340,000 sq. ft. of gaming space, this grand property boasts three hotels containing a total of 1,416 guest rooms, more than 55,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 25 restaurants. Plan an evening of live entertainment at the resort‘s Fox Theatre or a day of pampering at the Grand Spa and Salon.

A $700 million expansion at Foxwoods will add a 824-toom hotel tower, 115,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a 4,000-seat theater, two nightclubs, three lounges, four restaurants and 50,000 sq. ft. of gaming space.

UNCASVILLE
This “Mystic Country” destination is home to the Mohegan Sun resort, where you can enjoy gaming in 300,000 sq. ft. of casino space and gazing at the stars from beneath the world’s largest planetarium dome. There‘s a four-diamond hotel on site, along with a day spa, 29 restaurants and plenty of live entertainment. The 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena offers 30,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, while the 300-seat Cabaret Theatre and 350-seat Wolf Den in the Casino of the Earth can serve as unique meeting venues.

The Mohegan Sun staff can arrange customized incentive packages that are ideal for teambuilding, employee reward programs or other goals.

DELAWARE

Visit a Delaware farm for a day of horseback riding, hayrides and cider tasting. Board a vintage locomotive for a sightseeing tour of the Brandywine Valley, the so-called “Chateau Country” along the Delaware/Pennsylvania border that is home to Winterthur and other du Pont family estates. Take advantage of the state’s tax-free shopping at some of its popular factory outlet malls or along southern Delaware‘s 20-mile Antiques road.

In the capital city of Dover, you can spend some quiet time contemplating the displays at the Bigg’s Museum of American Art, enjoy the loud thrill of NASCAR racing at Dover International Speedway and take in a play at the Schwartz Center for the Arts.

With 90 miles of coastline, Delaware offers plenty of diversions for beach lovers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Rehoboth Beach, Fenwick Island and Delaware Seashore State Park are among the favorite destinations.

WILMINGTON

Visit Wilmington’s Christina Riverfront to stroll along the 1.2-mile Riverwalk, have a bite and browse some of the area’s museums and shops, including the popular Riverfront Outlets. Chase Center on the Riverfront, the area’s largest event facility, offers 87,000 sq. ft. of space for meetings, conferences, trade shows and other gatherings.

You can view the exhibits and book space for meetings and receptions at the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts and the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Be sure to check out the Paul R. Jones Collection of African-American art at the University of Delaware’s Mechanical Hall Galleries.

MAINE

Maine is an outdoor-lover’s paradise, with a rugged, 5,500-mile coastline dotted with beaches and lighthouses, 6,000 lakes and ponds, vast forestlands and mountain vistas. Whale watching, beach combing, sailing, sea kayaking, whitewater rafting, snow skiing, water skiing, camping and hiking along the Appalachian Trail are just a few of the possible adventures awaiting travelers to the Pine Tree State.

Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard at 1,530 ft., is found in Acadia National Park, situated on an island off the state’s Atlantic coast.

Rockport, a coastal destination on the mainland, overlooks the picturesque Penobscot Bay. A 19 th century opera house, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art and several vessels from the historic Maine windjammer fleet are some of the most notable attractions here.

Of course, if you’re a seafood lover, sampling some of the famous Maine lobster is a definite must-do.

PORTLAND
Located on southern Maine’s Casco Bay, Portland serves as a gateway for visitors to some of the state’s historic forts and lighthouses, including Portland Head Light, one of the most photographed lighthouses America.

Portland’s Arts District is home to the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art, the Portland Museum of Art, the State Theater, the Center for Maine History and a host of galleries, artists’ studios and antique shops.

Two of the city’s notable historical attractions are the Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow House (childhood home of the famous poet) and First Parish Church, which houses a chandelier fashioned from a Revolutionary War cannonball.

MARYLAND

Visitors wanting to explore Maryland’s Black heritage can access two new guides courtesy of the state’s tourism department: Maryland’s African-American Heritage Guide and a map guide called The Underground Railroad: Maryland’s Network to Freedom. The guides are available at local tourism visitors centers and listed sites.

Maryland’s Eastern Shore Region includes Dorchester County, birthplace of Harriet Tubman, where the Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center is a major attraction. The Eastern Shore also is home to Ocean City, a year-round resort destination featuring 10 miles of beaches. The Assateague Island National Seashore, 37-mile-long barrier island south of Ocean City, is known especially for the wild ponies seen running along its white sand beaches.

The state’s Capital Region includes Bethesda, home to the 150-year old National Library of Medicine — the largest in the world — and College Park, home to the University of Maryland‘s flagship campus and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

ANNAPOLIS
Annapolis’ Banneker-Douglass Museum of Afro-American Life and History reopened in February 2006 after multi-million-dollar expansion. One new exhibit, “Annapolis Underground,” explores the archaeology of African-American life in Annapolis, while another, “Deep Roots, Rising Waters,” chronicles the history of African-Americans in Maryland from the 1630s to the Civil Rights Movement.

A new African-American Heritage tour offered from April through September features sites like the Banneker-Douglass Museum and City Dock, where a plaque memorializing the arrival of Alex Haley ancestor Kunta Kinte is displayed.

Don’t miss a chance to tour the most famous landmark in Maryland’s capital city, the U.S. Naval Academy.

BALTIMORE
Baltimore’s Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park opened in June 2006 in the Fells Point neighborhood, honoring the legendary abolitionist and orator and his 19 th century contemporary, the founder of the first African-American-owned shipyard. Created as a celebration of local African-American and maritime history, the park features a working shipyard and maritime railway, a deep-water pier, monuments to Douglass and Myer, historical exhibits and the restored Sugar House — the oldest remaining industrial building on the city’s waterfront.

The city’s list of Black heritage attractions also includes the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center, the Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the National Juneteenth Museum and the Baltimore Civil War Museum, where the exhibits include part of an 1841 train station that was a stop along the Underground Railroad.

Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, opening this summer above the Sports Legends at Camden Yards Museum, spotlights the media, toys and comic characters of American pop culture.

Baseball fans might like to tour the Sports Legends Museum or watch the Orioles play while at Camden Yards, and football enthusiasts can visit PSINet Stadium, home of the Ravens. Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course is the site of the Preakness, the second event in the Triple Crown of thoroughbred racing.

If you’re traveling with kids, Baltimore offers several fun and educational attractions for them to explore, including the National Aquarium, the Maryland Science Center, Columbus Center and the children’s museum Port Discovery.

The Baltimore Convention Center, which recently underwent a $151 million renovation, offers a total of 1.2 million sq. ft., including 300,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 85,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and a 36,000-sq. ft. ballroom. Most of the approximately 6,500 downtown hotel rooms are within walking distance of the convention center.

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
The National Harbor, a new development on the shore of the Potomac River in Prince George’s County, is slated to open its first phase in late 2006. Anchored by the Gaylord National Resort, Hotel & Convention Center, the harbor will eventually feature a museum, a theme park and several shops and restaurants.

Among the other major local points of interest are Goddard Space Flight Center, Andrews Air Force Base — home to Air Force One and one of America’s largest annual air shows — and Fedex Field, home of the Washington Redskins. Live music, dance and theater are on tap at the Publick Playhouse in Cheverly.

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