Mystic Seaport

A 2 hour drive from Ridgefield landed Katy, Katy's mom (Jennifer), and I in Mystic, CT. Home of the famous Mystic Pizza and a historical seaport. We entered the seaport and were immediately taken back by a huge wooden whaling ship called the J.P. Morgan. This was the oldest wooden whaling boat in the world.

The boat has been dry-docked for a historical restoration project ranging in the millions of dollars. in the mid-nineteenth century this ship was taking on 2-3 year voyages to gather as much blubber for whale oil as possible. 200 years later the smell of that whale oil still overpowers the deck of the ship. We learned that ship hands were forced to crawl around on hand and knee, due to the amount of whale oil that coated the floors, to get around the ship.

Our tour continued further as we traveled past the bustling ship lumber yards, bearded men, and sea birds. We saw exhibits that highlighted the original lifeguards that guarded the shores and would use cannon power to save the ships and their sailors after they had run aground on the surrounding rocks. We saw the history of sea life and how it has modernized throughout time. From tall ships to light houses, from rope making to blacksmiths, from clamming to boat restoration, Mystic had it all.

- Ian