NEW ENGLAND HOLIDAY

[Music] new england where 300 years ago a venturesome band of pilgrims came to struggle for a home and meager existence in the wilderness today attracts an equally venturesome people though they face no hardships nor dangers in the enjoyment of a holiday from the sea to the most remote inland lakes water sports are favored and the ancient game of jousting once the sport of armored knights now tests the skill of canoes [Applause] the water toboggan slide is a new england sport which certainly contradicts the notion that people of this area are conservative you don't do these things unless going downhill is fun because it's fast even sinking at the end indians first use the war canoe and the modern adaptation is a fast boat race with husky girl paddlers from the berkshire hills in western massachusetts to the rugged pine tree state of maine horseback trails lead through many regions of variety and interest deer are numerous in many areas they seem to know when the hunting season is closed and even these young moose defy the cameraman although when they can be hunted it's a lucky sportsman who ever sees one [Music] wintertime attracts crowds of visitors seeking the famous ski runs available all over the appalachian foothills they even provide a mechanical lift to the high spots [Applause] from the heights to the valleys below the skiers have a perfect run without the dangerous features found in so many mountainous areas here is enjoyed the sport at its best with miles of an unbroken white metal covering the slopes of the berkshires throughout the crisp cold winter months mushing the old-timers call it and it means going to the dogs to have fun but the dogs enjoy it too springtime ushers in the trout fishing season and this has become a co-educational sport in new england she has a strike it's probably a male trout for what else would so meekly give up and let himself be hooked captured and added to her collection with the men things are different and the fish know it this fish tries all his tricks but loses the battle on the tip of cape cod stands the historic town of provincetown the mayflower's first port of call and perhaps the only place in america where the town crier still makes his daily pronouncements the mayflower continued on to a landing where plymouth now stands and beneath this marble pavilion is the granite boulder known as plymouth rock on which the pilgrims first stepped upon america's shores boston is the hub of an area rich in early american history and paul revere is honored within sight of old north church where his signals were hung the battlefield of lexington isn't far away a day's march for the redcoats who paraded forth to put down what they called an insolent rebellion and met with a few surprises hereabouts particularly from one captain parker who said to his men stand your ground don't fire unless fired upon but if they mean to have a war let it begin here it was over the old bridge at concord that the enemy retreated disorganized by sharpshooting minutemen the embattled farmers who fired the shots heard round the world in boston 300 years ago this area was set aside as a common pasture for any man's cattle thus the term common came into use and today it is known as boston common spread out in front of the state house are its nearly 50 acres and people are free to wander at will over the grass when driven to its cool restfulness by the turmoil of busy tremont street just across charles street from the common is the public garden dominated by the tallest building in new england the customs house the gardens are formally landscaped and the small lake attracts visitors for a boat ride somewhat more novel than it is thrilling the pedals power wheel that drives the craft [Music] it wouldn't be new england without people who go down to the sea and here at marblehead race week is an annual summertime yachting event international one design sloops and other classes come here from all over the coast to compete in these races they are good sailors these down east yachtsmen and no wonder it's bread in the bone many a modern sailor's forebears hail from gloucester heart of the deep sea fishing industry and home of the captain's courageous today the ships are all steam or diesel-powered but the early day romance is still to be for instance here is an ancient wind jammer whose patch sale will give the summer artist colony a chance to do something picturesque on canvas unless one of them is of the modern school the results will be authentic [Music] far at sea old fashioned hook and lion fishing has been outmoded today the fishing trawler drops over the side a huge cone-shaped net [Music] a power winch raises it and many times a catch of ten thousand pounds of fish may come aboard in a single cast cod and haddock are caught all the year round it's easy to tell when a trawler crew is working on a catch the gulls seem to smell fish from miles away the cod may be king on the new england coast but the lobster constantly threatens to push him off the throne 14 million pounds have been taken in main waters in one year an enormous number of people earn a livelihood by trapping lobsters using crate-like traps with bait inside and a funnel-shaped entrance through which the lobster can crawl in but hasn't enough sense to crawl out lobsters under a certain size have to be returned to the water and in maine lobsters of more than five inches of body length are ruled out when the traps are again baited overboard they go from maine to the southern shores of cape cod new england's beaches are famed for their broad expanse of clean white sand and safe waters and this is one of the chief reasons thousands of people come to this coast from all over america here they can find a hundred beaches never crowded and often protected by offshore shoals so the dangerous surf is never encountered [Music] here are even seen fair bathers who actually go into the water now here's something recently originated in new england it's a windjammer cruise the amateur crew heave-ho on halyards and set out for a week or two of sailing along the coast [Music] they will sleep and eat aboard and they may even help to work the ship if they wish especially along the maine coast dude cruises have become popular attracting many people who otherwise might never experience the romance and thrill of sailing the ocean here in this varied and colorful land the pilgrim pioneers found only hardships and uncertainties in a hostile wilderness but with the passing of three centuries even the stern and rock bound coast provides hospitable havens for a new england holiday [Applause] [Music] you