Dan Antion

Déjà vu – #1LinerWeds #JusJoJan

JusJoJan
Gray day

Last week, I visited the Connecticut River Museum, in Essex, CT. You’ll hear more about this visit, and you’ll see some doors in the near future, but today, I’m focused on the entry process. I arrived at the museum shortly after it opened. The very nice lady at the desk asked me if I qualified for any of their discounts. She explained that they included: museum members, veterans, active-duty military, students and senior citizens. I’m not used to asking for a senior discount, but I told her that one should apply. She looked at me and said,

“I think I’m going to have to card you.”

I remember this happening at liquor stores in my youth, but that was when I really wanted to look my age or older. Maybe she was just being nice, but this was a pleasant request.

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. And, given the time of the year, it’s also part of Just-Jot-January. If you have a one-liner, I’d encourage you to join in on the fun. You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

The rain held off, but it was a gray day.
The Connecticut River is very wide at this point. Essex was a significant port when the river was our primary transportation mechanism.
Membership in the museum gives you docking privileges. That’s a pretty cool benefit.
It wasn’t raining when I visited, so I was able to walk around a bit.
Shipping up the CT River brought raw material to the Colt Arms manufacturing plant and took finished goods south to the ports with access to the rest of the country and the world.
I love marine artifacts.
More artifacts.
Even more artifacts.
Model of a walking beam steam engine. This was the power plant of most steamships.
Yeah, I love bridges.
Model of the “City of Hartford”
Model of the “Hartford”
Model of the “Pilgrim”
The models throughout the museum were all of very high quality.

82 comments

  3. Ha! Dan, the youngster! I’m sure it felt good. I was carded at age 30 by someone who wasn’t sure I was 18 and that certainly made my day since 30 was “old” then.

    Interesting place, I’ll have to keep an eye out for your doors post to get more of the details.

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  4. Oh you know how I love a good museum! Getting carded always makes me chuckle. I used to hate when I was 18 and they made me show ID to get into an R rated movie. Oh for those times again….not! Lol

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  8. Dan, what is that thing sitting on the floor that looks like a scroll for a Torah? It is in the first artifact picture. Don’t you just love all these SS perks? I’ve only been carded once and that was when I applied for a senior discount for entry to our State Parks.

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    • That’s a steam whistle from a tug boat, Suzanne. It was one of the items on a scavenger hunt they had for the kids.

      The discounts are pretty cool. It’s like they bought me a coffee :-)

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  11. Loved the pics of the museum, reminds me of the one we used to go to when we lived in Groves, Texas. It was in Port Arthur, The Museum of the Gulf Coast. You see the same types of marine artifacts, but then there is also music history since lots of famous musicians came from there. There is even Janis Joplin’s famous VW Bug!
    Congrats on getting carded! ;)

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  15. That was a great start to the museum visit! I would have been smiling all day long after that kind of exchange with the ticketing person.

    The museum looked interesting. I loved the boat models and the blue lamp.

    The river scenes were lovely. I left a comment on my favorite one before I forgot what it was that drew me in.

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    • Thanks Deborah. That was one of my favorite pictures. You’re the second person to like the blue lantern. I almost left it out. I like it, but I wasn’t sue if anyone else would. I guess I should just go with my gut.

      The museum was very interesting, with different themes on each of the three floors.

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  16. Looks like the kind of place that I’d be oohing and ahhing in for a few hours at least.
    At this end of the age scale it’s always a nice compliment when a stranger tells us we look younger than we are, isn’t it?
    On the flip-side, do you remember that first time a younger person called you “sir”? I looked behind me ’cause I didn’t know who they were talking to :-D

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    • Ha ha – I do remember being called “sir” and feeling a bit let down.

      I took a long time to wander through this museum, and it isn’t that big. They have done a wonderful of displaying the artifacts they have.

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  17. Nice tour of a great museum. It may be a small facility, but someone is a good “space manager” because they have no shortage of interesting artifacts to see.

    Getting carded? Priceless!!

    Isn’t it nice to be able to take a break from daily life and go to a museum on a weekday? Retirement at its best!
    🐾Ginger 🐾

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    • Thanks Ginger. When I first saw the attraction that piqued my interest (see tomorrow’s post) I kept thinking about going down on Saturday. It took a while to realize that I could go on Friday instead.

      They have really done a great job of fitting all the material on display in and around the building.

      The ticket woman’s comment was so nice to hear.

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  19. Good to see that you are not letting the grass grow between your toes in retirement (not that I expected you to). I’m still in that “awkward age” where some senior discounts apply, others don’t. I imagine that next year, when I turn 65, I’ll be eligible for them all… and I fully intend to take advantage :) That looks like a lovely museum and I look forward to reading more about it.

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    • Thanks Janis. I never think to ask, but when she rattled off the ones they offer, I decided to go for it. It was nice to see that she wondered a bit.

      It did take me a while to realize that I could go to the museum on a Friday. I’m not sure I ever took a vacation day in January.

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  22. The dock at the river photo — the first one is such a nice mood, so tranquil and gray, I really like it. The museum looks good — the models are amazing.
    Just when you finally look convincingly old enough to order a beer, you gotta prove you’re old enough to get the senior discount! I bet that’ll be me as well. I’ll not complain either.

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  25. I would just love to sit here for hours and explore the scenery as far as I can see. Have you ever done that? Sit for hours, alone, without talking, or looking at your phone. Feels so peaceful.

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  26. LOL, I agree, Dan. Being carded makes my day — even if I know they would card someone in her 90s. I’m not above going on my birthday to buy wine at a store that cards everyone — just to get carded.
    I loved all the artifacts, particularly the walking beam steam engine. I’ll have to google that one when I feel better. Hugs!

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    • This was a first for me, Teagan, but I’m kind of shy about asking for the discounts. Once offered, I was all for this.

      The walking beam steam engine has an interesting history. Initially, the engine couldn’t be used to power ships, because someone held a patent on the crankshaft mechanism used to transfer the up and down motion of the engine’s piston into rotary motion. They invented a drive mechanism that utilized a special gear (sun and planet) configuration. Eventually, the patent expired and steamships could take better advantage of the capabilities of the engine. I am fascinated by this bit of mechanical history. Oops, I am going on…

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