TAHG Day 12

Mystic Seaport is not only the largest museum in the world but possibly the prettiest.  The whole seaport is the museum, attempting to recreate the original fishing and whaling village from 1876.  It’s settled on a quiet stretch of the Mystic River, and I think I want to buy a house and move here.  I have the house all picked out, but I need a financier.

We spent the morning touring the recreated town.  The publishing shop uses old printing presses to make copies of things needed around town.  I teach Guttenberg’s printing press to my kiddos, so I always enjoy seeing presses in action.  There is a building holding a scaled version of how Mystic looked in 1876.  Another building houses a whaling boat and descriptions of how the boats were sent out from the ship to hunt the whales.  I don’t enjoy whaling but I understand the historical need for blubber and oil.  Another ship, called the LA Dutton, used to be a fishing vessel.  We toured it, and the wooden hull reminded me so much of the Dolphin from our trip to the Bahamas.  Oh, my, it was comforting!  Not only is the seaport a museum, but it’s also a youth sailing school in the summer.  Kids come and stay on a ship at night and learn how to sail in little sailboats during the day.  What a cool thing to be able to do!

The water was absolute glass before the rain began.

That's the ship the sailing kids call home.

Printing press

Fishing boat with Sandy

With Ed, Sandy, and Derek on the whaling boat

Michael and Cody thought Derek made a great whale.  Derek ended up with oyster shell up his rear.  Ha.

 

 

On the LA Dutton fishing boat

Crew quarters.  So much like our trip to the Bahamas!

Nathan, Michael, Derek, Luis, Ed, Scott, and Cody

Demonstration of how whaling boats hunted.

My favorite excursion of the morning was a little carriage ride.  There’s a Hollywood horse wrangler that works at Mystic a few days a week giving tours.  He and his stead Xena have starred in several movies, including “Amistad” and “Kate and Leopold”.  Xena and I were in the middle of a grand discussion and ear scratch fest when the driver asked if I was a horse girl.  We talked for a bit about a shared equine passion and I ended up with a standing offer to come up any summer to learn to drive horses and buggies.  SCORE!  I might have to take this up for next summer.  Heaven!!

Hollywood horse wrangler

On the carriage ride

With sweet Xena

“Mystic Pizza” was filmed in Mystic, so we headed to the restaurant where the movie got its name for lunch.   Yum!  Mystic is a beautiful little town, too.

Two of my favorite things!

The afternoon treated us to a workshop.  The warehouse and research facility for the seaport is extensive.  We were treated to a primary source workshop where we played detective to piece together the connection between two published journals from an Arctic exploration vessel, two scrimshaw walrus tusks, and a photograph.  There’s honestly no clear connection, yet, but it was fun to piece together the stories.  The warehouse was a mini paradise for me.  The items in the warehouse are rotated in and out of the various exhibits and loaned to other museums.  I found two globes at least 100 years old each that I would love to have, but I doubt there’s enough money in the world to purchase them.  Old clothing items, model ships, equipment such as lighting globes, walrus intestine warmth suits, scrimshaw pieces, and art are all stored in the warehouses.  My eyes enjoyed the feast!

A trip to a seaport is not complete without a boat outing.  We took a little wooden vessel out into the river to see Mystic for a different angle.  I could have stayed out there all day in the gentle rock of the tide and warmth of the sun.  It’s at least 20 degrees cooler today than yesterday, and it’s such a treat! 

With Natashia and Katy

This fishing vessel was used to transport over 300 Jews and Allied pilots to safety from Denmark to Sweden in WWII. 

Have I described enough how much I love the TAHG trips?!  I feel it’s God’s way of making up for all the study abroad opportunities I missed at A&M from being so sick.  Six months ago I thought I'd be having more surgery this summer, but I've had so many people pray me through it all.  I have thrived on this trip and wouldn't trade it for anything save a free ticket to Zambia. I haven't fought off depression or my introverted tendencies or anything.  I've worked hard to make my quiet times my morning priority, and God has blessed me beyond imagination these 12 days.  Praise Him!