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yk+child 4-day in Mystic, CT (June 2022)

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yk+child 4-day in Mystic, CT (June 2022)

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Old Jul 3rd, 2022, 01:40 PM
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yk
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yk+child 4-day in Mystic, CT (June 2022)

Hello, my son (age 9) and I spent 4 days/3 nights in Mystic CT at the end of June, after school ended. Our trip was Monday-Thursday; only after I booked the trip I realized a number of sites are closed on Monday/Tuesday. Here is a quick TR:

Day 1 (monday)
Unfortunately we had pouring rain all day Monday, so the day is sort of wasted. I think Mystic received 1" of rain that day. We didn't drive down (from Boston) until 12 noon; hit heavy traffic and pouring rain so the drive took 2 full hours. We stopped in Stonington CT to visit the Old Lighthouse Museum and Captain Palmer House Museum, both operated by the Stonington Historical Society. They are one of the few sites that are open on Mondays (Thursday-Monday) The Lighthouse Museum is next to the southernmost point of town, where there is a parking lot and viewing area. We would have spent more time admiring the view had it not been pouring rain. The museum is small but interesting nonetheless. The docent gave us an overview of the museum: it has 3 rooms with different exhibits. One of it showcased an enslaved man who went on to buy his freedom (and his wife/children) and become a landowner. Another room talked about the Battle of Stonington during the War of 1812. You can also climb the stairs to the top of the lighthouse.

Captain Palmer was the first American to spot Antarctica. Most of the furniture in the house is not original, but are period. There are some artifacts that belonged to the family. The docent gave us a tour, and we were able to visit all 3 floors of the house plus the cupola at the very top.

We checked into our hotel, Whalers Inn, which is situated right in town next to the bridge (review at the end of this TR). Since it continued to pour, we relaxed in our room until dinner time. My son requested Asian food so we walked 5 minutes over to Samurai Noodles. For a rainy Monday evening, I was surprised how crowded it got. I guess Mystic is a popular summer destination. I had a bowl of ramen while my son got pork curry over rice.

Day 2 (Tuesday)
Our hotel has an onsite restaurant, and hotel guests get $15 dining credit each day ($8 for child), so we ate there every morning. The restaurant, called Shipwright's Daughter, is quite well known. Breakfasts on all 3 days were very good.

Mystic Seaport Museum opens at 10am and we were there by 9:40am. It's an easy 15-minute walk from our hotel. They have plenty of programs & demonstrations throughout the day. It is displayed on a screen when you buy your tickets, so best if you take a photo of the screen if you're interested in such. We first started with the Shipyard tour at 10:15am (we were the only ones), which gave us an overview of the shipyard. Next talk was a 11:30am talk about whaling, where 3 staff members described how whales were being hunt. We grabbed lunch at one of the eateries on site, the Greenman's Landing, which is self-service and has plenty of outdoor tables. There is so much to see and learn there that we didn't get a chance to visit all the indoor exhibition galleries, as we wanted to go to our next talk about Gerda III at 3:15pm. It has a fascinating story about how it ferried hundreds of Danish Jews to safety in Sweden during WWII. Afterwards, we bought additional tickets to sail on their catboat Breck Marshall at 3:45pm which sails up and down the river for a bit. By the time we were done, we only had another 45 minutes to see the rest of the site before it closes at 5pm. Actually, the buildings close at 5pm but the grounds are open until 6pm. Even though we spent our entire day there (10a-5p), we didn't get to see everything (mostly some of the indoor exhibits). Your receipt does entitle one to return for a second visit within 3 days, but we didn't have time and we felt we saw all the things we wanted anyway.

On our way home, we walked past Engine Room which has an outdoor patio, so that's where we decided to have dinner that evening. It was a nice evening out so after dinner we walked around town for a bit before getting ice cream from Mystic Park Ice Cream right at the park along the river. As we turned around, we found a free concert on the green going on by the Noank-Mystic community band. We decided to stay until the end of the concert before turning in for the night.

To be continued...
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Old Jul 3rd, 2022, 05:28 PM
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I'm with you, yk!
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Old Jul 3rd, 2022, 05:29 PM
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Day 3 (Wednesday)
After another excellent breakfast at the hotel, we drove over to Groton to visit the Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park. If you have read my recent TRs, you would have noticed that I have taken my son on some sort of American Revolutionary War tour in recent months. The battle here took place 6 weeks before Battle of Yorktown; here the Americans suffered heavy casualty against the British. At the state park, you can still see the earthworks for the Fort, the gun batteries (which were modernized), visit a museum about the battle, and climb the 166-step monument (to commemorate the 166 American soldiers who guarded the fort.

We were there for a good 1.5 hours (my son is really interested in history) before we drove back to Mystic to grab to-go lunch at Sift Bake Shop. We each ordered a sandwich but what is most eye-popping are their dessert pastries. We couldn't resist sharing a lavender and lemon croissant. We decided to take the sandwiches back to our Inn. Where we stay there is a communal outdoor balcony with rocking chairs, so we ate there. The sandwiches are really huge so we each save half for the next day (our room has a mini fridge).

In the afternoon we went to Mystic Aquarium. It was shocking to see how crowded it was. I couldn't even find a parking spot in the parking lot. In comparison, Seaport Museum is much more quiet. We first toured the outdoor portion, then the indoor portion, and then watched the 3pm sea lion show. By 4pm the crowd thinned out. We left shortly before 5pm (we spent about 4.5 hours there).

For our last dinner, we headed over to Noank's Abbotts Lobster in the rough. Further down the street is a clam shack but Abbotts seems to be larger and has more menu options. After seeing all the sea life at Mystic Aquarium, it made me hungry for seafood. I had steamed clams and an octopus salad. I wish I had also ordered a CT clam chowder (clear broth) but thought it would be too much food. Abbotts has a large parking lot and a large outdoor dining area, overlooking the Fisher island sound. Definitely a nice view. There were plenty of people who BYOB as well as own picnic table cloth and made it a night out.

We went back to our hotel, parked the car, and went for a walk again in town, given the evening was so nice. This time we stopped at Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream for ice cream.

Day 4 (Thursday)
I read about Young Buns doughnuts in the Boston Globe, so I convinced my son to head there early in the morning to get some donuts (for later). Then we headed back to our hotel for breakfast before checking out. Despite our best effort to leave early, we didn't get to Mashantucket Pequot Museum until 9:45am (it opens at 9am). At first I thought I must have gotten the time/day wrong, as the parking lot was completely empty. I double-checked and we then went in the museum. Turns out we were their first visitors of the day. I was just stunned given how packed Mystic Aquarium was the day before; surely some of those people would want to come visit this museum?

I said it was unfortunate we didn't arrive earlier because we had to leave by 2pm... I had an engagement back in Boston at 4pm. Otherwise, we could easily have stayed for another 30-45 minutes. There is so much to see and read and learn there. The museum is very well done; especially the Pequot village which is especially informative with their free audioguide. We also watched the 30-min Pequot War movie (recommended 12+; it was quite gory). Anyway, we learned a lot about the Pequot people and their history throughout the ages.

Of note, the observation tower is currently under renovation. Also, their cafe is closed. We brought our leftover lunch from the day before and ate it outside the museum on a bench. Even though we saw other museum-goers, when we left, there were only 10 cars in the parking lot total. The museum staff did tell us that Thursdays is usually their quietest day in terms of visitors.
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Old Jul 3rd, 2022, 05:44 PM
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Lodging
I was debating back and forth about where to stay. All the chain hotels are located near the Aquarium, which is a good 2 miles from the town of Mystic. I really wanted to stay in town so we can walk around without needing to hop into our car to go anywhere. In the town itself, there are only B&Bs and Inns. In the end I chose Whalers Inn, which is one block from the bridge. The Inn is made up of 5 buildings; 4 of them faces Main Street. The 5th one, which also happens to be the only one that offers 2 double beds, is tucked inside away from Main Street. As a result, it is far quieter. Of course when I decided on this place, it turns out they have a 3-night minimum. I had thought 2 nights would be enough but once I started researching, there is definitely enough to do for 3 nights.

Our room is quite nice, with a huge bathroom and a huge sink. Beds are comfortable. Bonus is a mini-fridge. It's pretty quiet considering it's in the middle of town. Neighboring room noise is quite muffled. Since the door opens to outdoor walkway, you don't really hear people slamming their doors or running up/down the hallway.

The best part is definitely the location. Not only we can walk around town in the evening, we can also walk to the seaport museum. I didn't quite expect Mystic to be so packed with tourists in late June; the streets are constantly jammed and parking spots are hard to come by. I can only imagine what a nightmare it would be for me to drive into town every evening for dinner.

Final Thoughts
If I had known we could cover Mystic Aquarium in 4 hours, I would have come down sooner on Monday and see the Aquarium that day (the rainy day). That way, it would have freed up an entire Wednesday afternoon for something else. I thought about visiting the Connecticut River Museum in Essex (opens Wednesday-Sun), or walk around Old Saybrook, or the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic. USS Nautilus is currently undergoing renovations so I decided it wasn't worth visiting the Submarine Force Museum in Groton without the submarine.
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Old Jul 4th, 2022, 05:38 AM
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Thanks YK for your wonderful trip report! It will be helpful for those planning a trip and it also rekindled memories for my past trips there. I loved the Pequot Museum, it was so informative!
When we visited Groton and the submarine we also went to nearby Gillette Castle which I enjoyed.
Have a great summer and thanks again for sharing your adventures.
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Old Jul 4th, 2022, 06:22 AM
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Thanks for the trip report! We have a place in RI less than thirty minutes from Mystic and often go there. Surprisingly, I'd never heard of Fort Griswold -- we'll get there this summer.

Pity it rained during your visit to Stonington Borough, it's pleasant to walk the streets and see the 18th and 19th century houses so well kept.

On the other hand, you didn't miss much with the closed observation deck at the Pequot Museum. Agree the movie there is much better than you might expect.
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Old Jul 4th, 2022, 07:07 AM
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Did they actually take the USS Nautilus away from the dock where it has been for many years or did they just close it to public tours? I took the self guided tour in May 2017 and at one point I believe I was the only person onboard. I spent about 35-40 minutes onboard and spent at least an hour in the great free museum (donations accepted).
Mystic does have an Amtrak station so you could get off and walk or taxi to a hotel.
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Old Jul 4th, 2022, 07:28 AM
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We were stationed in Groton for a few years so your trip brought back a lot of memories. BTW, even without the sub, the museum is excellent!
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Old Jul 4th, 2022, 05:26 PM
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Thank you everyone for your kind comments!

Originally Posted by tomfuller
Did they actually take the USS Nautilus away from the dock where it has been for many years or did they just close it to public tours? I took the self guided tour in May 2017 and at one point I believe I was the only person onboard. I spent about 35-40 minutes onboard and spent at least an hour in the great free museum (donations accepted).
Mystic does have an Amtrak station so you could get off and walk or taxi to a hotel.
From its website it sounds like Nautilus is away for renovations but will be back at the museum later this Fall.
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Old Jul 5th, 2022, 01:52 AM
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You definitely had a more interesting time than I expected. Our visit to Mustic was decades ago and it sounds like there is much more to see at the Seaport museum now. I was stunned when first seeing the canoe with Native American figures that was so realistic. Later saw info that faves and hands were cast from live people.
does M-YK find school history classes boring compared to your trips?
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Old Jul 5th, 2022, 02:50 AM
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I'm glad you had a good trip.

I have a high school reunion in Greenwich CT this summer and my husband and i have been thinking of visiting the Mashantucket Pequot Museum on the way home. We've meant to go for years but have never managed to schedule time there Your TR is encouraging me to try to follow through on this idea and to explore Stonington, too.
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Old Jul 5th, 2022, 05:28 AM
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YK, I wish I had known that you were going tiMystic, we ave a membership to the Seaport which lets us, up to 6 kids and an additional guest in. I would have been happy to have had you and your son as a guest. Our summer place is between Myatic and
Stonington Burroughs.

Good to know that the hotel worked as we sometimes need “overflow accommodations” for visitors who want quiet.

Did they tell you that the owner of Sift won one of the Best Bakers in America contests a couple of years ago?

The area has been much busier since covid. Folks from NYC and Boston can come by train right to the station in town a couple of times a day if they do not drive. Then walk or taxi/Uber to the farther sites, but having a car does help.

Thanks for the report

Last edited by oldemalloy; Jul 5th, 2022 at 05:30 AM.
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Old Jul 5th, 2022, 11:41 AM
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Brava as usual, yk! Your meticulous research and good detail are super, not just for you, but for all trip planners.
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Old Jul 9th, 2022, 05:32 PM
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Originally Posted by oldemalloy
YK, I wish I had known that you were going tiMystic, we ave a membership to the Seaport which lets us, up to 6 kids and an additional guest in. I would have been happy to have had you and your son as a guest. Our summer place is between Myatic and
Stonington Burroughs.

Good to know that the hotel worked as we sometimes need “overflow accommodations” for visitors who want quiet.

Did they tell you that the owner of Sift won one of the Best Bakers in America contests a couple of years ago?

The area has been much busier since covid. Folks from NYC and Boston can come by train right to the station in town a couple of times a day if they do not drive. Then walk or taxi/Uber to the farther sites, but having a car does help.

Thanks for the report
Thanks oldmalloy for your kind offer! (We are happy to pay admission to support the museum!
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Old Jul 19th, 2022, 05:45 PM
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This was a great trip report. We went to the Seaport last year and really enjoyed it. I also took my son to the Aquarium a few years ago and was underwhelmed but have since decided that we are not aquarium people. He enjoyed the Groton submarine but it was a quick stop for us.

I've never heard of either Fort Griswald or Pequot museum. I'm going to check them out.
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Old Aug 23rd, 2022, 05:49 AM
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My husband and I are just back from a short trip that included a day at the Pequot Indian museum on saturday. We thought it was very well done and fascinating and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in history. Like yk and her son we spent 5 hours there and could easily have spent longer. If you want a shorter trip I'd focus on the Peqout village and the sections describing the arrival of Europeans. The film Witness about the Peqot War is definitely "gory" as yk mentions and i would not watch it with young children. The whole topic of genocide is difficult for anyone to understand asnd the story of what happened to tbe tribe is heartbreaking.
the museum is very large and wasn't at all crowded. If the cafeteria is closed as it still was this past weekend be sure to come prepared with food for lunch
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