Regarding history, even recent history, this country is sometimes scoffed at as the United States of Amnesia. That is, we forget things; or perhaps because we just never learned them. And this is evident in regards America's long storied relationship with the sea. Yet there may be a reason. Acclaimed Nantucket writer and sea historian Nathaniel Philbrick has noted that once, not so long ago, roads were scarce; travel was best done by ship (or canoe); and his quaint beloved island - the whaling capital of the New World - was a socioeconomic colossus. Hence, for a vibrant antidote to such forgetfulness, come to the world class Mystic Maritime Museum. Come casually, leisurely and vaguely intrigued - as if meeting an old dear friend long parted. Our first foray at Mystic began after parking across from their North Entrance; inside, one is quickly struck by its clean, elegant atmosphere and its abundance of riches. Melodious shanty music, for example, emanated from the walls as if musicians were in the next room. (A kindly staffer - a happy norm here - explained the music was from a recent shanty festival.) And after paying admission, we traipsed into the next room which featured several different boats - from Native seal skin dugouts to an NY sail-topped canoe in which two intrepid souls once ventured 900 miles. (Already, I'd encountered enough history to enthrall a curious 10 year old or senior for days!) But enough landlubbing, eh? Venture out on the sea - or its closest cousin, the Mystic River! We paid five bucks each (after a slightly labyrinthine stroll to the campus's south wharves, asking directions twice) where a sturdy vessel and guide beckoned. For the next half hour, we learned the history of actual ships moored here - from fishing ships that hauled catch in gruelling two week stints to a rugged firefighting ship employed in NYC on the fateful day of September 11th, 2001. A final stop at their enticing gift shop and a sea of good memories was all that remained - and a new respect for our seafaring ancestors.