When most people think of the tiny seacoast village of Mystic, Connecticut, they think of the movie, “Mystic Pizza,” starring Julia Roberts and debuting Matt Damon. Yet when they visit this maritime community located half-way between New York and Boston they find a lot more than pizza!
Included in National Geographic’s 100 “America’s Best Adventure Town,” this historic shipbuilding district has welcomed such notable honeymooners as Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall and currently attracts tourists from all over the world. Aside from the picturesque Mystic River lined with the Greek revival homes of noted sea captains, and Mystic Seaport’s 19th century village, exhibits and ships, visitors also come to experience the quaint shops, nationally reviewed restaurants, and the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, where the discoverer of the grave of the R.M.S. Titanic, keeps his home office.
Like the ancient Greek historians who compiled "The Seven Wonders of the World," I too, with the help of locals, compiled a list of seven, awe-inspiring “must-sees” in Mystic. I decided that for a site to make it onto the “Wonders” list, it should be man-made, free to view from land or boat (some do charge admission to enter),open in all seasons; and be located in Mystic. All are within a two-mile walk or bike ride from the Mystic Train Depot.
1. Mystic River Drawbridge If you’re strolling across the bridge in historic downtown Mystic happily licking your ice-cream cone and suddenly have ringing in your ears, don’t be alarmed--everyone else is hearing it too.
But you must act fast because the bridge is about to lift. Once the bridge operator, who is watching you from a little house perched above, sees that you are safely to one side, he will pull the whistle cord signaling to the mariners on the river below that the bridge is ready to rise.
Watching the historic 1922 bridge lifted by massive, overhead concrete counterweights is thrilling to pedestrians as well as to the bridge operators, called tenders, who man the bridge house 24 hours a day (yes, there is a bathroom).
Bridge tender Bruce Sullivan, known around Mystic as “Sully," said, “I have the best view to watch all kinds of vessels go through-- schooners, clippers, sloops, tugboats.” He was particularly excited to watch the maiden voyage of the Amistad replica, built at Mystic Seaport. ”I’ve seen the yachts of Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Phil Donahue.” How does he know those were celebrity yachts? “Because they stood on their decks and waved up to me!”
This National Historic Landmark is itself a celebrity and was prominently featured in the movie, “Mystic Pizza.” Sully got to meet Julia Roberts and crew during the filming in 1987.
Bridge tender Rod Coleman was especially thrilled to meet former President Jimmy Carter who shook his hand and personally thanked him for keeping the bridge down during the tightly- timed schedule created by Secret Service for Carter’s motorcade. Carter and former first lady Rosalynn were staying in Mystic for the 2004 christening of the Navy submarine, Jimmy Carter, in nearby Groton, CT.
Located on Route 1, the Mystic River Drawbridge replaced a steel swing bridge. A prior wooden bridge used oxen to turn the span and another bridge posted the sign, “WALK YOUR HORSES,” to keep vibrations to a minimum. Before the first bridge was built in 1819, people crossed the river by ferry.
For more information, contact the Mystic River Historical Society: mystichistory.org, 860-536-4779.
2. Charles W. Morgan -- last wooden whaleship in the world
A mammoth wooden boat on dry land—has someone heard it’s time to build another ark? Currently towering above the homes along the Mystic River, at the corner of Isham and Bay Streets, is the last wooden whaleship in the world, the Charles W. Morgan.
Presently undergoing restoration at Mystic Seaport, this oldest American commercial ship has sailed more leagues of ocean than any other American whaleship in history, witnessing floggings; stowaways; drownings; desertions; amputations; burials at sea; and men who disappeared over the horizon forever in a “Nantucket sleigh ride”—the high-speed whaleboat ride sometimes given by a harpooned whale.
Despite the restoration process, paying visitors can climb a staircase to board this lone surviving wooden representation of America’s first international industry—one the colonists learned from Native American Indians and where a man of color could earn the same wage as a white man.
Visitors to the Morgan will not only see the industry side of whaling, like the brick furnace used to process the blubber into oil, but they will also see the personal side, such as the captain’s cabin that includes a private “head” (toilet to the sea), sitting room, and a gimbal (always level) bed installed by a captain so his wife could sleep comfortably, despite the pitch of the sea.
When you touch the Morgan, launched during the height of the whaling industry in 1841, you are not only touching a vessel that has survived typhoons, hurricanes, crushing ice, stirrings of a mutiny, and an attack by Pacific Islanders, you are also touching a movie star! Featured in several films, including Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad,” with Morgan Freeman seen below decks, the Charles W. Morgan can be viewed in her original role as a whaling ship in a 1922 film playing inside Mystic Seaport.
When actor William Hurt climbed aboard the Morgan to prepare for his role as Captain Ahab in the T.V. mini-series, “Moby Dick,” he sat on a sailor’s bunk with Mystic Seaport staff members and talked for an hour about what life aboard a whaleship must have been like. “This is the only place in the world where he could have done that,” said Matthew Stackpole, a member of the Morgan Restoration Project team.
The Morgan arrived at Mystic Seaport, the nation’s leading 19-acre maritime museum, in 1941. Since then, approximately 20 million visitors have crossed her decks.
Mystic Seaport depicts life in a 19th century seafaring village and includes hands-on exhibits for children.
3. Mystic Pizza Restaurant Sign
How does an ordinary lighted restaurant sign, “Mystic Pizza: A Slice of Heaven,” rate as a Mystic wonder? Because visitors still flock to this symbol of the 1988 romantic comedy, "Mystic Pizza," starring Julia Roberts and debuting Matt Damon (his only line,"Mom, do you want my green stuff?" was said while eating lobster).
The Zelepos family, owners of Mystic Pizza, state, “Incredibly, our little pizza shop caught the eye of screenwriter Amy Jones, who was summering in the area. Ms. Jones chose Mystic Pizza as the focus and setting for her story of the lives and loves of three young waitresses.” The movie depicts life in a small fishing village and was filmed in Mystic and the surrounding communities.
The locals will never forget the day that Hollywood came to town—just ask Mystic shopkeepers, waiters, and tour guides what it was like to accommodate the 80-member film crew. Most have a story to tell—how the bridge operator needed to raise the drawbridge on cue; how local fishermen advised actors on stringing bait; or how they have a friend who moved into a hotel while a scene was shot in her home. Local racing sailor Katie Bradford says, “I’m friends with the guy, Skip, who was actually steering the boat in the Mystic River scene, but he had to do it lying on his back so an actor would appear steering.” Katie also tells how another friend became a local celebrity simply because the back of his head made it into the movie!
More than 20 years after the movie’s release, film production companies still can’t get enough of Mystic Pizza. Restaurant co-owner John Zelepos recently received a call from California asking if his restaurant and family would star in a reality T.V. show.
If you’ve never seen the film, given a “two thumbs up” from popular movie critics Siskel and Ebert, you will have your chance by peering into the restaurant where it plays continuously on three screens. “It’s on mute--otherwise, we’d go nuts!” confided one waitress. The restaurant sells souvenirs (and pizza, of course) and proudly displays movie photos, posters and newspaper clippings featuring the restaurant. The waitresses even have a little fun by dressing up a mannequin as Daisy, the Julia Roberts character in the film, and changing her hair accessories to match the colors of the season.
4. The “Hanging Gardens” of Enders Island
Out of a widow’s loneliness sprang a stone landscape so intriguing, it should be referred to as the “Hanging Gardens” of Enders Island. But you must stroll through slowly if you hope to appreciate the absurdity of a brass bird spigot beside a cat statue, or the whimsy of a heart-shaped stone path.
The driving force behind this maze of rock hedges and archways was Alys E. Enders, widow of Dr. Thomas B. Enders, son of the president of Aetna Life Insurance Company. Having outlived Thomas by many years, Alys found a way to ensure companionship on her 11-acre island estate.
“She was always adding onto her mansion and gardens just to keep the workers from leaving the grounds!” says Jeffrey Anderson, Executive Director of St. Edmunds Retreat, the Catholic oasis that now occupies the island. Alys donated her estate to the Catholic Church upon her death in 1954.
Worried you might not be welcome—especially if you’re not Catholic? The website states: “Not a Catholic? Not a problem…all are welcomed to enjoy the peaceful natural beauty of our island.”
And peace you will surely find as you listen to the waves of Fishers Island Sound slap against the rocky shore and stroll past tiled pools, fountains, and Alys’s former tea house, the three-sided “Seaside Chapel” that protects an altar covered with hand-written prayers, funeral cards of missed loved ones, and unlit cigarettes cast off by repentant smokers. On the concrete floor are Alys’s initials, A.E.E., presumably engraved by her in 1951.
The island’s mansion and chapel, which displays relics, including the actual arm of Saint Edmund who preached for the Sixth Crusade in 1228, are used for twelve step recovery programs, spiritual development retreats, sacred art workshops and daily mass. Jams and jellies (some with names like "Fire and Brimstone" Hot Pepper Jelly), made from fruit grown on the island, are available in the gift shop.
Although you must travel the private roads of Masons Island to reach Enders Island, you are allowed to pass through this gated community if St. Edmund’s Retreat is your destination.
For more information about St. Edmunds Retreat, visit endersisland.com or call 860-536-0565.
5. Elm Grove Cemetery Memorial Arch
The “Pearly Gates?” Not exactly-- these gates are made of iron, but the colossal arch to the Elm Grove Cemetery does beckon you in. Afraid to cross through the Memorial Arch to the “other” side? Well, if you’re a bride, you’ll actually be sent there! Located along the Mystic River, one hotel representative said of the cemetery, “It is the most valuable real estate in Mystic-- too bad the people there can’t enjoy it! But we do recommend it for wedding photography because it is so very beautiful.” The founders of this “garden cemetery,” designed in the shape of an elm tree, intended the public to stroll leisurely along the river to view statues of women in flowing robes, angels, marble benches, mausoleums, and an elegant duck pond--with some very strange looking ducks! According to James Davis, superintendent of the cemetery, there are White Pekings, Muschovies, Kyugas, Blue Swiss, and Mallards.
More than 13,000 souls, many on Mystic’ss“Who’ssWho” list of century ship builders and sea captains, have been laid to rest there. If you’re in the mood to read, bring your tissues because one old grave marker tells how a two-year-old daughter, Matilda, drowned on New Year’s Day in 1858; and an obelisk depicting the steamship, City of Waco, tells how Captain Thomas E. Wolfe died piloting her when it caught fire off the port of Galveston in 1875. During the Civil War, Wolfe had commanded a vessel that transported supplies from New York to New Orleans until his capture by the Confederate navy. His boat burned, he was taken prisoner but made a daring escape with some companions more than a year later. After the war, he became a pilot for the State of Texas until his steamship exploded in flames and sank, killing all onboard. Wolfe’s body was recovered and shipped by steamboat to Mystic. Wolfe’s widow, Frances, married widower Captain Charles Sisson in 1878.* “Another captain from Mystic who is buried at Elm Grove is Joseph Warren Holmes who has the distinction of rounding Cape Horn safely 84 times as a sailing ship master. This is a record that still stands,” says Bill Peterson, Mystic historian.
The Mystic citizens were so supportive of the new Elm Grove Cemetery, formally dedicated in 1854, that some dug up their dead relatives and replanted them there. But they were outraged in the 1890s when the widow of a prominent shipbuilder, Charles Henry Mallory, donated funds in her husband’s memory for the erection of the Memorial Arch entryway because it meant the removal of two elms to accommodate its massive span. Despite the public outcry, however, against a manmade object replacing “Nature’s grand handiwork,” the trees came down, stone cutters were imported from Italy, and the Memorial Arch was completed with the verse, “He Gives His Beloved Sleep,” engraved across the back. Perhaps the citizens learned to appreciate the Memorial Arch after the Hurricane of 1938—for it survived, but half of the cemetery’s trees did not. More information: elmgrovecemetery.org, (860) 536-7834.
6. Mystic Aquarium’s Ocean Planet Pavilion
Strolling through Olde Mistick Village, a colonial, New England style shopping center, you will travel back in time as you nibble your homemade fudge. Then suddenly, you are shocked into another world when you catch sight of a massive, blue crown-like structure rising out of the back parking lot.
Although you might wonder if you are about to come face to face with King Neptune, what you are actually seeing is the outside structure of Mystic Aquarium’s Challenge of the Deep exhibition, where its creator, the discoverer of the grave of the R.M.S. Titanic, Dr. Robert Ballard, keeps his home office.
Your reaction to this nautical sighting is exactly what famed international architect, Cesar Pelli, was going for. He states, “The sculptural form of the building is focused inward, invoking the sense of mystery to be discovered in the depths of the ocean below.” Pelli has designed some of the world’s most recognizable structures, including the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, formerly the world's tallest buildings; and Canary Wharf Tower in London, Britain’s tallest building.
Challenge of the Deep is attached to Mystic Aquarium, where Pelli also designed the glass entryway canopy. Reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty’s crown, it’s called the Ocean Planet Pavilion. Pelli’s goal here is to transform the visitor into an explorer. He states: “In this aquarium, the visitors have entered a new environment-- they have left behind our known world.”
But don’t worry, when you cross under the glass canopy to enter this “unknown world,” you will not be alone. Seagulls perched on the canopy tips welcome you in and smaller birds flit among the rafters above. Erin Merz of Mystic Aquarium, says, “We happily invite birds to nest in the Ocean Planet Pavilion and do not remove them. Most of the birds are sparrows.”
Mystic Aquarium has one of the nation’s largest outdoor tanks for beluga whales, and paying visitors are given the opportunity to actually touch them, as well as the penguins, sharks, and sting rays. Included in the visit is Challenge of the Deep, which highlights underwater film footage of the discovery of the R.M.S. Titanic, and equipment used for deep-sea exploration, such as the submersible, Turtle, which is the sister submersible of Alvin, the vehicle that provided the first glimpse of the Titanic.
For more information about Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, visit mysticaquarium.org or call 860-572-5955.
7. Mystic Depot--model for American Flyer’s toy train station
Whether you arrive by train or are driving by the Mystic Depot, you may wonder, “Haven’t I seen this train station before?”
Yes, you may have—and you may have even played with a miniature version of it. Constructed in 1905, the Mystic Train Depot served as the inspiration for American Flyer’s “talking” toy train stations, which were made in the mid 1900s. Now a collector’s item, the toy model bearing the name “Mystic” can be viewed and even touched at Mystic Depot. When you press the button on the model, you’ll hear a far-a-way, long- ago train whistle and a conductor announce in a crackly voice, “All aboard…New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and all points west. Aboard!”
The real depot now serves Amtrak's Northeast Regional train, which brings visitors from New York City and Boston, and as the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce’s Welcome Center & Cyber Cafe, where visitors will find free maps, travel brochures, computers with Internet access, and friendly advice.
The Welcome Center volunteers can tell you where to find hiking trails, launchings sites for your kayaks, and views of “tall ships.” The Welcome Center also sells discount tickets to Mystic Seaport and to the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration; distributes free paperbacks donated by the Friends of the Mystic & Noank Library; and provides free bike rentals (deposit required).
College student Dave Cloutier volunteers at the center simply because he loves Mystic. He especially enjoys stopping in Mystic’s historic downtown to “grab a coffee and chat with the people around me.” Well-read, he delights in sharing his little-known secrets with others. “I love seeing the look on visitors’ faces when they discover something neat about Mystic.” If you like storm stories, he can tell you all about what happened to the area during the Hurricane of 1938.
“The 7 Wonders of Mystic” are all located within two miles of Mystic Depot. Accommodations are available within walking distance of the Mystic Depot and some hotels will retrieve guests with prior notice. For more information about touring Mystic, including other locations for free bike rentals and a list of attractions, restaurants, accommodations, and events, visit: mysticchamber.org, or call 860-572-1102.
The “7 Wonders” Controversy
Not all locals agreed with me on which sites deserved to be among the top seven wonders, so Patch.com gave the community a chance to vote for the “8th Wonder.”
Contenders for the 8th Wonder Title:
8. Gloria the Goose at Olde Mistick Village--the regal yet cranky, arthritic goose that has been reigning over the duck pond since the mid-1980s. Olde Mistick Village, a colonial, New England style shopping center, includes a Visitor Information Center (with shopping discount coupons), movie theater and playhouse. Info: oldemistickvillage.com, (860) 536-4941. It also serves as the Mystic bus stop for Peter Pan Bus Lines, bringing visitors from New York City and Boston. 9. Mystic River Railroad Bridge--the massive swing bridge opens for boats and closes for trains. Easily viewed from the Fort Rachel area, it’s fun to watch!
10. Mystic River Park—visitors can stroll its boardwalk along the Mystic River, rest on benches and watch boats go through the Mystic Drawbridge, fish, or just find a temporary place to tie up their dinghy or kayak. The park also serves as a gathering place for outdoor concerts, movies, festivals, and other town events—like when Santa comes to town on a tugboat! Watch my beagle/basset hound stroll along the boardwalk on MysticShops.TV (he’s the handsome dog on your left) at: http://mysticshops.tv/shari-pet-sitting/ 11. Denison Homestead Museum--built in 1717, this home has been continuously owned for three centuries by the same family. You get a real sense of Mystic’s personal history when you see a Revolutionary War cloak discovered in the attic now hanging in a bedroom closet, and the charm of little Annie B. Denison who etched her name on a ground floor window pane with a diamond ring in 1873. Info: denisonhomestead.org, 860-536-9248 12. “Captain’s Row”-- the 19th century Greek revival homes along Mystic River (one former owner built coffins in the basement, another housed the Underground Railroad, and one broke sailing records). Mystic River Historical Society’s Mystic Riverside walking adventure map is available at: www.mystichistory.org/MRHSTourGravelnobg_72dpi.pdf 13. Mystic River’s Art Trail -- my term for the several art galleries from the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport to the Mystic Arts Center on Water Street. Info: mysticseaport.org, (860) 572-5388 and mysticarts.org, 860-536-7601. The Mystic Arts Center also offers fun evening events such as “Art After Dark”--live art and music on the waterfront patio. 14. Peace Sanctuary — a hiking trail with a great view of the Mystic River beginning on River Road. It is maintained by the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, which, at its main location on Pequotsepos Road, offers eight miles of hiking trails where visitors can search for “bluebirds in the meadow, painted turtles or bullfrogs in the pond, admire our summer wildflower garden or simply enjoy a peaceful walk in the woods.” More info: dpnc.org, (860) 536-1216 15. Mystic & Noank Library -- donated by the prosperous Captain Elihu Spicer who designed every detail before his death, the Neo-Romanesque building includes a second floor vaulted ceiling shaped like a ship’s hull, stained glass windows, a comfy window seat with a breathtaking view of downtown Mystic, oriental carpets and an ongoing group puzzle. Info: mysticnoanklibrary.com, 860-536-7721 Voted “8th Wonder” of Mystic!
The Mystic & Noank Library was overwhelming voted the 8th Wonder. Visit this architectural gem to see why—and don’t forget to ask the librarians about their famous former resident, Emily the Library Cat.
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About Author Lisa Saunders
Feeling she left family behind when relocated with her husband from New York to Mystic, Lisa’s research into Mystic’s rich ship-building history recently led to the discovery that she lives up the street from the former home of a long-ago cousin, Captain Charles Sisson, who married Captain Wolfe’s widow (see 5th Wonder—Elm Grove Cemetery) after his wife Ann died at sea.
Now Lisa can “visit” family at a nearby cemetery where Captain Charles Sisson, his wife Ann, and their 10-month-old daughter, “Our Little Ida,” have their headstones. Charles’s stone, engraved with a sailing ship, declares: “The voyage is ended.” Sisson bought the house down the street from Lisa after he returned from an unsuccessful search for gold in California in 1858. Read more about Captains Wolfe and Sisson in Lisa’s upcoming book, Seafarer’s Trail: The Haunts and Homes of Mystic’s Famous Sea Voyagers. The book will also include a list of all of Mystic’s restaurants—A to Z.
A writer and publicist, Lisa gives talks on how to get free publicity; how to get a job, the American Civil War, sightseeing in Mystic; how to prevent the #1 birth defects virus, CMV (cytomegalovirus), and the “back story” to her books, which include:
Anything But a Dog!, Lisa’s memoir that recounts the unusual events that brought a homeless, 100-pound dog to the side of her younger daughter, born disabled by CMV. If purchased through the link to the National Congenital CMV Disease Registry and Research Program, a percentage is donated directly to CMV research and parent support. Visit: http://www.unlimitedpublishing.com/cmv/
Ride a Horse, Not an Elevator, a children’s novel based on Lisa’s childhood as a chubby city girl with a beagle named Donald Dog. Lisa and Donald Dog visit her grandparents’ farm in upstate New York where they find outhouses, charging cows and ornery horses. Includes grandma’s recipes and is a great read-aloud for schools and families.
A Cornell University graduate, Lisa is available to speak to your group anywhere in the world and to give tours of Mystic, CT. To see her availability as a workshop presenter, visit Lisa at www.authorlisasaunders.com or e-mail her at saundersbooks@aol.com.
