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South Shore Region

The city of Plymouth is perhaps best known for Plymouth Rock, a sturdy symbol of the Pilgrims' foothold in the New World. The nearby Mayflower II, a full-scale replica of the diminutive original, evokes as few things could the Pilgrims' cramped 66-day voyage. The Plymouth community of 1627 is recreated as a living museum at Plimoth Plantation (correct spelling) Plimoth Plantation, where actors playing Governor William Bradford and other community members go about their daily routines. Staffers at the Cranberry World Visitors Center explain how the fruit is cultivated and harvested. To enjoy the south shore's largest creatures, whale watch cruises from Plymouth Harbor are available.

Naval history buffs will enjoy Fall River's Battleship Cove, occupied by six U.S., Russian and Japanese naval vessels. The USS Massachusetts, a World War II battleship, calls the cove its home port. A 28-foot-long model of the Titanic is on display at the Marine Museum in Fall River and a carousel dating to the '20s beckons in a Victorian-style pavilion.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum and the whaling museum by the same name document New Bedford's history as a whaling capital. Moby Dick, penned by Herman Melville, featured the Seamen's Bethel here in New Bedford. The multi-purpose schooner Ernestina, which during her long life has seen service as an arctic explorer, a fishing vessel and the Cape Verdean cargo/passenger packet, is sometimes in port for visits.

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