Mystic Seaport - Seafaring History Part One

Mystic Seaport "A Museum of America and the Sea" always a destination for a wonderful day.  Every few years I wander over to Mystic.  If you are into the history of sailing, Mystic Seaport must be on your "to do list".   Mystic Seaport has the largest of its kind collection of past vessels of the romance of seafaring days.  You can easily spend the entire day enjoying over 500 exhibits,  library, the shipyard restoration,  and  gift shop featuring a large bookshop nautical collection.  Be sure to enjoy the fine art and photography as well. Come aboard the CHARLES W. MORGAN  the last surviving wooden whaling ship. There is the steamship SABINO which is the oldest wooden steamboat in regular service.

This is where they rendered the whale blubber.

Charles W. Morgan

Another favorite is the  JOSEPH  CONRAD, built in 1832 in Copenhagen, Denmark.  She has sailed under three flags, survived  a sinking to rise again and is a beauty to behold.  All in all there is about twenty vessels to see and explore.  

Dedicated to the lore of the seafaring days Mystic Seaport maintains a full service restoration facility. Located to the left of the Tall Ships and Village be sure to stroll through, you might catch someone working on a vessel.

Above and in the video is  the restoration of ROANN, one of the last  fishing vessels that replaced the sailing schooners.   Right is hull repair on Charles W. Morgan.  What they are doing  on the Morgan is caulking the seems.   Here you can see the use of a  a caulking mallet to pound and compress caulking with tarred hemp.   

After a long morning shoot it was time for lunch.  So where would you go for lunch in Mystic?  How about to the place that serves up the "Pizza the Made the Movie Famous"  -  MYSTIC PIZZA!  Let me quote their story  "It all began in 1973 when the Zelepos family opened Mystic Pizza.  The secret to their success is the "secret recipe"  in the pizza which has contributed to the long running success.

The Day Hollywood Came To Town, it was back in 1988 when screenwriter Amy Jones chose Mystic Pizza as the focus and the setting fro her story of the lives and loves of three young waitresses.  Filmed on location in Mystic and the neighboring towns."   The movie stared Julia Roberts.

 Located in downtown Mystic and only a few minutes ride from the Seaport, MYSTIC PIZZA serves up a wide varity of foods.  Of course the pizza is what made the movie famous.

I have been here before and the pizza is indeed worthy the fame of the movie.  Today, however, I opted for the fish and chips accompanied with a side salad and a local craft beer.  Rob, the manager, took time
to chat motorcycles and he has had quite the stable. Currently he rides a KTM EXC500, Honda XR650L, and Husquerna 701 Enduro.  So stop by for lunch or dinner and chat riding with Rob.  Or just
​enjoy a surpurb meal!

Before we return to the Seaport  let's take a quick walk about the quaint town of Mystic.   Many fine
shops and sights to capture your interest.

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The history of Mystic dates far before it was " the Village of Mystic".  A long time before the europeans were here the Pequots had established a village on what is now the Mystic River.  It was not until the 17th Century that the seed of what was to become the village of Mystic started to take root.

Today, the village is a major New England tourist destination.  Aside from the Mystic Seaport there is
the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration.  And as stated above - Mystic Pizza!  Be sure to spend a few days here to enjoy the area; and by the way located just a few minutes down the road in
New London is the US Navy's Submarine Museum.  Here you can see the first nuclear submarine, USS
​Nautilus.  

This was the first installment.  In part two we will return to Mystic Seaport for an in depth view.

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See You Down The Road