Mystic Seaport

Monday - 17 May 2004 - North Stonington, Connecticut: We had a very relaxing day - no driving, except in the car. It never rained, but we did need our sweaters and had clouds all day. (After being in the heat the past few weeks, the cool sea air is very refreshing!) We started our day by visiting the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration. As an aquarium, we have both seen better, but they also are affiliated with the explorations of Dr. Robert Ballard. Dr. Ballard is the man who found the Titanic and PT 109. His displays were quite interesting.

We are in New England, so here is a lobster!
Imagine the first guy brave enough to eat one of these ugly creatures?

After this semi-appealing adventure, we drove to the Mystic Seaport - The Museum of America and the Sea. The best way to describe Mystic Seaport is to say it is like Colonial Williamsburg with a nautical theme. The entire city area is very old - they are celebrating their 350th anniversary this year - and has long been a busy ship building area. To form the Seaport Museum, they gathered about 40 historical buildings from all over the area and placed them around the port to form a "village". They have shipbuilders, cask makers (cooperage), a lighthouse, a boat house, a nautical instrument store, a press, bank, and a tavern. They also have a school, two chapels, several private homes and ships of all sorts.

The Charles W. Morgan


Captain's quarters

We learned quite a bit about whaling, which was basically a bunch of guys killing whales and melting down their fat. After they killed all the whales in the Atlantic, they had to go to the South Pacific, kill whales and melt down their fat. So, it often took 2 to 3 years to gather that much blubber! Often times, by the time the crew would get down Tahiti-way, they would have had enough and would sneak off the ship. (Can you blame them?) The Charles W. Morgan was built in 1841. She sailed for 80 years and is the last remaining 19th-century Yankee whaling ship. You can board the completely restored ship and wander all around. DT had to duck his head on each level, and the quarters were so tiny! The kitchen - to feed around 40 men - was about 4x6 feet!
 
The Museum also built the recreation of the Amistad, for the feature film of the same name, and Mystic Seaport Village served as the city of New Haven (circa 1839) during filming. The Amistad now sails around the world on a perpetual peace mission, but it returns often to Mystic for maintenance.

Pretty Mystic Seaport


DT in front of the lobster shack


Mystic Terry

Mystic, Connecticut - which sits at the mouth of the Mystic River - is famous for another film, Mystic Pizza. We had a delicious take-out pizza from Mystic Pizza last night and while we waited I asked the clerk the story. She said the movie producer fell in love with Mystic Village while on vacation, and based her story on the "coming of age" of three girls who worked at Mystic Pizza. She also said they have "expanded considerably" since the film. Julia Roberts stars in the 1988 movie. Of course, anything in this town sounds adorable: Mystic Cleaners, Mystic Pharmacy, Mystic Middle School. Mystic is the prettiest of New England seaport towns, and today we really enjoyed her museums, shops and restaurants.

RV Park: Highland Orchards RV