Road to Revolution Boat Tour

For the 250^th anniversary of the United States, I took a three-day patriotic trip to the Thames River National Heritage Park in Groton and New London, CT. After a morning touring Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park, which included its monument, museum, and the interior of the fort, I took the Road to Revolution Boat Tour, a narrated cruise along the Thames River. On this tightly scripted tour, I learned more about the Fort Griswold, life in colonial Connecticut, and other places to visit in the area. I even got to see an Acela train flying past, the same transportation I took during my trip to Washington, D.C. last year.

The highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide reviewed the battle as I had learned about that morning at Fort Griswold. Benedict Arnold led his men up the river and along its banks, the men of Groton initially resisted, and they were killed inside Fort Griswold despite attempting to surrender. I also learned about New London as an early economic center, since water transportation was regarded as the most efficient mode of travel at the time. The view from the boat allowed me to see many buildings and infrastructure from a different perspective. Besides seeing the Groton Heights Monument tower over the other structures in the little town, we passed Avery-Copp House, a Victorian-style mansion that I would visit right after the boat tour. (Look out for that post on Wednesday!) We passed under Gold Star Memorial Bridge, twin bridges that allow I-95 / US-1 cross Thames River between Groton and New London. As largest structure in the state, it has a combined eleven lanes of highway. The older twin was completed in 1943, while the younger twin originally opened in 1973, closed for reconstruction about two weeks later, and finally opened for good in 1975.

The General Dynamics Electric Boat company was established in 1899 and still has a shipyard in Groton on the Thames River. The first prototype made by the company was constructed that year, while the “practical submarine”, perhaps meaning that it worked consistently in a somewhat safe capacity, was completed the next year in 1900 under the instruction of John Holland. The boat was fittingly called USS Holland and purchased by the U.S. Navy. Other neat boat projects include the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine launched in 1954 (the same year The Fellowship of the Ring was published) and the current Virginia-class submarine, named “Coolest Thing Made in Connecticut” by Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) in 2024. While not as aggressive as a submarine, other boats spotted included the Cecelia Ann, a catamaran that takes passengers from New London to Block Island or Long Island, and several tugboats that guide larger ships down the river.

Currently under construction is the National Coast Guard Museum, which appears to be a six-story building and is currently slated to be open on August 4, 2027, about a year past what was the original anticipated date. Fort Trumbull, which I would visit the next day, appeared on the right. This fort served from the American Revolutionary War to the Cold War, receiving significant renovations along the way.

The boat tour departed at 1:00 p.m. and lasted for about seventy-five minutes. While summer touring season has ended, this tour is slated to return in June 2027. Tickets cost about $37 per person, on the higher end for my excursions, but worth it for the novelty. My one critique was that the boat did not seem to have a set path, instead roaming across the river at the whim of the tour guide who told the captain what to do. Going further down the river to see the lighthouses better rather than doubling back towards the bridge would have improved the experience. Overall, this was a must-do experience for those who enjoy boat tours or Revolutionary War history.