Olde Mistick Village

On Tuesday, July 3 our original plan was to visit the aquarium but we decided to stop at Olde Mistick Village first. What a charming place to shop! We ended up spending almost the whole day there and decided to save the aquarium for another day. When we got back to our hotel, TB took a much needed nap and I decided to go for a swim in the so-called heated pool. It didn't matter that the water wasn't heated--it was very refreshing!

Here is one of the pictures I took at Olde Mistick Village. I took frequent breaks from shopping to take pictures--especially of the duckies.



You can't see any of them in the picture above but if you want to see them and the others I took, click here.

Cruise on the S.S. Sabino

TB and I thoroughly enjoyed our cruise on the S.S. Sabino. I think I wrote earlier that it's one of the last coal-fired passenger steamships still running? It was built in 1908 in Maine and for years ferried passengers and freight. Now it's been designated a historic landmark and it is located at the Mystic Seaport. TB and I didn't get a look at the engine, which is exposed and you can see it running if you want to, because we were too busy relaxing on the bow and taking many pictures. These are just a few favorites.



Cruise on the SS Sabino

Mystic Seaport

These pictures are just a fraction of the shots TB and I took at Mystic Seaport on Monday, July 2nd. It was a beautiful day, warm but not humid. We walked for hours, until our feet ached and our arthritis flared. We didn't want to stop, just wanted to take everything in. At the end of the day, we went on the S.S. Sabino, which is one of the last few coal operated steamboats still running.

The pictures in the slide show go up to about that point. There's still more to come!



Mystic Seaport Day 1

More of the William Gillette Castle

Click on the thumb nails if you want a closer view! :)


After we got off the ferry and out of the car, TB and I walked up toward the castle. Along the way, I was taking pictures like a lunatic. Everything looked so pretty!

William Gillette was an actor way back when moving pictures were first filmed--the silent films, not the talkies. He is best known for playing Sherlock Holmes and as TB and I walked toward the castle, we met up with a couple of actors dressed up as the Gillettes. Now, his wife died of a ruptured appendix in 1886 and he never remarried, so I'm thinking the lady is supposed to be his sister.



Is this picture awesome or what? Mr. Gillette designed the castle and most of what was inside by himself. He wanted a medieval castle and although it's not accurate, it most definitely is a castle. It was built of fieldstone from around the area (Connecticut definitely has plenty of big rocks!) and is supported by a steel framework.



All the lovely wood is hand-hewn white oak. None of the doors are exactly alike and they all have intricate carvings. Check out the door latch and the light switch!







Here's some space saving ideas: build the couches, beds, and dressers into the wall! Have a dining room table that slides out of the way on a track!



In the attic, among other items on display, was an enlarged framed copy of Gillette's will. He didn't have any children and it seems he had just one niece who died young. Sad. Anyway, Gillette's will said he didn't want his property to go to "some blithering saphead who has no conception of where he is or with what surrounded." Luckily for him and for all of us who can appreciate it, the property was purchased from his executors by the State of Connecticut.



I saw pictures like this one in the brochure that led us to the castle. Really, pictures can't do it any justice nor can words. It's something you just have to see and I'm so glad we did!



Want to see all the pictures I took from our visit to the castle? Just click here. Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

Want more Wordless Wednesdays? Click here!

Our First Stop

Boy, there sure is a lot to do after you get back from a vacation! Now I know where the expression comes from: "I need a vacation from my vacation!" Still, I am not complaining as we had such a wonderful time. Before I go out to one of my appointments I wanted to share a couple of pictures I took.

One of the coolest parts of our vacation was that TB and I felt free to make side trips and visit places on the spur of the moment. We both enjoy exploring wherever we are.

On our way up on 95N, we pulled over to use the restrooms at one of those places that has tourist information and brochures. We'd seen mention of a castle in a Connecticut guide booklet we'd received from AAA and it sounded like just the place to go. According to the book, it wasn't that far away from the rest stop. I asked the volunteers about the castle and they enthusiastically told me it was worth a visit and that we should ferry across the river.

Sounded right up our alley! So we took a little detour and stopped in East Haddam to visit William Gillette's castle. We wanted to take the ferry and so these are the first pictures I'm sharing before I have to go to my doctor's appointment.


Here we are in line to get on the ferry to cross the Connecticut River. We didn't mind the wait--we were in no hurry!



In fact, I got to take several pictures of whatever caught my interest. I liked the wildflowers growing along the side of the road and here's how one of them came out.



I even took pictures of just your regular average bushes!



After a wait of maybe 15 minutes, we got to the ferry. It's not very big but I think it could fit up to a dozen cars.



We were parked smack dab in the middle and towards the rear so we couldn't take great pictures but we sure enjoyed the ride!

We're Baaa-aaack!

We had a wonderful time! I haven't had such a fine vacation in too long and TB feels the same way. We did miss the kids, T, the cats and Buddy but we just so needed to get away and relax...if you can call it that! We did a lot of walking and I have a gigantic blister on my toe to prove it. The thing is, we went where we wanted and when we wanted and didn't have to be anywhere. It was great! Pictures will follow--I think we took about a thousand, I kid you not!!!!