Mystic, the historic seaport, was founded in the 1600's and was a center for shipbuilding in the age of wooden sailing ships and iron men. Between 1784 and 1919, more than 600 ships were built here on the banks of the Mystic River. But steam replaced sail, and steel replaced wood. Mystic residents have sought to preserve the region's maritime culture and have created a museum with functioning shipbuilding shops where craftsmen still use 19th century tools. However, the big attraction here is the ships---the L. A. Dunton, Joseph Conrad and the Charles W. Morgan which are tied up in berths. Mystic Seaport is an anachronism in an age of touch-screens and interactive videos. There is nothing virtual about this reality: the noisy boat building in the shops, the tall ships that visitors clamber aboard and the salt cod, its scent carried on the wind.
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