7-30-11 Mystic Connecticut

The first day of our last "bucket-list" trip. We left the house at 5am, drove to BWI and got to Providence RI at 9:30. A short drive and by 11 we were in Mystic and had located the Mystic Seaport. This is an 18 acre area that is like a maritime Williamsburg, without the re-enactors. The time period was the mid 1800s when the wooden boat business was booming. Our first tour was of the Amistad, a rebuilt version of the famous ship where the slave uprising took place.

After lunch we walked around a bit and then took a boat ride on the Sabino, a smallish coal fired steamboat. It is a National Landmark and, with the SF Cable Cars, one of only two such things you can actually ride on. There was a good breeze and the ride was most pleasant. We had tried to get a 2 hour cruise on a large clipper but they were full - Thank heavens - we saw the boat and there was no shade. It was hot!!!! We saw most of the place, including the huge whaler that is being restored. By 3:30 we were on our way.

We eventually went to an Italian restaurant and then walked around the old Mystic town. Saw the Mystic Pizza place. Saw lots of old homes (and probably very expensive then and now) from the mid 1800s with some from the late 1700s. Wandered through the grounds of an arts shopping center and found a great place to take a picture of Sue amidst the flowers.