Nestled along a river in Connecticut is the small, but quaint
We got up bright and early to another delicious breakfast at our B & B. This morning we were treated to pancakes with fresh maple syrup, fresh fruit, juice and a delightful conversation with the innkeeper, Joan Egy.
Our aim was to get to the Mystic Aquarium early before the crowds, but at 10 am, the parking lot was already a bustling place filled mostly with families. The Aquarium costs $16 for adults and $11 for children, and like Mystic
Seaport, there is an entire day's worth of adventure inside.
Two years ago, the Aquarium finished a $52 million expansion. It is so much more than an aquarium, thus a new name "Mystic Aquarium/Institute for Exploration." Their mission statement is to "inspire people everywhere to care about and protect our oceans by exploring and sharing their biological, ecological and cultural treasures." In 1999, the Mystic Aquarium and Dr. Ballard's Institute for Exploration joined together to form a unique and valuable alliance. Dr. Ballard was the one who found both "PT 109" and the "Titanic". He wanted a place where he could share what he discovered underwater, and Mystic Aquarium became the home base.
The Aquarium opened eight new exhibits and programs in the last year alone, keeping things fresh and new and giving patrons a reason to return. The Sea Lion Show opened last July, and the Sea Lions were as entertaining as the dolphins show I had seen in the past. Sea Lions can travel a speed of up to 25 miles per hour and showed themselves to be extremely intelligent as their trainers put them through their routines.
Besides the mandatory aquatic displays, the Aquarium moved into modern technology by designing a computer game called "Shark Predator/prey." The children and the adults enjoyed playing this e-version of eat or be eaten.
Scores were posted after the game, and Don proudly made the top 5 of our group of 30. My score was nowhere to be found I was eaten!
Swamp Thing is a recreation of a Louisiana Bayou filled with a baby alligators, turtles, snakes, geckos, and more. The frog exhibit featured a room filled with every species of frog imaginable, including a 3-pound African frog and a deadly poison dart frog.
The other new programs are the Beluga Whales and Penguin Contact Programs, where visitors can actually wade into the water for an up close look at these amazing animals. We had no time to try this, though I was certainly tempted.
There is a tremendous wealth of knowledge here and so much to see, but unfortunately the heat in Connecticut this August afternoon was again climbing toward 95 degrees. We decided to grab a quick lunch on our way to our next stop.
We ate lunch at "Kitchen Little" right on Route 27, close to Mystic Seaport. They should call this place "Kitchen Little, Little, Little." Tiny is more descriptive than little, but don't let size fool you. They serve enough food for the largest of appetites. Often we were told, the line for lunch is out the door and down the road. Inside are just a few tables -- maybe 6 or 7 -- and a kitchen whose galley style touches both the bow and stern of the cook.
We ate outside on a picnic table overlooking the Mystic River. There was a comfortable breeze on the river despite the heat. We tried their Rhode Island Clam Chowder -- excellent. Don had a clam strip sandwich, but I really needed something light after all we had eaten in the past 3 days, so I had a tuna sandwich with chips.
"Kitchen Little" is open from 6:30 am to 2 pm for breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, and on weekends it is only open for breakfast. This is definitely a place where looks are deceiving and bigger is not always better.
Our final attraction in our search for the "more" in the advertisement, "Mystic and More," was a harbor boat ride. What better way to see Mystic than from the water? So far, we had walked all over Mystic, and now it was our chance to relax. We took a Harbor Tour run from Yachting Services of Mystic on Water Street.
The tours are about 1? hours, and the captain guides you with a historical narrative of Mystic as the electric-powered boat glides silently. We passed the hundreds of boats docked in Mystic, as our Captain Richard gave us his own personal glimpses of life in this area and of each boat we passed. It was so relaxing and calming as other motorboats roared past us. We were like a cat tiptoeing into areas with no noisy warning. We glided past magnificent homes which once belonged to wealthy sea captains.
These tours cost $20 midweek and $25 on weekends. They are a great way to begin, or in our case, to end a weekend in the state of mind called Mystic.
We had wonderful time in Mystic. When they advertise "Mystic and More," we realize now the "More" is great seafood restaurants, shops and scenery. Mystic has so much more to offer.
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