Thanks to Hurricane Irene, I only got to poke my big toe into New England this summer – just as far as Mystic, Connecticut. While I was disappointed to have to hightail it out of the Northeast prematurely, I’m glad I got to at least visit this little seaside village. It’s a great place for a short family getaway, especially as the leaves begin to change this fall.
Itinerary for a Mystic Weekend
You can book a couple nights in one of the local hotels or get back to nature at Seaport Campground. The wifi is limited to the main office, but the sites are spacious and the staff is friendly. It’s a nice campground for the money and is near the area’s best attractions.
Day 1
Head to breakfast (or brunch if you’re a late riser) at Kitchen Little, a diner that looks like a hole in the wall but offers up stellar seafood omelets. It’s a favorite among tourists and locals (when the tourists have gone home). After breakfast, keep heading down highway 27 to Mystic Seaport. Check out the shops and The Museum of America and The Sea (pick up the combo pass here to save on admission to local attractions later in your visit.) Plan to spend the rest of your day here wandering through the exhibits. Grab lunch or a snack at the Seaport, but hold off for dinner until you’re ready to leave, then head over to the infamous Mystic Pizza, inspiration for the Julia Roberts’ film of the same name.
Day 2
Start your day with breakfast at Somewhere in Time, a cafe known for their breakfast pastries. Past visitors swear by the homemade banana bread french toast. When you’ve filled up on syrupy baked goods, you’re just a short drive away from the Mystic Aquarium, one of the region’s best known attractions. You can spend the rest of your morning exploring the marine life exhibits on this compact campus, then take a lunch break at Ten Clams. Ten Clams isn’t known for it’s creative menu or fancy atmosphere, but it’s a good place to grab cheap lunch items. After lunch, hop into the car and enjoy the scenic drive up to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. This museum is by and about the local Mashantucket Pequot tribe, the owners of the nearby Foxwoods Casino. The attract is award-winning and explores the tribe’s local history as well as the larger Native American story in New England. It’s an important perspective to have before leaving the area now dominated by European descendants.
Photo: Britt Reints
