We love Connecticut. It is a beautiful state that is teeming with interesting tourist attractions. Today we focus on the historic maritime coast of the Constitution State in “Mystic Country.”
The seaside towns and villages of Mystic County run 30 miles along Long Island Sound, starting at the town of Old Lyme and ending at the border of Rhode Island to the east. Our story begins with a visit to famous Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut.
The Mystic Seaport sign proclaims, “The Museum of America and the Sea.” The catchphrase was well chosen because Mystic Seaport is an exciting playground for maritime historians, boaters of every persuasion, kids of all ages, and folks who just love the sea.
We arrived early, so we had the streets of the historic port village to ourselves.
Everywhere we looked there were tall ship’s masts and sails in the background of the village’s authentic 19th century homes and shops.
It was a quiet fall day, and a slight whisper of falling leaves in the breeze made the many historic settings that much more alive and imaginative. We were walking back in time, and looked forward to the experience.
The Last of the Whalers
Our feet rustled through the leaf-covered village green as we made our way to tour the Charles W. Morgan – a sturdy looking wooden whaling ship, now a National Historic Landmark.
In the 19th century, there were over 2,500 wooden whaling ships in North America. Also here, since 1941, is the Morgan, launched in 1841, is America’s oldest surviving commercial ship still afloat.
During her more than 80 years of service, the Morgan made voyages ranging from nine months to five years long. It was on just such a ship that the morose, fictional Captain Ahab sailed from nearby Nantucket to seek the elusive great white whale named Moby Dick. Arrr!
Signing on to crew a whaling ship in the 19th century was the fast track to a harsh life involving hard work and long voyages. Thankfully (for the sake of the whales), whaling was greatly curtailed with the invention of kerosene in the 1840s.
The Joseph Conrad
From the deck of the Morgan you can see the steel-hulled Joseph Conrad, built in 1882 as a training ship for the Danish merchant marine service. For years she sailed with a cadet crew of eighty, and all went well until 1905 when the ship was rammed by a British freighter near Copenhagen and sunk.
Sadly, 20 young cadets went down with the Conrad. However, the vessel was quickly raised, repaired, and continued her mission until 1934 when it was sold. The new owner privatized the ship and took her around the world for two years, covering 58,000 miles.
The Mystic Seaport gained possession of the Joseph Conrad in 1948, and it has been in the museum ever since.
As we walked the decks, we could appreciate the vast amount of maintenance that is necessary to keep such an important maritime relic in ship-shape.
The Authentic Seaport Village
The faithfully preserved seafaring village has an active shiplift – that’s the seasonal touring steamboat Sabino being readied for winter in the photo above.
There’s also a sail and rigging loft – chandlery,
...craftsman workshops such as a shipsmith shop,..
...a nautical-instrument shop, and a cooperage.
There’s also a bank, drug store, school house, and a tavern.
Be sure to visit the small catboat exhibit with its many beautiful varnished toys for grown-ups...
...and the Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard to see what wonders marine craftsman can perform in the restoration of a boat or ship.
Kids Will Love It
Mystic Seaport is the number-one family vacation destination in Connecticut, and for good reason: this is a place for every mood, and every taste. Kids are treated to fun seafaring experiences they could not find elsewhere. Click *here* to see the many learning opportunities available at this 19-acre maritime park.
Fancy a sailing lesson around the harbor?
Get all the additional information you need about Mystic Seaport by checking its website.
If You Go
Mystic Seaport is easy to reach and lies betwixt New York City (134 miles) and Boston (102 miles) on I-95 – exit 90, right on the banks of the Mystic River that flows into nearby Long Island Sound.
Where to Stay
We chose two delightful inns for our stay in the Mystic/Stonington area – appropriately, both were on the water.
The Steamboat Inn
Strategically located in downtown Mystic, and close to the famous Mystic River Bascule Bridge,
the Steamboat Inn is an uber-comfortable 11-room luxury hotel. Each guestroom has distinctive furnishings that are in harmony with the nautical theme.
We were in room #2, apply named, “Mystic.” Great views of the river activity taking place just outside our windows.
The inn projects comfort at every turn, and the delicious full complimentary breakfast served in the common room is a great way to start the day in Mystic Country.
To view all the rooms and learn more about this recommended inn, click *here*.
The Inn at Stonington
Just ten minutes from Mystic lies another village with a seafaring history, the Borough of Stonington. The Inn at Stonington is nestled into quiet Water Street with nearby upscale 18th- and 19th-century homes. The back of the inn is a stone’s throw from Stonington Harbor.
It’s just a short walk down Water Street to the Old Lighthouse Museum, constructed in 1840 at Dubois Beach.
The lighthouse is no longer active, but the old stone building provides an excellent museum of the history of the village and surroundings. The little Dubois beach is relatively secluded and just the sort of out-of-the-way place where busy tourists can enjoy a measure of relaxing solitude.
You can chose from a range of bedroom types to suit your taste at the Inn at Stonington. Our room overlooked the harbor and Fisher’s Island Sound beyond. Each of the 18 classily decorated rooms reflects the ambiance of the surrounding quaint village.
We arrived at the inn just in time for the evening wine-and-cheese reception. Nicely selected area wines were accompanied by an ample assortment of artisan cheeses. Yummy.
This boutique inn also provides a complimentary and substantial continental breakfast in the sitting room that overlooks the harbor.
Tasty and filling – another good start for a day of intensive touring.
Look at the website for more information about the Inn at Stonington, availability, and pricing.
Where to Eat
This part of coastal Connecticut is noted for seafood restaurants, and you will have no trouble finding palate-pleasing fare of any variety in the 80-plus local restaurants.
There are four family dining facilities located right at Mystic Seaport. We were told by nearby residents that the dining facilities are all quite good, but we did not eat during our tour of the park, so cannot personally comment.
Another place we didn’t eat, but should mention, is the famous Mystic Pizza restaurant – the inspiration for the 1988 coming-of-age movie starring Julia Roberts. It is right on busy West Main Street in downtown Mystic.
We did enjoy some excellent mega-portions of New England fried seafood at the Seahorse Restaurant in nearby Noank. This place we do recommend. The Seahorse serves tasty full-bellied fried clams that are favored by the regulars. These clams taste a little like fried oysters, but not as pungent. Delicious!
There was also a seafood restaurant at the dock across the parking lot from the Inn at Stonington called Swooner.
We had lunch there, but unfortunately, it closed soon after our visit. Our helpful tourism contact has informed us that another restaurant named the Breakwater will open at this superb waterfront location in May 2015.
The new proprietor has a reputation for operating successful restaurants. The Breakwater will feature classic American seafood in a casual contemporary atmosphere – not fancy. Can’t wait to try it the next time we are in Connecticut.
Also for next time, how about a day on the "ice-cream trail meticulously organized by www.Mystic.org – a good reference website to remember. It includes 48 sweet places to relish America’s favorite dessert - 48!
We highly recommend Mystic Country for a quality family vacation. In addition to what you see reported here, the area is also home to the Mystic Aquarium, the Goodspeed Opera House, Gillette’s Castle, two casinos, and a submarine museum.
Happy travels!
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© Travels with Wayne and Judy Bayliff
Photos © Judy Bayliff
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