How About a New Tradition?

What’s your Thanksgiving holiday tradition?  Do you watch the Macy’s parade on TV?  Do you bundle up to watch a local football game? Or, if you’re in charge of preparing the Thanksgiving feast, do you even have time to relax at all?

Well!  Here’s a new tradition for you to consider.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast; take your seat in the bleachers at a football game or sit in your easy chair at home and flip the TV channel to the Macy parade. Then, sometime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., meander over to Mystic Seaport country and celebrate the season’s bounty at the Seamen’s Inne Thanksgiving Grand Buffet. Just think how nice it would be to simply enjoy the food without worrying if the turkey is tender, the mashed potatoes lumpy or the gravy too thick or too thin!

Then, right next door is Mystic Seaport, Yes, even on Thanksgiving Day the Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and….admission is half-price!  True, not all the exhibits will be open, but you can either work up your appetite or walk off the calories you just ate by climbing the staircase up to the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship deck. If that’s too strenuous, than board the L.A. Dunton.  Visit the Buckingham-Hall House and imagine cooking a Thanksgiving feast in that kitchen!  Then, visit the Voyages exhibit where it’s easy to spend a good chunk of time, either before or after your dinner.

Mystic Seaport this time of year has a tranquil charm. The village streets are quiet and the allure of the sea is ever present. It’s a special place for all seasons.

So how about it? Ready to start a new tradition? Then make your reservations for the Thanksgiving Day Grand Buffet at Seamen’s Inne (860.572.5303) and pop over to Mystic Seaport to  enjoy the view along the Mystic River and visit the open exhibits. Don’t forget to tell the exhibit interpreters  you’re thankful for them working on this day of thanks!

We wish you all a happy Thanksgiving!

Blog posted by Trudi Busey.

Can Jingle Bells be Far Behind?

It’s a sure sign that the holidays are upon us. This morning I saw Kara Franco Lally and some of her “elves” – Margaret, Amy, Irma and Allen – starting to decorate the South entrance courtyard at Mystic Seaport with sprigs of holly, juniper, pine, larch, spruce and yew. 

Kara, who is garden supervisor/horticulturist for the Museum, stated that all the greens they were using were collected on Mystic Seaport grounds. The Museum store, the Visitor Reception Center and the Seamen’s Friend Society Reading Room were on the “to do” list for decorating today. 

In total, about 16 volunteers help beautify Mystic Seaport for the holidays. Right now, in the greenhouse, they’re hard at work making pine roping, wreaths and other decorations that will be in place for visitors to enjoy this holiday season.

Although folks walking through Museum gates may not be aware of all this pre-holiday busy-ness, the proof is in the pudding.  Visiting Mystic Seaport at holiday time is a  beautiful and unique experience.

 Check out the Museum’s website at www.mysticseaport.org and see the special gifts of the season in store for you and your family.  If you’re an early shopper (and you need to be for these holiday offerings) the fun begins on November 29^th  and carries through on selected days throughout December.

The Season’s Splendor (a Victorian Village Holiday Ride), Lantern Light Tours (a New England Holiday Tradition), crafts and stories for kids, a journey to the zoo in the sky at the Planetarium – so many wonderful choices. A word to the wise – ticketed events sell out quickly.  Don’t be disappointed. Shop now!      

Blog written by Trudi Busey.