by Julie Hatfield

Created on: May 15, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

If you like to go down to the sea in ships, head to Mystic, Connecticut, home of Mystic Seaport, the nation's leading maritime museum, also called the Museum of America and the Sea. The little town on the Mystic River, hometown of actress Meryl Streep, is beautiful even without the museum, but Mystic Seaport is now its core and is what brings more than 100,000 visitors to town each year.

It hasn't changed much since it was the center of the country's shipbuilding industry, and the preserved Seafaring Village smack in the middle of town emphasizes this with its 30 authentic 19th-century homes and shops. New this year is the restoration of 19th-century-style gardens that make the village feel even more historic and pretty.

But it's the boats that make Mystic Mystic. Every kind of vessel that takes to the sea is here, from the little historic wooden rowboats that people can rent for an hour or a day, to the sailboats that you can charter for a day sail, to the fishing boats you can charter to make a catch, to the old steamboat that takes people for rides on the river, to the world's last wooden whaleship, the Charles W. Morgan, built in 1841, which visitors can explore from top to bottom and which many think is haunted. Three years ago, the Rhode Island Paranormal Research Group even spent a Saturday night on board her, sure that they would see and hear the ghosts that have been reported below deck.

At the Preservation Shipyard you can watch the restoration of antique vessels being done in the same way it was done two centuries ago. The museum is constantly changing; when we were there it featured the role of African American sailors during the 19th century of seafaring.

A perfect place for families to visit together, Mystic Seaport contains a children's museum, an aquarium and a variety of seafaring-themed activities for every age, as well as sailing camps and sailing classes for all ages. Parents can find a babysitter when the sun goes down and head for either Foxwoods Resort or Mohegan Sun for fun at the casinos; each is only about a half-hour drive from town.

Whaler's Inn is a great place to stay, as it's located right on the main street and is within walking distance from most of the sites of Mystic. From the outside it doesn't look fancy, but the bedrooms have lovely four-poster beds and period furniture. And the best restaurant in town, Bravo Bravo, is located in the front of Whaler's Inn. An upscale Italian establishment, its food, served in an attractive contemporary setting, is recommended by locals, who say it's as delicious as any New York Italian restaurant. And they should know, as Mystic is an easy 3-1/2 hour drive on I-95 north from Manhattan, just off exit 90.

The other restaurant everyone knows and loves is Mystic Pizza, which was made famous by the 1988 Hollywood film of the same name. The pizza is great, but the place is so popular that you may have to wait in line for a slice unless you go there at odd hours. For delicious clam chowder, lobster dinners, Noank oysters and all things seafood, the Seaman's Inne Restaurant & Pub (www.traderjacksrestaurant.com) is a 10-minute walk from Whaler's Inn and features both a children's menu and a 25% lunch discount for seniors on Tuesdays, as well as live music played outside near the riverbank on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For information on Mystic and Mystic Seaport, go to www.mysticseaport.org. For Bravo Bravo Restaurant, go to www.BravoBravoct.com and for Whaler's Inn go to whalersinnmystic.com.

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