Homeward Bound

Today is our last day of vacation.

We make a stop at the aquarium in Mystic and the nearby Nautilus museum in Groton,  Connecticut.

Mystic's aquarium has several unique features.  In 2012, Mystic Aquarium opened the Ocean Exploration Center featuring maps, diagrams, and models from Dr. Robert Ballard's explorations of the Black Sea and of the wreck of the RMS Titanic. Presentations in the Nautilus Live Theater told more of Ballard's recent explorations and the ship E/V Nautilus. Audience members had a live link to crew members on the ship at sea and could ask them questions directly.  The aquarium has several beluga whales, two Steller sea lions, five Northern fur seals , six California sea lions, one Pacific and six Atlantic harbor seals, one Arctic spotted seal, a large colony of 32 African black-footed penguins, unicorn fish, blue tang, octopus, Japanese spider crabs, sand tiger sharks, bamboo sharks, sea turtle, clownfish, an extensive sea jelly exhibit, seasonal birds, and other oceanic creatures. 

The Submarine Force Museum, located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut, maintains the world's finest collection of submarine artifacts. It is the only submarine museum operated by the United States Navy, and as such is the primary repository for artifacts, documents and photographs relating to U.S. Submarine Force history. The museum traces the development of the "Silent Service" from David Bushnell's Turtle, used in the Revolutionary War, to the Ohio and Virginia class submarines.

Originally established as "The Submarine Library" by Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in 1955, the Submarine Force Library and Museum soon gained respect for its archival and research value. In April 1964, the entire collection was donated to the Navy and relocated to the Naval Submarine Base, New London, Groton, Connecticut. The name "Submarine Force Library and Museum" was officially adopted in 1969.

The museum's collections include more than 33,000 artifacts, 20,000 significant documents and 30,000 photographs. With so many holdings, the displays change frequently and a return visit will be a new experience. The 6,000 volume reference and research library is a world-renowned collection relative to the history of U.S. submarines and is open to anyone looking for information on submarines or submarine history.

What is the significance of NAUTILUS?

NAUTILUS was the world’s first nuclear – powered ship and the first vessel to go to the North Pole.

What special recognition has NAUTILUS received?

NAUTILUS was named a National Historic Landmark in 1982 and Connecticut’s State Ship in 1985.

Where was NAUTILUS built?

Electric Boat Company, one of the nation’s leading constructors of submarines, built NAUTILUS in Groton, 3 miles south of where she is presently moored.

When was NAUTILUS built?

June 1952; President Harry Truman officiated at NAUTILUS keel-laying. January 1954; Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower, wife of the president launched NAUTILUS. In September 1954; NAUTILUS was commissioned.

How many men were on board?

NAUTILUS carried 11 officers and 105 enlisted men.

How deep could it go?

NAUTILUS could dive to 700 feet.

How fast could it go?

In excess of 20 knots.

How long is it?

319 feet – a little longer than a football field.

How much does it weigh?

3,400 tons on the surface.

How deep does NAUTILUS extend below the surface?

21’2”.

How long can it stay underwater?

NAUTILUS was the first true submarine and could stay underwater for very long periods of time. Whereas World War II submarines would remain submerged for 12-48 hours. NAUTILUS could remain underwater for two weeks or more.

Was NAUTILUS the first ship to go to the North Pole?

Yes, NAUTILUS sailed from Alaska under the Polar ice cap, passed under the North Pole, and surfaced near Greenland. This record setting voyage took place in August 1958.

When was NAUTILUS taken out of service?

The Navy decommissioned NAUTILUS in March 1980.

How many years was NAUTILUS in service?

Twenty-six; from 1954 to 1980.

Can NAUTILUS go to sea again?

No. In converting NAUTILUS for visitation to the public, the Navy made extensive renovations which prevent NAUTILUS form sailing on her own power again.

What does its number 571 mean?

The Navy numbers all its submarines consecutively since the first one, USS HOLLAND (SS-1) commissioned in 1900. NAUTILUS was the 571st submarine built for the U.S. Navy.

What do the red and white letters on the conning tower stand for?

These letters represent awards for excellence that NAUTILUS earned on active duty: *The white E--This is the coveted Battle Efficiency E for excellence in combat readiness. *The red E--This is an award for excellent engineering. *The red A --This is an award for excellence in anti-submarine warfare.

What is the red, blue and yellow flag on the conning tower?

This is the Presidential Unit Commendation. NAUTILUS became the first ship to ever win this coveted award in peacetime by going to the North Pole.

Is the glass building on the bow (front) part of the original submarine?

No; this was added for visitor convenience when NAUTILUS was modified for visitation.

Are the long stairs part of the original submarine?

No; the stairs are also an addition to make it easier for visitors to enter NAUTILUS.

How do I get on board?

There isa wide walkway (brow) leading from the pier to the submarine.

Will I get seasick on board?

No. NAUTILUS is very stable and moves very little.

It's a 4.5 hour ride home through Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey on I95.  We always seem to hit traffic when we travel this specific stretch of highway, but we'll make the best of it.

Mysticfied

Another beautiful day on this adventure.  We left Portland about 9:30 and arrived at the Mystic Seaport a little before 1:00.   We finally finished the book we've been listening to for the trip - 11 CDs and about 125 chapters.  Whew, but we highly recommend it.   It was about a fictional president Duncan that Ida wants to elect.

Mystic Seaport is a recreation of a 19th century seafaring village with some historic vessels and an active shipyard that is currently restoring the Mayflower II from Plymouth, Massachusetts.  None of the buildings are recreations  They are real buildings from the era that were transported here from all over New England.  The map below gives you an idea of how the seaport is laid out.

View of Mystic from the Highway

Tugboat at the Entrance to the Seaport

Learning how to load a ship.  She did very well.
Lookout McAuley she may have a new career

The Home Depot of the 19th Century

The Charles W. Morgan
The last wooden whaling boat in the world

Sailing the Morgan

The 19th century whaling industry was one of the most prominent businesses in America. Hundreds of ships setting out from ports, mostly in New England, roamed the globe, bringing back whale oil and other products made from whales.  Oil obtained from a whale’s blubber has been used for both lighting and lubricating purposes, and the bones of the whale were used to make a variety of useful products.   

By the early 1800s, whaling ships from New England were setting out on very long voyages to the Pacific Ocean in search of sperm whales. Some of these voyages could last for years.  A number of seaports in New England supported the whaling industry, but one town, New Bedford, Massachusetts, became known as the world’s center of whaling. Of the more than 700 whaling ships on the world’s oceans in the 1840s, more than 400 called New Bedford their home port. Wealthy whaling captains built large houses in the best neighborhoods, and New Bedford was known as "The City that Lit the World."  

Its amazing that there is only one of these boats left.   See this video of the History of the Charles W. Morgan.

Each of the buildings had an interpreter to tell you about the craft or trade the building provided for the seamen.  This is the cooperage.   The cooperage was a shop where round wooden containers, which we generally call barrels, were manufactured. These casks were an essential element in life both at sea and ashore, and wooden containers made from staves and hoops served many storage purposes. Aboard ship they held provisions, various kinds of cargo and, on certain fishing and whaling vessels, the catch.

Casks intended for spirits, molasses, whale oil, or other liquids had to be tight–that is, water-tight–and the cooper who made these types of containers was a “tight cooper.” Slack casks were used for flour, potatoes, apples, crockery and just about anything else that might have to be shipped from one location to another.  See the cooper in action.






The Mystic Press, assembled to represent a newspaper and job printing shop of the late 19th century, contains the tools and technology of the journeyman printer’s trade.

The terms “uppercase” and “lowercase” originated in printing offices. The two types of letters were kept in separate boxes or cases. The capital letters were kept in the upper case and the minuscule letters were kept in the lower case.












The shipsmith shop was built at the head of Merrill’s Wharf (now Homer’s Wharf) in New Bedford, Massachusetts, by James D. Driggs in 1885. It is the only manufactory of ironwork for the whaling industry known to have survived from the 19th century.

Shipsmiths made harpoons, cutting irons, ship fittings and other things useful to the whaling industry,

Strolling through the village

A beautiful day for sailing

We watched videos about lighthouses

Ships everywhere

Raising the Anchor

This building is part of the active shipyard.  Not too many places can work on these historic vessels so they built their own shipyard.

Ida

After touring the seaport, we checked in and took a dip in the hotel pool before heading out to dinner.  We didn't take pictures at the pool, but I drew a picture of her for you.





For dinner we went to S&P Oyster Company in downtown Mystic.  It sits right on the water on Main Street with great views.  Another good choice as we both enjoyed our meals

S&P Oyster Company

Beautiful gardens of the restaurat.

View from our table

I came for the Halibut

Ida's Meal - Halibut

Dave's Meal
Pan Seared Scallop Pasta

Add caption

The Whaler's Inn has been a hotel since 1969.  Its comprised of five different buildings from different eras, but each reflect the character of coastal New England.

Beautiful view of Mystic Harbor

We were fascinated by the drawbridge on Main Street which went up three times while we were in town.  It's a bascule bridge commonly known as a drawbridge that dates back to 1920.  This one has a single leaf that goes up balanced by two huge 230 short ton concrete counterweights.

Apparently the bridge goes up about 2200 times a year and typically once an hour during daylight in the summer.  See our video  of the bridge going down.

Mystic Drawbridge

Drawbridge in the Up Position

Main Street Shops

Main Street in Mystic

From the movie of the same name
Ida has not seen it

Red Sky At Night, Sailors Delight

One more day left. 

Onto Mystic

We head about 3.5 hours south to Mystic, Connecticut.  Along the way, we'll drive through the beautiful coast of Maine into Massachusetts looping around Boston and through Providence, Rhode Island into Connecticut and stopping for the night in Mystic.

Mystic is a small village and a major is a major tourist destination. It is home to the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, known for its research department, concern with marine life rehabilitation, and its popular beluga whales. The business district contains many restaurants on either side of the bascule bridge where U.S. Route 1 crosses the Mystic River. 

Mystic Seaport is the nation's leading maritime museum and one of the premier maritime museums in the world, founded in 1929. It is the home of four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the oldest merchant vessel in the country. The museum's collections and exhibits include over 500 historic watercraft, a major research library, a large gallery of maritime art, a unique diorama displaying the town of Mystic as it was in the 19th century, a working ship restoration shipyard, the Treworgy Planetarium, and a recreation of a 19th-century seafaring village.

After sightseeing in the Seaport, we settle in at another Hyatt Place and we look forward to another special New England seafood dinner.  Tonight is the last night of our trip, tomorrow we head for home after we check out the aquarium.

Lots of Trees, No Moose and No Wawa

We had a nice drive today through some beautiful scenery, no traffic and the towns were pretty small.  Good thing we fueled up and stopped at a supermarket in Canada because there was nothing until we got near the coast of Maine.

Bridge over the St. Laurence on Auto Route Henri IV

Clear Sailing

Marche

A Portable Red Light in lieu of Flaggers

Beautiful Rolling Fields with lots of trees

Nothing but Trees

Canadian Highway

Trust But Verify

He didn't look at the passports at all.  Just asked a few questions of honest Ida, but then he made her open the trunk in case we were smuggling some Mexicans from Canada.   She let out a sigh of relief afterward.









Canadian Route 173 became US Route 201.  Very scenic but some rest stops with bathrooms would be nice.

Lots of these signs

We found a beautiful rest stop near a creek with a restroom and a picnic area, so we had our lunch there.  Good thinking picking something up since these poor people in Maine don't know what a Wawa is.

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Picnic Lunch

Bridge over the Creek

We arrived in Portland and checked into our hotel by 5:00 PM.  We covered quite a few chapters of the book and we're almost finished now. For dinner we went to the dock area and ate aboard a ship, DiMillo's restaurant.   We took a walk around the old port area after dinner.

Restaurant is toward the top right

Ida's Dish

Dave's Dish

Marina

Old Port Area of Portland