nearby slips. We awake at dawn, dawdle over cereal and fruit, then pedal off toward the museum.
It’s a nice ride, about three and a half miles through a cozy suburban neighborhood. We choose the long way this time because it leads down to the waterfront and to Museum Drive, which takes you through the heavily forested Mariners’ Museum Park. Archer Huntington, stepson of shipyard founder Collis Huntington, turned his collection of maritime paintings and ship models into the museum, surrounding it with miles of parkland and nature trails, so it’s fun to arrive this way.
We’re lucky to be visiting the museum while it’s showcasing a major exhibit, “Building Better Ships,” that explores (until November 15) the museum’s intimate ties to the shipbuilding company. It was Archer Huntington’s fascination with maritime art that led to the museum’s creation in the early