Hello,

My husband and I (in our 30's) are looking for somewhere to go over New Years. He wants nearby gambling (he just discovered poker) and I love New England. So, I found the Foxwoods casino for him, and Mystic for me!

However, our concern is that there won't be a thing to do in Mystic in winter. It doesn't have to be a rockin' crazy New Years party, but something like fireworks or something would be nice. We visited Bar Harbor, ME one year in late November, and the whole island basically shuts down after the peak fall season. We couldn't even find a place open for dinner! Is this an issue in Mystic?

Where should we stay? Something clean and charming around $150/night. It doesn't have to be a B&B, just somewhere nice. We love beautiful scenery and great places to eat with atmosphere and fun. We are from Milwaukee, and I don't know if they have micro-breweries everywhere, (bar/restaurant where they brew specialty beer) but are there any in or around Mystic? Are there any attractions or nearby picturesqe towns around Mystic we should not miss?

Please help! We need to get our travel arrangements in order, and if I don't sell him on Mystic, it will be Las Vegas.... again.

Thanks!

Honestly, not crazy about mystic. pokey little nothing town. I never got the attraction. No place special to stay and not a whole lot to do. You would have a better time hanging out at the casino for new years eve and just crashing wherever you can get a room in the area. Mohegan Sun is better than Foxwoods as far as food choices and ambiance. But, why Vegas again? What about Reno? I think there is also a casino in Montreal and that city is beautiful in the winter.

Newport, RI has stuff going on and will be busy. It's about an hour to the casinos, but alot more to do than Mystic.

No poker, but there are slots at Newport Grand too.

I agree with Bugs wife

Here's a link to the website for the Whaler's Inn, a pretty nice hotel in downtown Mystic. They've got special dinners arranged at the better Mystic restaurants for New Year's.

http://www.whalersinnmystic.com/insi...cials.html#nye

Agree that there is somewhat more to do in Newport, but considering the time of year, and the weather we've been having, you might want to be closer to the casinos. If the weather is good, you can always take a day trip to Newport from Mystic, but if the weather is bad, you might not want to drive all the way to the casinos.

I have stayed at the Whalers Inn. It was very nice. Mystic is not the place to be in the winter.
I would go with Newport as everything is open year round.

Not sure how many days you plan on spending on your trip, but I would point out that you could stay in the Mystic/casino area and still enjoy Newport on New Year's eve. Newport's finale to it's First Night celebration is a firework's display at 9:15 pm; so you could spend the afternoon and evening exploring Newport and the First Night activities, yet be back at a Casino by midnight for the actual "drop of the ball".

Thank you so much for the info! Your comments confirm my fears of nothing to do in the winter. I think I'll look elsewhere - maybe Newport.