lgs513

Will be making our first round trip drive from NYC to Boston, in mid June. Would like to plan stops, to break up the drive, each way. Are Mystic, CT and Newport, RI worth stopping? If so, please advise about attractions and restaurants in each area. Suggestions for others locations are welcomed.

nytraveler

Yes, both are worthwhile.

Newport better for adults and older kids (all of the "summer cottages" to be toured) while Mystic better for younger kids (aquarium, seaport museum with boats and many shops) - and both have beach access.

Luv2travel15

I love visiting both of these places. We live about an hour away from each location so can driver there fairly easily. Mystic is a great place if you have a family but would also appeal to anyone that would like to see the area. Mystic Aquarium is a nice place, Mystic Seaport, and lots of other great things to see.

http://www.mysticseaport.org/


Newport is a favorite of mine. We usually drive down this time of year and tour one of the mansions, gives you an idea of how the wealthy lived in their summer homes in Newport. Our first mansion visit was to The Breakers and it was spectacular, set the pace for the other visits for sure. There are many great restaurants in Newport as well. If you do have children, then the Cliff Walk might be of interest to them. It is such a spectacular sight to walk along the ocean and gaze out at those views. Kids would love climbing on the rocks. There are many beaches in the area also. Here are a few of the attractions to see:
http://www.riparks.com/Locations/Loc...eavertail.html
a short drive over to Jamestown from Newport;

http://www.riparks.com/Locations/LocationFortAdams.html
kids would love exploring here;
http://www.newportmansions.org/

You would definitely need to make reservations for hotels in June as it is tourist season.

janie

Both are great places to visit but I agree that they are suited to different age groups or interests. Also they aren't really on the way from NYC to Boston since there are faster and less crowded roads that you can take between those cities. Newport is the more out of the way.

Both are realy crowded on weekends over the summer so if you can travel midweek to either place it will be much less expensive and less crowded.

There are other towns and areas worth a visit, like Lexington and Concord outside of Boston, the Bershires in western MA, etc. If you tell us a little more about who you are and what you like to do, you'll probably get even more ideas.

lgs513

Thanks to all for the info. To clarify, there will be three adults driving from NYC to just south of Boston near Quincy, for a function the following day. We plan to get on the road each day no later than 8am and want to arrive at our destination before dark. It looks to me that Mystic is not far from the interstate and would make a good stop. My husband believes there is a lighthouse museum in the area, which I haven't investigated yet. I thought we might make a similar stop in Newport,RI on the way home. Several hours in each location to explore and enjoy a nice meal, preferably seafood - is what we're wanting to do. Any recommendations for both attractions and restaurants will be appreciated.

janie

So these are just stopovers, right--no overnights?

Yes, Mystic is right off I95, if that's the route you are planning to take. It is the most straightforward and puts Mystic about halfway between the two cities, but I usually go to Boston a different way that is inland the whole way,
Newport is IMO a more appealing adult destination--waterfront cliff walk with great views, short cruises, mansions, choice of restaurants etc, but it will probably add an extra hour to detour there and personally I'd find it hard to limit my time there to just 2 or 3 hours.

I don't know if it interests your group at all, but in Groton, not far from Mystic, you can tour the Nautilus submarine. http://www.ussnautilus.org/ You'd need to stop somewhere else to eat and for other things to do.

Cranachin

As wonderful as Newport is, stopping there doesn't "break up" the trip between Quincy and NYC. Driving Quincy-NYC only takes about 30 minutes more than driving Newport-NYC, and Quincy-Newport-NYC actually adds about an hour of driving time over Quincy-NYC. Put another way, you'll have three hours or so to drive to NYC AFTER you make the stop in Newport.

I'd consider stoping in New Haven on the way back instead. http://www.visitnewhaven.com

Ackislander

Mystic Seaport is as much for adults -- more if you are sailors or interested in boats -- sit is for children.

From the Quincy area to Newport, take MA 24 south to Fall River. Follow the signs for Tiverton, RI, and explore that area, across the Sakonnet River from Newport in the morning. Then drive into Newport for lunch and perhaps one "cottage". They are a little bit like butter cream frosting: apt to be cloying. You can get back to I95 across the Jamestown bridges and via Kingstown or you can go back to Fall River and catch I195. The obvious route through Bristol and Warren is often slow and congested, though the towns are an attractive destination on their own.

Driving from NY to Boston is slightly weird in that your route to any of the western or northern parts of the city should be Merritt Parkway- Wilbur Cross Parkway-I 91-i84-Masspike. To Dedham and the southern suburbs, I-95 is best, especially at rush hour. I-295 around Providence is not worth it except at rush hour, and it is heavily patrolled, as is 95 in West Warwick.

emalloy

The lighthouse museum your husband wants to visit is actually in Stonington Burough. Mystic Seaport is in the town of Stonington, just a couple of miles from the lighthouse museum. The Seaport is a large property with tall ships, and all the kinds of buildings associated with 19th century maritime village, like blacksmith shop, cooper's shop, chandler, bank, school, church, boat sheds, etc. as well as buildings that house art and artifacts from the era. The lighthouse museum in the Burough is very small, just one small building near the end of Water St.

You could spend many hours in the Seaport. If you decide to go the the lighthouse museum, do check what hours it would be open. The Seaport is open every day. A drive through the Burough is very nice, lots of nice old houses. Water street is the main road through and becomes one way in the middle then as you approach the point is one driving lane with two way traffic, the traffic going to the point is expected to pull over for the traffic coming out.

The food in the Seaport is not wonderful, but there are some very nice places to eat in Mystic and Stonington burough.

It is about 2 and a half hours from Mystic to Boston as long as you don't hit traffic.

Lookin_Glass

Not sure why you started a new thread. With the additional information you shared, both would be great destinations. You can be at Newport in about and 1 1/2 hours and could spend a full day there. Mystic and the whole Stonington area is beautiful to do a driving tour. Many get off the highway and just see the tourist mystic sites and seaport.

We have stopped a few times at this place for a quick bite. The food has ranged from excellent to pretty good, but the location as wonderful.

http://www.dogwatchcafe.com/

BigRuss

You do realize it's only about 4 hours or so from NYC to Bahstin even on I-95, right? It's around 200 miles, which is less than Dallas-Houston. It's not like you're going far at all.