Nothing says Thanksgiving like a submarine.

Especially when the best doughnut shop in Rhode Island is closed on Mondays.

On the Monday before Thanksgiving, we’d intended to take a little field trip to Allie’s Donuts, but Aunt Nancy texted that they were closed on Mondays.

Plan B:  a drive to Groton, CT to the submarine base and museum.  With a stop at Dunkin Donuts along the way.

This is called the “Dear Santa” special.  I think it looks like a bow on a gift.  Others think it’s supposed to symbolize Rudolph.

This trip to Groton turned out to be a surprising hit.

Before we even went inside.

Working the controls.

Testing the periscopes.

View of the Thames River, in Groton.

And the highlight?  Going down inside an actual submarine, the “Nautilus”, the first nuclear powered sub and the first one to travel under the North Pole.

Back in the gift shop, the FG was the proud owner of a new t-shirt and matching hat.  He would wear them for the rest of the week.

And the day wasn’t over.  We drove through Mystic, Ct for a photo op at the restaurant of movie fame, Mystic Pizza, then on to lunch at Mystick Village and a little shopping.  Then it was back in the car for a drive through historic Stonington Borough (a narrow strip of land that was home to Connecticut’s whaling captains).

It was time to go home and put the casserole in the oven.  Another evening with four generations around the dinner table!