For Every Season There’s a Reason to Visit

The calendar says autumn has arrived, but with the recent gorgeous, warm, sunny days at Mystic Seaport, summer has definitely been duking it out with fall and coming up the winner.

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Days like this need to be savored, and that’s exactly what 2^nd and 3^rd graders from St. Joseph’s School in New London were doing late last week.  For them, it’s the beginning of a new school year, and one of their first study assignments is the history of whaling. How great that they were actually able to board the historic Charles W. Morgan to learn first-hand about whaling and life at sea for her sailors.
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Sabino’s whistle can be heard blowing on grounds, signaling a down-river cruise. She’ll be steaming along until October 11 and then will hibernate until the spring of 2011. Early fall days can be beautiful on Mystic River’s sparkling waters. Take a ride while you still can.

Sabino offers visitors cruises through Columbus Day Weekend.

Ditto for a horse and carriage ride with famed horses Duke or Little John hoofing it around Museum streets for your enjoyment.

Enjoy autumn's scenic beauty while taking a horse and carriage ride.

Yes, fall weekdays at Mystic Seaport are chock-full of indoor and outdoor activities, but just wait until the weekends roll around. Special events coming up include:

• Argia Twilight Cruise with Sea Music  – October 7, Saturday-5:30-7:30 p.m. 
• Chowderfest – October 9-11, Saturday-Monday (more than just chowder)
• Fall Beer Tasting & Talk– October 16, Saturday -5-7p.m. (new brews from local breweries)
• Nautical Nightmares – October 15-31  (tickets on sale now)

And how about living vicariously as adventurers talk about their personal experiences and challenges chasing their dreams and dealing with unique situations?  The Adventure Series at Mystic Seaport is your ticket to an exciting afternoon (1:30 p.m.) or evening (7:30 p.m.) program. The series begins the third Thursday in October and continues every third Thursday through April.

Summer may be officially over, but for me, autumn at Mystic Seaport has a special charm of its own. Come  visit and I’m certain you’ll agree.

 For more information on the above-mentioned events, visit www.mysticseaport.org.

 Blog written by Trudi Busey.

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.

No Tricks, Just Treats at Mystic Seaport this Saturday!

With symbols of Halloween jumping out at us at every turn, I wondered – how and where did this October 31^st day originate? Turns out, we owe it largely to Irish immigrants. They brought versions of their Celtic festival, Samhain (pronounced sah-wen), to North America. Combine that with the northern European pagan tradition and religious festivities associated with “All Hallow’ Evening” (now known as All Saints Day) and VOILA – October 31^st is what we all now know as  Halloween!     

Too much information? Sorry. But wait – here’s some really important information for anyone with children ages 10  and under. Want a really safe place to take your little goblins trick-or-treating on Halloween?  Then come to Mystic Seaport. From 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 31^st , children in costume will gather up treats at designated locations within the Mystic Seaport village. It’s a scene guaranteed to bring a smile to the faces of all, whether participants or simply onlookers.

Parents, you can vicariously relive this fun time of childhood because it’s a requirement that children be accompanied by an adult. You don’t have to come in costume yourself,  but please come with  $2 for each child you bring (to help defray candy costs). If you’re lucky, maybe your little ghosts and goblins will share some of their Halloween treats with you!

Park in the Seamen’s Inne parking lot, enter through the Museum’s library gate and follow the pumpkin path. You’ll be given a map to lead you to all those treats in waiting.

Sound fun?  You betcha!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Blog post written by Trudi Busey.

Slip into Mystic Seaport by boat this summer

Cocktails on the Mystic River? Sounds good to me!

Want to spend a summer evening on 17 acres of prime waterfront real estate, with all the comforts of home?

Come with your boat and dock in a slip at Mystic Seaport!  Put the nation’s premier maritime museum on your list of ports of call, and enjoy first-class docking facilities at an unparalleled location. Unlike any other marina or docking area, you’ll get to experience the quiet and calm beauty of an evening on our riverside grounds—yours to stroll as an after-hours special guest of the Museum when the grounds are closed to other visitors.

Docking amenities include heads, showers and laundry machine, free pump-out facilities, shore power, ice, fresh water and, for Mariner Members and above,  the Membership Building’s Mariner’s Lounge is available M-F, 9-5 with hot coffee and cold lemonade, as well as a quiet haven to read a book or or browse the Internet. Mariner members and above get discounts or free nights on dockage at the Museum’s beautiful waterfront—click here to learn more about the benefits of membership at Mystic Seaport.

See you at the docks! Call our Docks office at 860.572.5391, or go online to learn more at our Docks page.

A Brilliant Season

While this cool, wet spring has most of us in New England still in fleece jackets, the Museum’s schooner Brilliant has already set sail for its spring sailing season, featuring two-day sails for adults. Teen sailing voyages, five and 10 days in length begin June 15, and adult sailing getaways begin again on September 11. In anticipation of warmer days and fair winds, we offer a few tidbits about Brilliant‘s gleaming acomplishments.

Year the Brilliant sailing program began at Mystic Seaport: 1953

Approximate number of people who have sailed on Brilliant since her arrival at Mystic Seaport: 10,000

Approximate number of nautical miles sailed in 53 seasons: 160,000

The record-setting number of days it took Brilliant to cross the Atlantic in 1933: 15

Place of Brilliant in the Tall Ships Race from Halifax to Amsterdam in 2000: 1

Number of fleet firsts Brilliant has taken in Nantucket’s Opera House Cup: 2

Approximate number of races Brilliant has won in the last 20 years: 20

Number of those races that the author of this blog post sailed in: 3

Piloting our way

Pilots hard at work, despite the damp weather!

Get any of those spring projects done this weekend? We did!

Fender making

This past weekend, May 9th & 10th, was the 73rd Pilot Weekend at Mystic Seaport. Mystic Seaport Pilots are special Museum volunteers who devote an on-site weekend of service twice a year. These dedicated folk come from all over the country to roll up their sleeves and work side by side with Museum staff on a variety of projects.

What did  75 Pilots accomplish this weekend?

They spread one ton of mulch on our peerless gardens

They created one new garden

They planted 45 plants

They dug 22 plants for replanting

They built three floats

They launched eight boats

They deployed 25 fenders

They scraped eight davits from the Charles W. Morgan

They sorted and cataloged 900 rowing magazines

They made four muslin patterns from 1871 pattern books, to be used in the creation of role player costumes

They rehoused 2100 Rosenfeld images

They scraped 50% of the bulwarks on the Charles W. Morgan

They created three rope fenders

They serviced two antique engines were serviced

They scrubbed the decks of five small craft

President Steve White and his wife, Maggie, joined the 75 Pilots who spent a weekend doing service projects for Mystic Seaport.

Scrubbing the decks

Recognize this Shipyard volunteer? It’s former Museum President Doug Teeson, an active Museum volunteer and member of the Pilots.

This hearty crew built three floating docks last weekend!

Supervisor of Grounds Kara Franco and her helpful garden crew.

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Our Fall Pilots’ Weekend is October 17-18 and we’d love to have you be part of the crew! To join in the fun, go to  http://www.mysticseaport.org/pilotprogram
or e-mail chris.freeman@mysticseaport.org.

And to all our Pilots, a simple thank you just isn’t enough for all you do. We are so deeply grateful for your continued service and hands-on commitment to your Museum.

Majestic

I have the best seat in the house. Actually, I’d argue that I have the best seat in the whole Museum. I’ve endured wind, rain, sleet and snow. I’ve worn the ugly, durable shoes all winter. I’ve stared at brown, barren trees and cold, gray skies. And it has all been worth it. All for this…

Grab your camera. Get over to the Thomas Greenman House. Experience spring in all of its majestic, Mystic Seaport, Magnolia glory. And when you look up, you may even see me waving down at you from the window.

Ahoy! Sea Squirt & Sea Stars: Preschool Programs at Mystic Seaport

Do you know a preschooler who likes boats and fish? Mermaids and pirates? Stories and science? Crafts and play? (Um, is water wet?)

Well, we’ve got the programs for your ocean-loving preschooler. Spring is definitely in the air at Mystic Seaport, and our spring preschool programs at the Children’s Museum are starting this week. This active hour of maritime fun starts each week in the Children’s Museum with crafts, science activities, songs, stories and play. It’s a new maritime adventure each week, with field trips around the Museum on sunny days—exploring the grounds with a Museum Teacher and your preschooler is a whole new way to see Mystic Seaport.

And new this spring, we have programs for up to age four! We’ve expanded our preschool offerings, so our Sea Squirts program is still just for 2 1/2-year-olds to 3 1/2-year-olds and their caregiver, while a new program, Sea Stars, suits the developmental needs of three- to four-year-olds who attend with a caregiver. And now, choose from classes on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays.

There are a few spots still remaining for Sea Squirts and Sea Stars—call now (860.572.5322) to register for classes starting Wednesday, March 11. Classes are one hour in length, and meet for six sessions. Member discount is available, of course.

Calling all Gardeners!

Yes, there is still snow on the ground. Yes, there’s a chance there might be more. But to quote the great Hal Borland, “No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”

Spring is coming and we’re more than ready. In preparation, the Membership Department at Mystic Seaport is hosting a Spring Garden Series at Seamen’s Inne to help you get your gardens ready for the coming season.

The three-part luncheon series begins Friday, March 13, with Anne Duncan, owner of the Salem Herbfarm in Connecticut. Anne will explain the most cost-effective way to grow, maintain, preserve and enjoy popular culinary herbs.

On Friday, April 10, the Museum’s Supervisor of Gardens Kara Franco will detail the flowers and vegetables that are grown in Mystic Seaport’s greenhouse for the Museum’s period gardens (betcha didn’t know that we even grow our own veggies, huh?!). After lunch, attendees will visit the Museum’s greenhouse to check out the new seedlings and plants.

County Master Gardener Coordinator Susan Munger wraps up the series Friday, May 15, with a discussion about the ease of creating sustainable landscapes with the use of rain gardens, a low-maintenance feature that allows surface water to return to the underground aquifer. Copies of Munger’s book, Common to this Country: Botanical Discoveries of Lewis and Clark will also be available.

Gardens, history and much more. All waiting at Mystic Seaport.

So replace those mittens with gardening gloves and those shovels with trovels. It’s all about sunshine, fresh vegetables and plentiful gardens from here on out…we hope.

For more information, times and prices, visit our Membership Department online or call 860.572.5339.

Of Course We Have Seals…

With all due respect to our friends down the street, there are seals at Mystic Seaport, too.

At least there was Wednesday morning of this week.

I could get used to this, thinks the newest visitor to Mystic Seaport.

While we haven’t officially confirmed this, we believe this visitor to the dock near our Boathouse is either a harp or harbor seal.

There is a colony of harbor seals near Fisher’s Island, so that’s one possible explanation. We’ve also learned that this is the time of year juvenile harp seals come down from the Arctic to explore (perhaps they’ve heard of our Frozen In exhibit?). 

Either way, it doesn’t make a difference to us. What it means to us is that Mystic Seaport attracts all kinds. And in the harshest of winters, there’s no problem with that.