Ron Howard’s new film, In the Heart of the Sea , premieres this holiday season on December 11, 2016. Set in Nantucket and starring Chris Hemsworth, the film retells the fate of  the crew of the whale ship, the Essex. This true story also provided the inspiration for Herman Melville’s classic, Moby Dick.

The movie is based upon Nathaniel Philbrick’s book of the same title. Click HERE to check out Mr. Philbrick’s fascinating article that was published in the December issue of Smithsonian Magazine. This piece, entitled How Nantucket Came to Be the Whaling Capital of the World, discusses a variety of topics including Nantucket’s whaling heritage as well as the Essex and the movie.

 

Last August, my husband and I celebrated our special anniversary by taking our children to this small island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Once there, our first choice was to visit the island’s famous Whaling Museum which we were invited to attend. This restored candle factory had several interesting exhibits such as a collection of beautiful scrimshaw jagging wheels or pie crimpers.

There was also a brief exhibit on the movie, Into the Heart of the Sea, that included several of the props that had been used.

 

 

The museum was great, but we quickly discovered that this destination had much more to offer beyond its rich nautical history. Easily accessible by foot, the eclectic stores and galleries sold a wide variety of gifts.

 

All of this exploring required a bit of refueling, and we all loved having a fun lunch at the highly rated restaurant, Dune.

A great destination for a very special occasion, and we’re looking forward to going back.