The coastlines of America narrate tales that go back centuries, such as the movement of whale oil by wooden ships and the naval battles that influenced the country. Modern resort towns have taken the place of many coastal villages, yet certain destinations are not ready to surrender their maritime stories to museum displays.
These towns and cities continue to enact the seafaring past through their docks, old boats, and the customs of sailors, shipbuilders, and fishermen that have been passed on for centuries. A list of 20 towns that keep the sea stories alive is provided below.
Mystic, Connecticut
This small town on the Connecticut coast punches way above its weight when it comes to preserving America’s seafaring past. Mystic Seaport Museum sprawls across 19 acres and houses the last wooden whaling ship in the world, the Charles W. Morgan, which actually sailed the oceans from 1841 to 1921.
The town still builds and repairs wooden boats using traditional methods, and you can watch craftspeople work with the same tools their predecessors used two centuries ago.
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem’s witch trial fame often overshadows its real claim to history as one of America’s most important ports during the age of sail. The town’s merchants once traded directly with China, bringing back silk, spices, and porcelain that made Salem one of the richest cities per capita in the young United States…