Rob and I have fallen in love with Mystic. It is just such a beautiful town! Well, actually, it isn’t even a town. It is a census designated historical place located on the mouth of the Mystic River in New London County, CT. It has a beautiful waterfront shopping area with lots of interesting shops and great food such as Mystic Pizza, Sift Bake Shop, and the Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream and Coffee Shop. The Bascule bridge goes up every hour and it is interesting to see the tremendous weights that balance the bridge as it goes up to allow boats to pass.
Mystic was a significant seaport in the late 1700s with more than 600 ships built over the next 150 years. Mystic Seaport is the largest maritime museum in the United States and is a working shipyard where some of the best shipwrights in the world repair all sorts of historical boats.
The Charles W. Morgan is kept there and is the only known remaining wooden whaling ship left in the world. (Photo found online as I didn’t get a picture of the full ship.) She is known as a “lucky ship”, having successfully navigated 37 whaling voyages to every corner of the globe. She is a National Historic Landmark. You can climb aboard and explore the main deck and the living quarters. It is an amazing time capsule of the whaling industry. The girls and I were fascinated to see a photo of whalers in the late 1800s standing in the exact spot where we were standing. It really connects you to the past. The cramped quarters really give you a feel for the reality of these vessels that overcomes the romantic images you see of them full sail on the water. Whalers would live on these ships for 3-4 years at a time.
Bella at the wheel! 
Captain’s quarters… 
Captain’s Wife’s quarters…
Around the Seaport are original buildings brought to the area from all over New England and appropriate to the time. The staff are well versed in the history of the area and are always willing to answer questions and guide you along your way. We didn’t even get to see it all and are very ready to go back!
We also got to board the Firefighter, a working fireboat from the New York Fire Department. It served the department from 1938 to 2010. It was the most powerful diesel electric boat in terms of pumping power when it was built. The Firefighter actually fought the fires from 9-11. It is now a museum and a fascinating part of our nation’s history. We were very lucky to be at Mystic Seaport while it was docked there. You never know what interesting boats will be docked along the Seaport. If you ever have the opportunity to visit this museum, it is well worth the time and money spent. And if you happen to stop at Schaefer’s Spouter Tavern, I highly recommend the Rum Runner…
