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Hello, World.

For those of you planning your trip to Mystic for the Celestial Navigation
Weekend (June 6,7,8, 2008):

I'm sure you can find Mystic on a map. You'll note that it's very close to
Interstate-95, the major east coast highway. I-95 west of New Haven (which
is about an hour west of Mystic) can be a driving nightmare, so I'll start
with options to the east. Boston, Mass. is about an hour and half away by
car. It's an easy drive, also an easy train trip (about two hours, see
amtrak.com), and of course it's a wonderful travel destination all by
itself. Many international flights fly into Boston's Logan airport. About 40
minutes away by car is T.F. Green airport south of Providence, Rhode Island.
This is an extremely convenient airport, relatively uncrowded with numerous
inexpensive flights. Southwest flies here. It's where I usually fly when I
go to Connecticut. I recommend renting a car, but if you prefer not to, I
can arrange rides. BUT I don't think there are any international flights
into Providence.

There are also sometimes inexpensive flights into Bradley, the airport north
of Hartford, Connecticut. This is about an hour and a quarter from Mystic.
This is an international airport.

If you decide you want to visit New York City or you simply prefer flying
into New York, LaGuardia airport, JFK, and Newark have many flights. I don't
recommend these options unless you enjoy the big city. The driving is tough,
to say the least. It's possible to take the train direct from Manhattan to
Mystic or New London (about three hours, see amtrak.com). From the small
train station in Mystic, it's an easy half-mile walk to the museum.

Mystic itself is a great place to visit. If you haven't been to this area
before, you may want to spend an extra day or two. In addition to Mystic
Seaport Museum, the first nuclear submarine, Nautilus, is the center of the
Submarine Museum a few miles away (only a small section of the submarine is
open to visitors so that alone is maybe less interesting than it sounds).
There are two enormous casinos about ten miles away with interesting
entertainment options, some very good restaurants, and of course gambling,
if that's your thing. And in general, Mystic, Noank, and Stonington are
genuinely quaint New England seaside villages.

I'm not going to suggest lodgings. There are many unremarkable but pleasant
motels near the highway about half a mile north of Mystic Seaport, a couple
of nice B&Bs and smaller hotels closer to the center of town about half a
mile south of Mystic Seaport, and if you rent a car, plenty of other choices
within ten miles. The casinos have big, fancy hotels. When we did this two
years ago, there seemed to be a "center of gravity" of folks staying near
the highway.

 -FER


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