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Mystic/Stonington Think of Mystic and the word "seaport" comes to mind. Why not, for this is the home of famed Mystic Seaport, the nation's premier maritime museum. Ponder some more and you might add shipbuilding, whaling, fishing, clipper ships and sea captains' homes. You might even think of tourism, now the area's biggest business. Although Mystic is a mere village and a post-office address straddling the Mystic River – a political nonentity enveloped in the larger towns of Groton and Stonington – it is important beyond its size. Historically, the Mystic River has been a site for shipbuilding since the 17th century. In the mid-1800s, the village of 1,500 owned eighteen whalers and the boatyards produced 22 clippers, some of which set sailing records that have never been equaled. Later, many of the nation's fastest sailing yachts and schooners were built here, and submarines still are made along the banks of the Thames River on the western side of Groton. Today, Mystic thrives on its legacy of having produced more than 1,000 sailing vessels, more noted captains and more important sailing records than any place of its size in the world. Its quaint neighbor to the southwest, Noank, reflects its heritage as both a home of shipbuilders and a lobster fishing port. To the southeast, the tiny borough of Stonington – as upscale an historic seaside village as you'll find along the East Coast – is the home port for about 30 draggers and lobster boats, Connecticut's only surviving commercial fishing fleet. With a notable maritime tradition chronicled by Mystic Seaport, Mystic has long been the state's prime tourist destination. In addition to the Seaport, visitors are drawn to the Mystic Marinelife Aquarium, the submarine Nautilus and the U.S. Naval Submarine Base in Groton, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy across the Thames River in New London. Attracting those of a different persuasion are two of the nation’s largest and most profitable casinos. The Mashantucket Pequot Indians’ new Foxwoods Resort and Casino in rural Ledyard proved so successful that a neighboring tribe opened the Mohegan Sun Casino and entertainment complex in 1996. Meanwhile, zoning approvals were being sought for a Six Flags Theme Park in North Stonington, and a domed theme park was proposed for the Groton area. All of these tourist draws have resulted in a mix of hotels, motels and B&Bs, seafood restaurants and fast-food eateries, eclectic boutiques and factory outlets, and other attractions that bring still more tourists. In the midst of it all is busy downtown Mystic, the only place we know of where U.S. Route 1 traffic is stopped hourly while the rare bascule bridge over the Mystic River is opened to let sailboats pass. But then, Mystic is also one of the few places we know where motorists stop all along Main Street for pedestrians – tourists, most of them – to cross. Material excerpted from Waterside Escapes in the Northeast, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2005. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
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