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Lowell, Massachusetts: The Birthplace of American Ingenuity

Program Number: 21004RJ
Start and End Dates:
5/12/2013 - 5/17/2013; 8/4/2013 - 8/9/2013; 9/22/2013 - 9/27/2013;
Duration: 5 nights
Location: Lowell, Massachusetts
Price starting at: $945.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: History & Culture Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 11; 5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 2 Dinners    
Meal Options: Vegetarian    

Trace the history of the Industrial Revolution and the important innovations that were developed in Lowell, Massachusetts. Look at the works of Dickens and Kerouac and discover what is was about the city that inspired their writings. Walk along the canals and cruise through the city to learn the importance of location and water on inventions and transportation and how the city's past fits into life today.




Highlights

• View original machinery and tools from the early days of the Industrial Revolution.
• Examine textiles; how they were originally produced then mass-produced and how they have evolved today.
• Take a study cruise on the canals that make Lowell the "Venice of the Northeast."



Activity Particulars

Walking up to 2 miles over one day. Walking and standing in museums and through historic neighborhoods.




Date Specific Information

8-4-2013

This program date features the annual Lowell Quilt Festival, with special inside access and exclusive Road Scholar lectures. Thursday's program activities are specifically designed in conjunction with the festival and differ from the other program dates, as detailed in the Day-by-Day Itinerary.



Coordinated by Road Scholar.




Lowell

The restored mill buildings and canals of Lowell recall its role as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in America. Fed by the Merrimack River, the canals powered a textile industry that spawned early advances in machinery and organized labor. Today they add charm to a city bustling with museums, students and a leading annual folk festival.
Accommodations
Centrally located full-service hotel within walking distance of the historic district, situated on a canal.

Road Scholar Instructors
These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur.
Beatriz Grayson
Beatriz Grayson has worked primarily with fabric, producing art quilts, for the past 20 years. Her work has been collected nationally and internationally. Recently, the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Mass., acquired one of her quilts for its permanent contemporary quilt collection. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Beatriz studied at the School of Fine Arts in Brazil, at The Arts Students League in New York City and the Pratt Institute. Beatriz resides in Winchester, Mass.
 
Meals and Lodgings
   UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center
  Lowell, Massachusetts 5 nights
 UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center
Type: Full Service Hotel
  Description: Situated on one of Lowell’s many canals, the Inn and Conference Center was a former commercial hotel property acquired by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. It is a full service hotel. The Inn is completely separate from UMASS facilities and operates as hotel 365 days of the year. In addition, during the summer months, a separate wing of the building is occupied by UMASS students during the academic year, and is completely refurbished and converted to hotel rooms.
  Contact info: 50 Warren Court
Lowell, MA 01852 USA
phone: 978-452-1200
web: www.acc-umlinnandconferencecenter.com/
  Room amenities: The Inn has 32 rooms with air-conditioning, New Serta Perfect Sleeper Mattresses, complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access, cable television, direct-dial telephone, coffeemaker, iron and ironing board, bathrobe, private bathroom with bathtub and shower, hairdryer.
  Facility amenities: Canal-facing restaurant and fireside bar; complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access, business center, self-service laundry, newly renovated fitness center, complimentary morning coffee in the lobby.
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior: Varies by program date. Based on availability.
  Check in time: 3:00 PM
  Additional nights after: Varies by program date. Based on availability.
  Check out time: 12:00 PM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
3 p.m. hotel check-in; 3 - 4:30 p.m. Program Registration; 5 - 6 p.m. Welcome Briefing; 6:30 p.m. Dinner in the hotel. You will be staying at UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center that night.
  End of Program:
After breakfast on Day 6. You will be staying at UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required.
  Parking availability:
Parking is complimentary for one car per guest room.
Transportation
To Start of Program
  Location:  Lowell, Massachusetts
  Nearest airport:  Boston Logan International Airport
  From End of Program
  Location: Lowell, Massachusetts
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
Travel Details
 

Boston Logan Airport to Boston North Station

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Train
MBTA Subway

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$2
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

30 minutes from Boston Logan Airport to North Station Commuter Rail 
 

Distance:

 

3 miles from Boston Logan to North Station.
   

Take the free Massport Buses from the terminal to the Blue Line T Station Stop. Tickets are purchased from machines with cash or credit card. The fare is approximately $2 per ride. Take the subway towards Government Center to the State Street stop, and change to the Orange Line. Take the Orange Line towards Oak Grove to North Station. At the North Station stop, exit the T station and walk outside to the North Station Commuter Rail station (this building is also the Boston Garden sports complex).
 

Boston North Station from Amtrak

 

From Train Station

 
 

Service:

 

Public Transportation
MBTA Subway

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$2
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

20 minutes from South Station to North Station 
 

Distance:

 

2 miles from South Station to North Station
   

Take the Red Line subway from South Station, towards Alewife, to the Park Street Station. Change to the Green Line, toward Lechmere, and exit at North Station.
 

Boston North Station/Lowell Commuter Rail

 

From Train Station

 
 

Service:

 

Train
MBTA Commuter Rail

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$9
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

2 total time from Boston Logan Airport to Lowell via Subway and Commuter Rail 
 

Distance:

 

45 miles
   

Lowell is on the MBTA Commuter Rail network. Trains depart Boston’s North Station on Sundays at 8a.m., 10 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and take 43 minutes to arrive at the Lowell Commuter Rail Station. The full rail schedule is on the MBTA website: http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/Documents/Schedules_and_Maps/Commuter_Rail/lowell.pdf Tain fare is approximately $8.75. Be sure to buy ticket at North Station ticket window. If purchased on board train, there is a $3 surcharge.
 

Hotel from Lowell Commuter Rail Station

 

From Train Station

 
 

Service:

 

Taxi
Yellow Cab of Lowell
phone: 978-458-6861

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$7
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

15 minutes 
 

Distance:

 

1.5
 

Boston Logan Airport

 

From Airport

 
 

Service:

 

Commercial Van/Shuttle
JT's Airport Service
phone: 978-934-9200
Advanced Reservations Required

 

Per Person/One Way:

 

$75-80 plus tip
Prices are subject to change.
 

Travel Time:

 

1 hour 
 

Distance:

 

33 miles
   

$75 + tip cash, $80 + tip credit card, for 1 - 3 people.
 
Driving Directions
  From 495 Take Exit 35C for the Lowell Connector. Follow the Lowell Connector to the end, Exit 5C. At the lights take a left onto Gorham St. After the third traffic light get into the right lane and prepare to take your next right onto Church St. Take the first left onto George St. which will take you into the hotel parking lot.
  From Rhode Island Take 95N to Route 3. Take Exit 30 for the Lowell Connector. Follow the Lowell Connector to the end, Exit 5C. At the lights take a left onto Gorham St. After the third traffic light get into the right lane and prepare to take your next right onto Church St. Take the first left onto George St. which will take you into the hotel parking lot.
  From Route 128 & 95 Exit at Route 3 North to Exit 30, to the Lowell Connector. Follow the Lowell Connector to the end, Exit 5C. At the lights take a left onto Gorham St. After the third traffic light get into the right lane and prepare to take your next right onto Church St. Take the first left onto George St. which will take you into the hotel parking lot.
  From Route 3 Take Exit 30 for the Lowell Connector. Follow the Lowell Connector to the end, Exit 5C. At the lights take a left onto Gorham St. After the third traffic light get into the right lane and prepare to take your next right onto Church St. Take the first left onto George St. which will take you into the hotel parking lot.
  From Route 93 North (Boston, Logan Airport) Follow Route 93 North to Exit 44B (495 South). Take Exit 35C For the Lowell Connector. Follow the Lowell Connector to the end, Exit 5C. At the lights take a left onto Gorham St. After the third traffic light get into the right lane and prepare to take your next right onto Church St. Take the first left onto George St. which will take you into the hotel parking lot.
  From Route 93 South Follow 93 South to Exit 44. Take Exit 35C For the Lowell Connector. Follow the Lowell Connector to the end, Exit 5C. At the lights take a left onto Gorham St. After the third traffic light get into the right lane and prepare to take your next right onto Church St. Take the first left onto George St. which will take you into the hotel parking lot.
  From the Lowell Connector Follow the Lowell Connector to the end, Exit 5C. At the lights take a left onto Gorham St. After the third traffic light get into the right lane and prepare to take your next right onto Church St. Take the first left onto George St. which will take you into the hotel parking lot.
  From the New York and New Jersey Area Take Route 95 North to Route 91 North to Route 84 East, to Route 90 East (Mass Pike). Take Exit 11A(495 North)Take Exit 35C for the Lowell Connector. Follow the Lowell Connector to the end, Exit 5C. At the lights take a left onto Gorham St. After the third traffic light get into the right lane and prepare to take your next right onto Church St. Take the first left onto George St. which will take you into the hotel parking lot.
  Parking At the Hotel As you enter the hotel driveway from the corner of Warren Street and George Street proceed to the drop off area under the porte-cochere. Enter the Inn’s lobby using the front doors to the Front Desk on the left side. Please be prepared with your photo ID and major credit card. Once checked in, you will be given a parking pass. Please be sure this is displayed on the driver’s side dash board for the length of your stay. If there are no spots available in the surface lot during your stay, you may use the city owned Lower Locks Parking Garage. The entrance is just off Warren Street, to the left exiting our driveway. Overnight rooms include complimentary parking for one automobile. Please bring your parking ticket to the hotel front desk for validation.
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1: Arrivals, Welcome and Program Overview
(Sunday, May 12)
   
 Afternoon: 3 p.m. hotel check-in; 3 – 4:30 p.m. Program Registration; 5 – 6 p.m. Welcome Briefing; 6:30 p.m. Dinner in the hotel.
 Dinner: 6:30 p.m. Welcome Dinner in the hotel.
 Evening: A neighborhood walk introduces you to the area around the hotel.
   
Accommodations: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: The Cradle of the Industrial Revolution
(Monday, May 13)

Note: Walk from the hotel to Boott Cotton Mills, about 6 minutes. Walk from the museum to the Visitor Center, .7 miles (about 15 minutes). Step on and off a 19th century trolley with 3 steps. Embark and disembark a canal boat with 2 steps. Return walk from the Visitor Center to the hotel, .7 miles.
   
 Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.
 Morning: Depart on foot to the historic Boott Mills museum complex, the headquarters of UMASS Lowell’s Tsongas Industrial History Center and the Lowell National Historic Park. In an exclusive Road Scholar educational program, learn about the development of America’s Textile industry and the changes effected upon our nation with industrialization. In a hands-on activity, learn how time-consuming making cloth by hand was, compared to a machine. View the museum’s film, and observe original 19th century power looms that are still maintained and operated today. Examine the relationship between regions: the northern mill economy that relied upon cotton grown by enslaved people on southern plantations. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of industrialization and examine the changes in technology, economics, and work roles and how the lives of Americans were affected – a discussion that is oddly reminiscent of the changes in our economic landscape, today. Learn how the “mill girls” lived and the social changes brought to those who left the farm and other parts of the world to come to work in the mills.
 Lunch: In a local restaurant.
 Afternoon: At the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center, view the film and exhibits on Lowell’s place in the industrial revolution and on author Jack Kerouac, Lowell’s native son. Ride the historic trolley to the boat landing, to board a canal boat. Learn why Lowell was chosen as the site of New England’s first mills as you travel the canals once used to transport goods. At Francis Gate, visit the interior of the gate house and learn how the locks and gates were designed and operate, even today. Take the trolley back to the center of the historic district and return to the hotel on foot.
 Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: View An Original Giant Turbine and Meet Your Road Scholar Advisors
(Tuesday, May 14)

Note: Walking and standing up to 1 mile over the course of the day. Step on and off a 19th century trolley with 3 steps.
   
 Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.
 Morning: Examine the ethnic heritage of Lowell through its food.
 Lunch: In a local restaurant.
 Afternoon: Board a trolley to ride to the Wannalancit Mill building, a former mill factory now repurposed as offices. A TIHC educator leads you on a private visit to the Suffolk Mills Turbine Exhibit. Learn how water provided power for the mills and discuss the changes in waterpower technology. Discover the important work of Lowell’s nationally- renowned engineers, whose turbine designs are still used today. While at the mill complex, visit with your Road Scholar Advisors at the Call Center, located in the mill. Return to the hotel by trolley and a short walk.
 Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Textiles: The Tools, Machinery, History and the Future
(Wednesday, May 15)

Note: Travel from hotel to American History Textile Museum via public bus transportation. Walking and standing in the museum for up to 2 hours. Riding on a private motorcoach with stops and visits en route for 4 hours.
   
 Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.
 Morning: The American Textile History Museum documents the development of the woolen, cotton, flax and silk industries in New England and beyond. It houses one of the nation’s most comprehensive collections of pre-industrial tools and powered industrial-era machinery. Arriving at the museum before it opens to the public, exclusive Road Scholar behind-the-scenes access includes the rich collections of the Osborne Library, to view 19th century illustrated insurance maps, early images of mills and textile workers, and original mill girl letters. Continue this special access with a private tour through the extensive costume storage area containing more than 6,000 pieces of cloting and accessories. On a docent-led visit through the main museum exhibit, view more than 500 artifacts from the museum’s collections that are used to tell America’s story through the art, science and history of textiles. Get a close-up look at the world’s first “computer” – a Jacquard loom that was an important precursor to modern computer programming because of its ability to change the pattern of the loom's intricate weave through the use of punch cards. Spend some time independently viewing the museum’s temporary special exhibits.
 Lunch: A box lunch is provided to eat at the museum café.
 Afternoon: Embark on a motorcoach excursion, following the Merrimack River where it meets the Atlantic ocean in historic Newburyport. Return to Lowell.
 Dinner: Your choice to explore local fare.
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Lowell Historic District and the New England Quilt Museum
(Thursday, May 16)

Note: Walking up to 2 miles on cobblestone and paved city streets. Walking and standing in the museum for 1 hours.
   
 Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.
 Morning: Depart on foot with a TIHC educator, who describes the canals and architecture as you walk through the historic district to the New England Quilt Museum. A docent-led visit of the museum will show you how to examine the art and technical details of quilts.
 Lunch: In a local restaurant.
 Afternoon: Free Time. You may wish to visit the many art galleries and studios located around the historic district or explore the former home of the painter James McNeill Whistler, now a museum.
 Dinner: Contemplate Jack Kerouac’s impressions of his hometown during dinner in his favorite pub.
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: UMASS Lowell Inn & Conference Center
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Departures
(Friday, May 17)
   
 Breakfast: Full American breakfast buffet in the hotel.
 Morning: Program ends. Independent departures. Check out of the hotel by 12 noon.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers


Author: Henry David Thoreau


Description: This classic of American literature not only vividly narrates a boat trip Thoreau took with his brother in 1839 but also contains thought-provoking observations on literature, philosophy, Native American and Puritan histories of New England, friends, and a diversity of other topics.



American Notes for General Circulation


Author: Charles Dickens


Description: Dickens was one of many Englishmen who traveled to America, fascinated by the character of the youthful nation. His account of his 1842 voyage is descriptive and often funny.



Lowell, Massachusetts City Map


Author: American Map


Description: This handy map covers both Lowell and neighboring Lawrence, Massachusetts.



Lyddie


Author: Katherine Paterson


Description: Paterson sets this expertly rsearched histoprical novel for young adults in the mill town of Lowell, Massachussets in 1844.



Massachusetts Quilts, Our Common Wealth


Author: Lynne Z. Bassett (Editor)


Description: The definitive treasury of Massachusetts's historic quilts, and a tribute to the creative spirit of their makers.



Textiles in America, 1650-1870, A Dictionary Based on Original Documents, Prints and Paitings, Commercial Records, American M


Author: Florence M. Montgomery


Description: First published in 1984, this remains the definitive study of textilesas they were used in early American homes.



The Lowell Offering, Writings by New England Mill Women (1840-1845)


Author: Benit Eisler (Editor)


Description: From their own literary magazine, the Lowell Offering, here are the letters, stories, essays, and sketches of workers in the the industrial revolution in 19th-century New England.



The Quilt, A History and Celebration of an American Art Form


Author: Elise Schebler Roberts


Description: The Quilt explores the evolution of quilting in America, showing in vivid colors and patterns how African American, Amish, Hawaiian, Hmong, and Native American quilts celebrate cultural identity, and how quilts connect us to one another through quilting bees and other community groups.



The Town and the City


Author: Jack Kerouac


Description: Kerouac draws on his New England mill-town boyhood to create the world of George and Marguerite Martin and their eight children, each endowed with an energy and a vision of life.



Women at Work


Author: Thomas L. Dublin


Description: In this prize-winning study, Thomas Dublin explores, in carefully researched detail, the lives and experiences of the first generation of American women to face the demands of industrial capitalism.





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