Connecticut’s Mystic Seaport Museum – An Extraordinary Lesson in Maritime History

The final stop on our Little States trip of June 2023 was Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison, Connecticut.  Alan and I had been looking forward to fitting in a camping expedition to this park since we had discovered it a year or two ago while in Connecticut on personal business.  The park is located directly on Long Island Sound and the campground is huge and well-maintained.  There were a lot of things we liked about Hammonasset Beach – and one thing we didn’t.

With 556 campsites, the campground may sound overwhelming, but it didn’t feel that way to us.  The park is spread out over 1,000 acres, so the campsites are not compressed into a tight space and we certainly didn’t feel like sardines.  But it is a state park campground, and we were not surprised to find a lack of hookups.

None of the 500+ campsites have sewer, less than 100 of them have electric (most of those are on the highly coveted “Beach Road”) and water spigots are allegedly “within a hose length of each site.”  Unfortunately, Alan and I can’t remember whether we came in with a full tank of fresh water from Rhode Island or we actually did fill up at our campsite or at a potable water pump at the dump station.  (Note to self: Take better notes.)  I do remember that the dump station is set up well, with two lanes available.  Many of the campsites are out in the open, with some trees scattered here and there.  I imagine it gets pretty hot there in mid-summer but, interestingly, I couldn’t find any information online about generator usage.   Since we were only there for five nights – and not in the middle of a heat wave – there’s a good possibility that we ended up not needing our generator at all.

A shoreline path in a secluded section of Hammonasset Beach State Park

Appropriately, many of the camping loops had a “beach vibe,” but having scouted the park on our earlier visit, we made reservations for a grass-covered site in a quiet loop toward the back of the campground under the trees.  It was one of the few areas with shade, and I’d definitely book a site in that area again.  Even the Beach Road section didn’t impress us, since we’d rather do without electricity than trees but, if you need or want electricity, Beach Road is a great section to choose. 

Our site (#21) under the trees

We liked the beach and the fact that there were a number of access points.  If you wanted a guarded beach where the kids could swim and play, you had it.  If you wanted a quiet spot but one that was close to parking, you had it.  If you drove to a beach parking lot from the campground, you needed to circle back around to the park entrance to return to your site.  That was inconvenient, but not a deal breaker.  If you wanted to bike to the beach, that was a piece of cake with an easy return.

Lifeguard stations at the beach

We liked the bike trail, too.  Connecticut’s Shoreline Greenway Trail runs through Hammonasset Beach State Park and can easily be accessed from the campground.  Connecting the Bradford Preserve in East Haven to the park, the trail is just over four miles long.  When the entire Greenway Trail is completed, it will be a 25 mile trail connecting four Connecticut towns.  We used the Shoreline Greenway Trail to bike over to Lenny & Joe’s, a seafood restaurant on Route 1, just a short distance from the park.  Although we enjoyed the ride and the restaurant’s convenient location, we weren’t particularly fond of Lenny & Joe’s.  The food that day was just okay and their soft serve ice cream was disappointing, lacking in both taste and texture.  I’d try someplace else in Madison before I went back.

Meig's Point Nature Center in Hammonasset Beach State Park

On one of the days during our stay, we biked over to the Meig’s Point Nature Center, a small, but lovely, addition to the park which we thought was nicely done and quite educational.   That’s one of the benefits of this park – everything is easily accessible by bike.  The Shoreline Greenway Trail keeps you off the park roads and the camping loops are large and level – perfect for bike riding.  And therein lies the problem.  We have never, EVER, seen so many kids on bicycles in a campground before.  Understandably, with a campground this large, a fair number of families with kids – and bikes – is to be expected.  Still, there were So. Many. Bikes.  Some kids were riding with their parents, and those kids were generally behaving well.  Some kids were riding alone, but responsibly; they were no problem either.  However, there were quite a few kids riding way too fast and recklessly.  It was a group of those kids that just about forced me off the road during a ride around the park.  We camped at Hammonasset Beach from June 21^st to June 26^th.  Maybe we hit the very first weekend after school was out and the little banshees were celebrating.  I don’t know.  I do know that we’d love to return to Hammonasset Beach but, if we do, it will be during the week in the spring or fall when all the little munchkins are in school.  Yikes!  That biking free-for-all is something we never want to experience again – and it was the only thing we didn’t like about the park.  If you value solitude and sanity, DO NOT camp at Hammonasset Beach State Park when Connecticut schools are closed!

Beach parking for bikes next to the Camp Store - that's a LOT of bikes!

I know that’s a bit more of a review than I usually provide for a campground, but this State Park is really deserving of a round of applause.  In my humble opinion, the beaches in the northeast are nowhere near as delightful as southern beaches along the Atlantic or Gulf coasts.  That being said, this gem has a lot going for it, and I can understand why it’s one of Connecticut’s most popular parks.

It's all about the beach at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut.

So, now let’s get into our best Connecticut adventure: Mystic Seaport Museum.  I can’t say enough good things about the Seaport, but I’m going to try.  First of all, you should know that ships and shipbuilding have long been part of the Mystic River’s history – dating back to the 1600’s.  At the tail end of 1929, as the era of the wooden ships was fading, the Marine Historical Association was formed; it would eventually become the Mystic Seaport Museum (link HERE).  Its founders’ intentions were to “create a dynamic, educational institution to preserve America’s maritime culture–and turn the achievements of a past era into an inspirational force for the future.”  The endeavor was quite successful, and I imagine that the founders would be delighted if they could see the Seaport today.

Entrance to Mystic Seaport Museum

Y’all know that I do 99.9% of our travel planning.  What I’ve found on several occasions now is that it’s possible to underestimate places even though I try to research our destinations thoroughly.  I underestimated Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota and Big Bend National Park in Texas.  Now, I can add Mystic Seaport Museum to that list.  As it turned out, our visit coincided with the 31^st annual Wooden Boat Show.   Even so, Alan and I planned to spend just one full day at the Seaport.  When the staff member who issued our tickets ($28 per person with a senior discount) kindly informed us that we were entitled to return for a second day free of charge within a certain period of time, we just nodded and thanked her politely.  We couldn’t imagine spending more than a single day wandering throughout the Seaport.  Well, we were wrong.  So very wrong.  At the end of Day #1, we decided that Day #2 was needed, and we ended going back for a full second day.

Plenty of stimulating events at the Seaport!

Mystic Seaport Museum is designed as a waterside village of old that might have grown up along the banks of the Mystic River.  Certainly, ships and shipbuilding were an important part of the seaport’s economy.  We toured the grocery store, the printing press, the cooperage, the tavern and the church - all just like you might find in any village back in the 1700’s.  Here, too, and central to the shipbuilding that was a part of Mystic’s history, you’ll find a sail maker, a chandlery (a shop that sells supplies and equipment for ships) and a cordage shop.  The cordage shop, where ropes were made and sold, was absolutely fascinating.  Who thinks about how to make a rope?!  Yet, here we found old rope making machines spread out in a long building with informational placards that explained the tedious process.  Like I said, fascinating.

Antique equipment in the cordage shop

Alan was particularly impressed by the ships on exhibit in the Mystic Seaport Ship Modelers’ building.  The members of the Ship Modelers group meet regularly to craft intricately designed models of a wide variety of ships.  Their attention to detail is nearly impossible to believe – every single model represented an exact replica of its full-size counterpart down to the tiniest detail.  Alan enjoyed the model ships so much that he visited twice during our time at the Seaport.

A small sampling of the ship models on display

In addition to the shops and other old-timey buildings, the Seaport offers an art gallery, a planetarium and, of course, the ubiquitous gift shop.  I do believe there was a restaurant on the premises available for eat-in or take-out that’s housed in the same building as the gift shop.  We had lunch at Spouter Tavern, so I can’t speak to the regular restaurant’s offerings.  In our opinion, the art exhibits in the gallery and various buildings around the seaport were excellent and well worth taking the time to enjoy.  On the other hand, we thought the planetarium show we watched (for an additional, nominal $8.00 per person fee) was not worth the time.  The title of the show sounded really intriguing (“Summer Stars and the Mariner”).  In reality, it was nothing more than a typical planetarium show indicating the position of the planets and constellations in the night sky.  It wasn’t bad, but I had expected it to relate more to how sailors navigated by the stars.  (You know what they say about assuming.)  The planetarium show just didn’t seem worth the time and money to us when we were there to discover Mystic’s seafaring history.

Lunch on the lawn at Spouter Tavern

To me, the highlights of our visit to the Mystic Seaport Museum were the opportunities we had to actually board ships that were on exhibit – and even one that was currently undergoing restoration.

Staff members taking a break from the restoration of the fishing schooner L.A. Dunton

The Joseph Conrad was built in 1882 in Copenhagen as a training ship for cadets, and we were able to walk the deck of this nearly 150 year-old ship.  Because the mission of the Seaport is to preserve maritime history, an enormous amount of information is available to any visitor simply for the time it takes to read the many displays and placards that abound throughout the seaport.  The history of each ship we toured was front and center, enriching our experience each time we stepped aboard.

On the deck of the Joseph Conrad

How does it feel to stand on the deck of the sole-surviving ship in a fleet of 2,700 wooden whaling vessels?  It is both amazing and awe-inspiring.  The Charles W. Morgan is the last of its kind in the entire world, and it’s docked at the Mystic Seaport Museum.  In 1966, the ship was designated a Registered National Historic Landmark.  Visitors to the Seaport are allowed to explore the main deck and go “below decks” to see where the ship’s crew slept.  (Let’s just say that you'll gain a new appreciation for your bed, no matter how lumpy your mattress.)  I can’t tell you how humbling it is to stand on the deck of a 180 year-old ship and think about what a difficult life those who walked those very decks before you had to endure.

On the deck of the last remaining wooden whaling ship in the world - the Charles W. Morgan

In 2014, the powers that be engineered an incredible event - a volunteer crew from the Mystic Seaport Museum took the Charles W. Morgan on her 38th voyage, traveling from Mystic to Boston and back over the course of several months. The last remaining wooden whaling ship stopped in former whaling towns like New London and New Bedford to allow public tours and participate in various waterfront activities.  The Seaport released a number of videos on YouTube of the Morgan's return to the sea.  I can't tell you how moving it was to see this magnificent vessel out sailing the open waters like her builders intended.  Watching the Morgan cut through the water with all of her sails unfurled and her flags flying was so poignant it actually brought tears to my eyes.  She was that impressive.  If you'd just like to see what a whaling ship of old looks like under sail, then check out this video produced by the Seaport that's less than two minutes long (link HERE).  But if you'd like to get a real feel for what it's like to climb the masts and work the sails, I think you'll enjoy the Seaport's longer video that comes in at just under nine minutes (link HERE).  In that second video, the (very fortunate) crew actually enjoys the company of breaching whales as the Morgan sails along magnificently, proudly celebrating her heritage.  A fitting tribute to our now protected whales and an extraordinary ship from another era.    

The Charles W. Morgan docked at Mystic Seaport Museum

If our tours of the ships docked at the Mystic Seaport Museum were the highlights of our visit, then touring the fireboat “Fire Fighter” was the highlight of the highlights.  Alan and I met John, a retired firefighter and now a volunteer tour guide at the Seaport when we stopped by the fireboat to find out when tours were scheduled.  As it turned out, John was in between tours and fairly new to his position, so he took advantage of the opportunity to practice and offered to show us around.  Practice for him and a personal tour for us – a perfect win-win situation.  The tour was amazing and informative, and I loved that we were allowed to see and explore so many areas of the fireboat.  If you go to the Seaport and John happens to be your Fire Fighter tour guide, I'll guarantee you're in for an excellent tour!

Alan and John on the deck of Fire Fighter

Fire Fighter was built at the United Shipyard at Staten Island (New York) and served New York harbor for more than 70 years – until 2010.  She and her crew responded to 50 major multi-alarm fires, and they pumped water for two weeks at the World Trade Center in September of 2001.  Fire Fighter and her crew were decorated for valor more times than any other fireboat, reflecting an extraordinary career for both the ship and her fire-fighting crew.

With our son, Ryan, having worked his way up in our town’s volunteer fire company from Junior Firefighter to Lieutenant to Fire Fighter of the Year, we have a soft spot in our hearts for firefighters of any kind, anywhere.  Considering the boating aspect of this particular piece of firefighting apparatus and the fact that our earnest and knowledgeable tour guide, John, was a retired firefighter, Fire Fighter was easily and hands down the highlight of our visit to Mystic Seaport Museum.

Fire Fighter - imagine the stories she could tell.

Speaking of boating, while looking for a good breakfast restaurant in Mystic to fuel up before our visit to the Seaport, we stumbled across Kitchen Little, located at the Mystic River Marina.  Just a quick hop outside of Mystic proper, we decided to give it a shot for three reasons.  One was that the reviews were great.  Another was that it was located directly on the river.  And the third, silly as it may be, was that the name of the restaurant made us laugh – especially since our family jokingly refers to Chicken Cacciatore as “Kitchen Chaccatore.”  (Did I mention that we all have an unusual sense of humor?)  Appreciative of the restaurant’s play on words, Alan and I couldn’t resist a visit to Kitchen Little.

Yes, the dining room was small, but there were also at least a half dozen tables outside on the deck that offered a lovely view of the marina.  The joint was hopping!   The food was excellent, and the staff was super-friendly and efficient.  We enjoyed the experience so much that we went back on Day #2 of our Mystic Seaport Museum expedition.  On our way to Kitchen Little, Alan and I were talking about what a great gig this retirement business was, and how blessed we were to be able to travel to so many exceptional places.  Alan made the comment about there being “no bad days,” a phrase I’m sure he had never used before.  Imagine our surprise when we arrived at Kitchen Little to find out that its founder, Flo, had a slogan, and that slogan was . . . “No Bad Days!”  Despite the fact that the timing on this discovery was a bit unsettling, we decided that fate had led us to Kitchen Little, and the best thing to do was follow the instructions on the “No Bad Days” t-shirt I couldn’t resist buying: “Go with the ‘Flo!’”  So we did, and what followed were our two days of exploration and education at the Seaport.  I don’t often contend that a certain attraction or destination is a “Don’t miss!” but, in the case of the Mystic Seaport Museum, I sincerely believe that to be true.

Our stay at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut was the last stop on our Little States trip.  The quick loop through Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut allowed us to color in states 45, 46 and 47 on our camping map of the United States.  (Following our overnight stay at Spruce Run Recreation Area in New Jersey in September, we claimed the last of the 48 contiguous states for our map.)  Next up, our celebratory return to Five Islands on the Georgetown Peninsula, plus a couple of bonus adventures we added to round out our unplanned “Lunch in Maine” trip in July.  Then, finally, I’ll be returning to our West Coast National Parks trip.  If I could type in my sleep, I’d get a lot more accomplished.

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