New England Shore Trek Gets Inside History at Mystic Seaport

Our intrepid New England Shore group reached the living history museum at Mystic Seaport early in the afternoon, so they had lots of time to explore the seaport and learn about old New England maritime life.  Our report from leader Josh included the phrase "and it was just really cool" no fewer than five times, and "the kids loved it" four more times, so apparently it was a real hit.

In addition to taking a few funny photos, the Trekkers went to the planetarium to learn about navigating on the ocean by the stars, got a demonstration from a blacksmith about how whaling harpoons were made and used, checked out ship-building exhibits, made candles, made rope, and generally poked into every corner of the site.

    

They have a long day of biking ahead of them -- almost 40 miles -- so they plan to take full advantage of the cushy beds and air conditioning at their hotel tonight, so they can wake up fresh and ready to face the next day's challenges!

New England Shore Trek Visits Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport welcomed our New England Shore Trekkers on a bright, beautiful day.  They toured the living history museum and took a relaxing shuttle boat ride up the Mystic River and back.

In addition to learning about the region's history, they got some insight into its ecology -- here, they're watching jellyfish swim in the water below.

They had a blast swimming at their hotel's pool and then dug into some pizza.  Their next stop is Block Island, where they'll camp out for two nights, ride some beautiful bike paths, and check out the town of New Shoreham.

New England Trek Does the Mystic Aquarium

The group got an early start and headed for Mystic, CT.  It was a warm morning with plenty of hills, but the group pushed on and did their miles.





They had a few options for activities and elected to spend the afternoon at Mystic Aquarium, petting live Cownose and Atlantic rays -- as you can see below -- watching beluga swim, and generally having a great time.

The Trekkers are already becoming pros at fixing flat tires -- they had two in one day!

Next, they're on to Block Island for two beautiful days of beach fun and some of the nation's best bike paths!