The World at Home
These U.S. cities provide international flavor with the convenience of domestic travel.
By Andrea Gross

In the ’90s, Americans took pictures at the Parthenon and picnics in the Pyrenees, ate kolaches in Prague and lingonberry pancakes in Stockholm. Recently, however, security concerns may have made travel abroad seem less appealing. Domestic travel is less expensive and less difficult than international wandering, and it’s just as much fun.  

 The United States truly has the world within its borders. There are plenty of places — not just ethnic neighborhoods in big cities but small towns in the heartland — where you can taste the food, hear the music, and explore the buildings of faraway lands. You don’t have to buy a foreign-language dictionary, passport, or airline ticket. Your car is all you need to see the “International United States. "

Massachusetts’ “Little Portugal” 

Pedro Almeida runs a small bakery in New Bedford, Mass., home to the largest Portuguese community in the United States. There’s no sign out front, but it’s not hard to find. Everyone in the neighborhood knows which shop makes the best “Portuguese pops.”

“This is bread the way it’s meant to be,” says a customer.

“Delicioso?” asks Pedro, not sure he understood the English sentence. “Very delicioso,” says the man, munching happily on the thick-crusted roll. 

In this mid-size town on the south coast of New England — as well as in the nearby city of Fall River — the yeasty aroma of bread mingles with the pungent smell of fresh fish. Street fairs feature lively Portuguese dancing, and restaurants serve dishes like bacalhau assado (salted codfish) and escalopes a angolana (Angolan scallops).

The Portuguese first came to the United States in the early 1800s as sea-savvy workers on Yankee whaling ships. You can travel back to those days at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, where you can view the skeleton of a giant blue whale and climb into the fo’c’sle of a whaling ship. Then, like one young visitor, imagine yourself on a two- or three-year whale hunt. “If [Portuguese immigrants] went out in those little boats and tried to catch that big whale, they had to want to stay in the United States real bad,” he observes.

For a true glimpse of Europe, meander through the neighborhood roughly bounded by Dartmouth, Rivet, County, and Cove streets. In the narrow spaces between homes you’ll see Portuguese-style urban gardens, small plots of land filled with Mediterranean fig trees, and grape vines atop arbors and carports. 

Columbia Street, the historic area of Fall River, feels like Lisbon with its cobblestone sidewalks and globe-shaped streetlights. Best of all, it has Sagres Restaurant, where you can listen to fado (Portuguese songs of love and loss) while enjoying a white-tablecloth meal.

Where it is: New Bedford and Fall River are in Bristol County between Providence, R.I., and Provincetown, Mass. Best time to visit: The Feast of the Blessed Sacrament, one of the largest Portuguese festivals in the country, is the first weekend in August. There are smaller street fairs nearly every weekend during the summer. For more information: The Bristol County Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 288-6263, www.bristol-county.org.

A “Wee Bit O’ Scotland” in New Jersey

When the producers of “Saturday Night Live” were doing a spoof on the 1995 film “Braveheart,” which tells the story of a 13th-century Scottish hero, they needed a ready source for kilts and bagpipes. They found it in Kearny, N.J., a community where the Scottish burr is thicker than the porridge and the January birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns is celebrated with a two-week round of festivities. Sure enough, John Nisbet, owner of Pipers Cove Store, outfitted “Braveheart” star Mel Gibson in perfect plaids.

Scots began settling in New Jersey in 1875 when several Scottish companies — including Coats & Clarks Thread and Singer Sewing Machine — began U.S.-based operations. Though immigration from Britain is strictly limited today and Scots are only a small percentage of Kearny’s 60,000 residents, their customs and traditions remain strong.

Walking up Kearny Avenue, you’ll find restaurants serving meat pies and “clootie dumpling” (fruit cake with custard sauce) and markets pumping their own sausage and making their own haggis (a traditional Scottish dish).

Just outside of town at Wallace Glen, three monuments, including a Scottish cairn, honor the town’s heritage. Legend says that ancient Scots added a stone to the village cairn before leaving home to seek their fortune and removed it when, and if, they returned. Today, says Nisbet, “the cairn stands for Scots who left the homeland to come to America.” 

Finally, don’t be deterred by the “Members Only” sign on the door of the Scots American Club, a working-man’s pub on the corner of Highland and Patterson. Guests are welcome to down a glass — or two or three — of strong British ale, enjoy a game of darts, and watch the Pipers Band practice. The pub begins to fill around 5:30 p.m., but the action picks up about 8.

Where it is: Kearny is four miles north of Newark. Best time to visit: Robert Burns’ birthday is celebrated with a round of festivities in January.  For more information:  Hudson County Tourism and Visitor Information, (800) 542-7894.

The Basques in Boise 

Patty Miller, executive director of the Basque Museum and Cultural Center in Boise, Idaho, spends a lot of her time dispelling myths. Yes, the Basques are a distinct people, even though they do not have a distinct country. They are set apart by traditions — music, dance, games, even a language that is unlike any in the world. No, they are not Spanish and they are not French, even though their homeland, a Vermont-size piece of land that straddles the Pyrenees, is 80 percent within the borders of Spain and 20 percent a part of France. And they are not really sheepherders, at least not in a historical sense. They began tending sheep only after they came to the United States, where such jobs were readily available.

Today Boise has the largest concentration of Basques outside of Europe. The city’s “Basque Block,” which includes the museum, runs along Grove Street and has become a spiffy tourist attraction as well as the genuine heart and soul of the Basque community. Competitors from around the world frequently converge on the area to participate in tournaments of jai alai, weight lifting, and mus (a cross between bridge and poker).

But even if your visit doesn’t coincide with a festival, you usually can arrange to watch a music or dance practice. In addition, pala games (jai alai with a wood paddle instead of wicker basket) are held several times a month.

Several area restaurants serve Basque food, which is generally mild despite being flavored with peppers and garlic. By all means, try the chorizo sandwiches and the kroketas (a fried ice cream snack), two of the most traditional treats.

For added atmosphere, treat yourself to a drive into the Idaho mountains and imagine you’re having a Basque-style “picnic in the Pyrenees.” Take along a bottle of good Basque wine and a bota bag (these leather wineskins are available at the Basque Museum’s gift shop), spread a blanket, munch your lunch, and pour the drink into your mouth sheepherder style. After a few tilts of the bota bag, you’ll think you really are in Europe!

Where it is: Boise’s “Basque Block” is on Grove Street between Capitol Boulevard and 6th Street.  Best time to visit: The San Ignacio Festival is the last weekend in July. For more information:  The Basque Museum and Cultural Center, (208) 343-2671, www.boisebasques.com, www.basquemuseum.com; The Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 635-5240, www.boise.org.

California’s “Little Saigon” 

Noodles outsell hamburgers and tunics are as fashionable as T-shirts in “Little Saigon,” an authentic Vietnamese enclave just 15 minutes from Disneyland. “All that’s missing is rice paddies and humidity,” says a waiter at one of the restaurants. “And,” he adds softly, “Communists.”

Attracted by the warm climate and welcoming community, Vietnamese refugees settled in Southern California when they fled Saigon. Now during parades and festivals they wave flags honoring the two countries that fill their hearts — South Vietnam and the United States.

Before the Americans came, Vietnam was occupied by China and France; the resulting cuisine is a delightful mix of rice cakes and éclairs, green tea and café au lait. You’ll find 18 varieties of pho (noodle soup) and deliciously light banh cuon (spring rolls) alongside French orange liqueur tarts and café sua, a highly caffeinated French coffee brewed in individual drip cups, combined with sweetened condensed milk, and poured over ice. 

To work off calories and build an appetite for your next meal, park your car and explore on foot. Storekeepers say they are open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., but most have somewhat flexible hours. You’ll find shops that sell herbs, tailor clothes, and make shoes. But most of all, you’ll find places that offer good prices on gold, diamonds, jade, and pearls. “When Saigon fell, paper money was no good, but gold kept its value,” explains one local resident. Now the Asian Garden Mall is one of the largest jewelry markets in the country, with more than 200 dealers, many specializing in custom designs. 

While Bolsa Avenue is the center of the Vietnamese business world, the Buddhist temple on Magnolia and Lampson is the focus of the spiritual one. Visitors are welcome at Sunday services, which begin at 11 a.m. and are followed by a simple lunch. 

Where it is: Westminster is 30 to 45 minutes south of Los Angeles International Airport. The heart of “Little Saigon” is bordered by Bolsa Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Westminster Boulevard, and Magnolia Street.  Best time to visit: Avoid Mondays and Tuesdays when many shops are closed. The Tet New Year’s parade is held in January or February. The Moon Festival, celebrating the coming of harvest, is in September.  For more information:  The Westminster Chamber of Commerce, (714) 898-9648.

Visiting Greece in Tennessee and Florida 

No one would go to Greece without stopping in Athens, but most of us want time on the Greek islands as well. Not a problem. You can experience both here in the United States.

In the midst of mid-America stands one of the most instantly recognizable buildings in the world — the Greek Parthenon. What, in the name of Zeus, is it doing in Nashville, Tenn.? 

This full-sized replica was built for the Centennial Exposition of 1897. Back then the city was known as the “American Athens,” where higher education was valued and public buildings had Grecian colonnades and porticos.

Nashville’s Parthenon is as architecturally and artistically accurate as possible. Unlike the original temple, which was built in the fifth century B.C. and is showing the signs of war and weather, the American replica sits in unpillaged splendor, looking much as it must have in the time of Socrates.

But despite its ties to ancient Greece, Nashville has a fairly small Greek community. For a hearty dose of Greek culture, go to Tarpon Springs, Fla., where nearly 40 percent of the population is of Greek descent. There you’ll find the easy charm of Zorba’s islands, right down to the music, gyros, and sun-splashed beach.

The area began attracting Greeks in the early 1900s when divers, boat builders, and deckhands were needed for the flourishing sponge industry. The St. Nicholas Boat Line on Dodecanese Boulevard offers half-hour cruises complete with a sponge-diving exhibition. Watching a man dive while clad in 150-plus pounds of gear, including a brass helmet, is, as they say, a real trip.

Take time to stroll down the boulevard, which is lined with more than 100 shops, many featuring a truly astounding variety of sponges, and restaurants that serve Greek favorites such as gyros, spanakopita, and baklava.

Before you leave, explore the streets off the main boulevard. You’ll find a neighborhood of small, neat homes where old-timers converse in Greek and markets are filled with kalamata olives and sesame candy. On Hope Street near Grand Avenue, St. Michael’s Shrine sits, neatly tucked away in a courtyard formed by two homes. Two women wearing white prayer scarves sit inside to greet the faithful or, says one, “welcome those who need a miracle.”

Where it is: The Parthenon is located in Nashville’s Centennial Park at 25th Avenue and West End Avenue. Best time to visit:  Hours: 9 a.m.— 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. For more information: The Parthenon, (615) 862-8431, www.parthenon.org.

Where it is: Tarpon Springs, Fla., is 12 miles north of Clearwater, Fla.  Best time to visit: Epiphany Day, commemorating the baptism of Christ, takes place Jan. 6. For more information: For more information: Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce, (727) 937-6109, www.tarponspringsnotebook.com.

Kansas’ “Little Sweden” 

Go to central Sweden and you’ll find Dala horses, stylized wooden folk toys that are hand-painted red with a flower-patterned saddle. Go to central Kansas, and you’ll find a horse of similar style — but this one is giant-sized and emblazoned with a swirling rendition of both the American and Swedish flags.

This “Yankee Doodle Dala” is a perfect symbol for Lindsborg, a small community between Salina and Wichita where approximately half the population claims Swedish ancestry. “When a heart beats in Lindsborg, the pulse moves in Sweden,” says longtime resident Norman Malm.

Called “Little Sweden,” Lindsborg has mini-Dalas hanging from lampposts and large ones lining the wide, brick streets. It has Swedish food, crafts, and lodging. And, three times each year, it has a Swedish festival.

Scandinavians are among the world’s biggest coffee drinkers, averaging a whopping 26.4 pounds a person every year. With this in mind, begin your visit with a steaming, eye-opening cupful of caffeine at the Courtyard Gallery on North Main Street. For additional flavor, both culinary and cultural, accompany your caffeine with a pastry made using the owner’s family recipes. Once you are happily energized, explore the many craft shops that dot Main Street and the surrounding area. You’ll find personalized Dalas, Scandinavian glass, delightful folk toys and books, warm sweaters, and even handmade clogs and hand-carved tomtar (Swedish gnomes).

Eat lunch at Scott’s Thriftway, a market with many Scandinavian specialties, including crispbread, sill (pickled herring), a variety of cheeses, homemade ostkaka (pudding), lingonberry preserves, and delicate cookies.

Then get a historical overview by visiting the Swedish Pavilion. Built by the Swedish government for the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, it was modeled after a typical Scandinavian manor house in hopes it would entice new immigrants to return home. Old World crafts, costumes, furniture, and assorted artifacts are displayed inside.

Finally, end your day with an authentic Scandinavian meal at the Swedish Crown restaurant. The sampler plate offers a taste of kottbullar (meatballs), tallrik (hamloaf), knackebrod (crackers), and sill. “I remember my mama making these foods; they taste just the same here,” announced one patron, whose last name was the oh-so-Swedish Swenson.

Where it is: Lindsborg is off Interstate 135, approximately 20 miles south of Interstate 70. Best time to visit:  Three annual festivals honor the town’s Swedish heritage: The Messiah Festival between Palm and Easter Sundays, Midsummer’s Day Festival on the third Saturday in June, and Lucia Fest on the second Saturday in December.  For more information: Lindsborg Chamber of Commerce, (888) 227-2227, www.lindsborg.org.

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