As far
as traveling goes, there will always be places I want to see for the first
time, and there will always be places I continue to return to. Sometimes it is
for the sites and new tastes and sometimes it’s for a more personal reason.
Such is the case that brought me to Connecticut, Mystic to be specific. One of
my very best friends lives there and I try to make at least an annual
pilgrimage there to catch up and hang around town. Connecticut has also allowed
me to know and love most of Rhode Island but that’s another blog for another
time (tomorrow to be exact).
Mystic,
Connecticut is a quaint little town with a big personality. The homes are all
different but lovely. There are always tourists (me especially) walking around
taking in the great weather in the summer and the food year round. There are
many things to do and it is in such close proximity to many other parts of the
state that you can plan a vacation around just about anything you like to do.
On
previous trips I have stopped off in Hartford, Connecticut to visit the former
homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2013/02/for-my-birthday-getaway-that-brought-me.html). These great authors lived next
door to each other and their properties are lovely to visit. I had a great time
when I went in December 2012 as a pit stop to Newport, Rhode Island. Although
it was cold it was charming. There were horse drawn carriages giving rides and
the visitor’s center was serving warm beverages and sweet treats. No matter the
time of year I really recommend visiting. Besides the proximity to one another
is the price. You can usually get two tours for the price of one and the timing
is scheduled so that you don’t miss anything. It is really well done. If you
go, figure an hour per house on the guided tour which is only way to see
inside. Mr. Twain’s elaborately carved staircase is worth the visit alone.
In
March of 2012 I was again in Connecticut and my first stop was to Foxwoods
Casino. Although gambling can be fun, when you win, this was not the reason for
my trip. I was here to see the “Diana” exhibit that was traveling around the
United States (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2012/03/for-diana-celebration.html). I had seen it previously in
Philadelphia the year before but this time I wanted my mother to see it and
Foxwoods was the closest location. It also happened to give me an excuse for a
mini-vacay.
This
summer I was finally returning to Connecticut, as I did not travel at all in
2013. This time I was headed right to Mystic to see my friend and one of the
main attractions there, Mystic Aquarium.
Mystic
Aquarium opened in 1973 with their main draw; Beluga whales, arriving in 1975.
Then there was the California sea lions that arrived in 1976 and the African
penguins in 1989. There are the various fish species and stingrays that you can
even pet. They are an array of sharks in tanks, seals being rehabilitated
before being released back into the wild.
I
couldn’t believe I had never been here. I had always meant to go. But I know
when you want to see something you have to pencil in the time.
Every
city has an aquarium so when deciding what ones I am really interested in they
have to have something special, something more than the usually penguins and
fish. I want an exotic creature, new experiences, and of course something to
write home about.
The
exhibit that drew me right in opened in April 2012 and surrounds the epic saga
that was the Titanic. This portion of the aquarium is called “Titanic 12,450
Feet Below” and is the brainchild of one Dr. Robert Ballard the ocean
researcher who created the technology that aided him in finding the wreckage.
It was he who saw the very first images of the Titanic when his camera system made
that first approach over one of the original twenty-nine boilers. That moment
in time changed everything for scientific research, water archeology, and
analysis into the past.
I
always forget that that it took seventy-three years to find the lost ship. I
have grown up in a generation that took that kind of artifact for granted. When
I learned about this tragic passage in school the story went right into images
of the ship at the bottom of the ocean and all of the trophies it still held. It's grim reminder that there once was just a glorious ship that was alive
because of the two thousand two hundred and twenty-four passengers that graced
it. Ultimately when it sank in April in 1912, fifteen hundred lives were lost.
It is
so appropriate that this exhibit furthering exploration of such a historic part of
our culture opened a hundred years to the month from the maiden voyage.
While
this was the exhibit I was longing to see, it turned out to be the very last
thing I did. I started off with the Beluga whales which you certainly don’t see
at just any aquarium. They are majestic and graceful. First I watched they from
the top of the tank and then went down below. To watch them overhead hurling
toward you it is a powerful thing.
I
followed the path around and eventually saw sea lions and seals, and caught the
sea lion show, which was funny and entertaining although a tad hot for me. You
have to remember that it was July and the heat was palpable outside. Being in a
crowded semi-enclosed space with little or no AC was not ideal for me but I am
glad I attended.
I have
to say the only animal I didn’t quite enjoy as much as I would have thought
were the penguins. I don’t know what it was but they were the smelliest
penguins I have ever seen. Apparently it was the raw fish they were eating but
I don’t believe that. I couldn’t get away fast enough. Sorry penguins. Glad
they can’t read this.
When my
big moment to enter the Titanic exhibit came I was naturally all a buzz. There
was a life size iceberg replica that felt as cold as one does. Since I was
overheated at that point I had to resist the urge to lean my whole body against
it. There was the machine created that found the ship, wreckage, suits worn by
the divers who would go exploring, and countless other items. Sadly I was under
whelmed.
What I
really was moved by actually had no physical connection to the boat. It was a
series of signs that listed who survived out of those who boarded. Those
statistics put in that way really stopped me in my tracks. When you think you
know a story by heart you can get lost in it. To have a giant sign reading “for
every two who lived, four died” is dumbfounding. It brought new life to this
tale, no pun intended.
After
my big day (really just a couple of hours) I was ready to move on and have some
lunch in a cool place with great people and tasty food.
Mission
accomplished!
Stay
tuned because tomorrow is: For Mighty Mystic Connecticut Part II- Mystic
Seaport.
For
More Information:
http://www.gofishct.com/ (great food, next
building over)
For
Other Aquariums:
For
Other Sites in Connecticut:
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