"Thar She Blows!"

Thanks for joining me on my blog vacation to Nantucket this week.  I know, I know, it's summer and you want to head to the beach, but I highly recommend a visit to the Whaling Museum at some point during your visit.  From the early 1700's to the mid 1800's, Nantucket prospered as the whaling capital of the world and the downtown area bustled with businesses outfitting ships for long voyages that often lasted several years.  Part of the Whaling Museum was an old factory that made candles from whale oil.  The museum has a great booklet for kids to follow as they tour the museum.

Hold on to your hats... With the cry, "Thar she blows!" small rowboats were sent off the whaling ships to harpoon the whale.  Once hit, the whale took the crew on a wild "Nantucket sleigh ride."