Historical, enjoyable Mystic Seaport

 A working preservation shipyard and a recreated 19th century seafaring village are just a couple of reasons why Conecticut's Mystic Seaport is worth visiting. We stopped here 10 days ago on our way back from Long Island. 

Arriving by boat requires coordinating timing with a vascular bridge, which swings closed to allow both Amtrack  to whizz by and long cargo trains to lumber through. There aren't many of these swinging bridges left and they're always interesting. This one is particularly large and wide, making a dramatic arc across the water that is worth waiting for, unless you're really hungry for that mid afternoon ice cream. 

           

                      

Mystic Seaport is a fairly large complex of both live period demonstrations relative to 19th century life and various museums reflecting the technology and lifestyle of that time. For children,  there are several hands on "maker" opportunities, so bring a child along so you can join in the fun. The Museum of America and the Sea is considered to be the nation's leading maritime museum. 

                   

The Charles W. Morgan is the jewel of Mystic Seaport. This whaleship was launched in 1841. After an 80-year career that spanned the globe, she is the oldest American commercial vessel still afloat and the last remaining wooden whaleship in the world. This summer she embarked on a voyage to several New England destinations, and was actually in Boston while we were in Mystic. But we got a glimpse of her through the exhibits and workshops and will have to return to see the her when she gets home. 

Fisher's Island

Next stop, after leaving Montauk Point on Long Island was the 11 mile crossing to Fishers Island. The only tricky part of the crossing is making it through The Race, where rip tides arise from the competing Atlantic Ocean and Long a Island Sound currents. A majestic stone light house,that looks like a small castle, was built in 1870 to guide ships through what can be a treacherous crossing.  Once to the other side, you enter Fisher Island's large protected harbour. 

We are somehow drawn to islands and frequently anchor nearby, going ashore to explore.  These microcosms each have an immediately observable persona. At nine miles by four, Fisher Island is close to ten times the size of Useppa. About 230 live here year round, with the population swelling to 2,000 during the summer season. Daily ferries from Groton, and other close by Connecticut towns, bring workers and supplies the 2-5 miles from the coastline. Unlike Useppa, there are cars, trucks, a post office and about 6 shops in the village. But don't forget to bring milk, bread or eggs or you'll be waiting for a mainland delivery the following day. Ice cream, however, is no problem with Topper's being a must stop in the village. Several outlying boutiques and galleries are open, generally on the weekend from 10:00-12:00, so plan your time carefully. 

                        

Homes are traditionally cedar shingle. They range in size from truly modest to palatial, in a New England sort of way. Let's just say its a stretch to think of 5-bedrooms in 4,500 sq. feet as a "cottage", even if it is cedar shingle. Folks are very friendly with bike riding and sailing as obviously popular activities, although the island also boasts one of America's 100 best golf courses.  License plates from Connecticut and New York reflect a debate that raged for years as to which state F.I. belonged to. New York won, although a call here from New York is still considered long distance! 

The first European landed here and named the island Visher's Island in 1614. By 1640 sheep were being raised and it's history began. Clearing  of stone to create walls and using local wood for building leveraged the island's natural beauty.  But hurricanes and storm surges have several times conspired to essentially denude the island, most recently in 1950. Residence clearly treasure the uniqueness of the island and have helped to restore it back to its verdant natural state. One doesn't get the sense that there is much real estate churn, but that shouldn't discourage you from boarding a Connecticut ferry and coming for a days outing. You would certainly feel most welcome. 

Cruising the East End

When bringing Blue Chip north, we usually race past everything north of New York harbor in our hurry to get back to a Boston.  This year, we had crew interested in going to Long Island, so we thought, why not? Now we're wondering why we don't spend more time on the east end of Long Island? 

Sag Harbor was our first stop. Tucked into a wide, well protected harbor on the northern edge of Long Island's southern tip, Sag was an important waling site in the early years. In the 1900's it was the Bohemian Hampton, overlooked by the development that overtook most of the east end. Homes are generally modest and families abound, making it more laid back than many of the other towns. But the village is filled with well curated shops, excellent restaurants and several live theaters.  Don't miss Bagel Bouy - serving some of the most amazing bagel and lox we've had in a long time. 

The American Hotel is an institution, boasting guests who are arts royalty. With only a handful of rooms, it is one of the hottest tickets anywhere in the Hamptons. We joined old and new friends for a fantastic dinner, then walked back to BlueChip.  

Three Mile Harbor was our next stop. We anchored out to a quiet sunset and watched as a full moon rose over the horizon. 

Between Steve and I, we've lived on Long Island for nearly 5 decades. Watching the Hamptons develope, we had bemoaned the disappearance of it's many farms and fishing villages. After not spending time here for the last decade, it's easy to loose perspective on the uniqueness of this place. Small villages sprinkle the landscape. Inlets, harbors and small islands provide numerous boating options. With so many family and friends living close by, we're wondering why we stayed away so long?  

Boston weekend!

We had a truly super and relaxing Fourth of July weekend. Hurricane Arthur had us starting early, but the best, besides a Red Sox win (we're overlooking the loss), was having family visit. Tim came and immediately dug into a renovation project. Jen brought her friend Chris to share her discoveries from her last visit, although Chris had done some of his own research, so there was plenty to choose from. 

Captain Steve took us all out for a Sunday luncheon harbour cruise on Blue Chip. Immediate relaxation and the hope they'll come back to visit Cal and us soon. 

Arthur delivers Independence Day a day early!

Like much of the east coast, Boston has been eyeing Arthur's path up the east coast. Wednesday evening, the city announced that the renowned July 4th Boston Pops & fireworks were now rescheduled for July 3rd.  The city scrambled and there were far less than 500,000 attendees, but all of the Kaufman's guests made it to our deck. The fireworks launched on the river, just in front of our house were terrific!

The Beach Boys squeezed in a performance, but the Pops never got to the 1812 Overture. Suddenly, 20 minutes early, the sky exploded with light!

Within 10 minutes of the fireworks ending, we could feel a few random drops and then the sky let go with an absolute downpour. Let's talk about perfect timing! 

Today - July 4th - we're relaxing, enjoying nephews and nieces who came by for the weekend and, as the rain pours outside, thankful that the weather guys got it right!  Happy Fourth!!