DAVE HIGGINSON

MY WIFE AND I ARE ARRIVING NYC ON AUG 22 . STAYING AT FITZPATRICK HOTEL ON LEXINGTON. WE THEN TRAVEL TO CONNETICUT.[MYSTIC].THEN ONTO NEWPORT[RHODE ISLAND] AND FINISH ON CAPE COD.I AM ENGLISH AND MY WIFE IS IRISH. WE CURRENTLY LIVE IN IRELAND.
MY WIFE HAS NOT BEEN TO THE STATES.
AM INTERESTED IN GOOD PLACES TO SEE AND VISIT ON MY JOURNEY

Brenda

I recently went to Mystic one Saturday. I wasnt very impressed, it was a typical small town banking on tourism, and the musuems and stores were overpriced. The aquarium is cool but if you've been to one before it isnt worth making a special trip. I would recommend from what people have told me spending more time in NYC or Cape Cod. Mystic can be done in a long afternoon.

Donna

Tend to agree with above post on Mystic. Beautiful seaside town. But, unless you are really interested seeing how old ships were built, the museum is not all that exciting (overpriced in my opinion). The mansions of Newport are spectacular. Buy a combination ticket to save on admission prices. Plan to do only two or at the most three per day. They are huge and there's lots and lots of walking inside! Each is a museum in itself. Our favorites were Rosecliff and, of course, the Breakers (save this one for last). Be sure to walk along the Cliff Walk. Gorgeous ocean views and views of the "backyards" of the mansions. And, be sure to drive from one end of Ocean Drive to the other. Awesome scenery. Our favorite town on the Cape for strolling, shopping and dining is Chatham. Be sure to stop at the visitor's booth on the other side of the bridge over the canal. Tons of brochures to collect. Then, you can visit what you find most appealing.

Donna

P. S. While in NYC, you may wish to consider a Grey Line bus tour. Among others, there is a Downtown loop and an Uptown Loop. Each makes for that a dozen stops - at all the major sites and attractions. They run frequently. You can hop off and on at your leisure. Even take a ferry from Battery Park to Libery Island (Statue of Liberty) and Ellis Island. If the weather is nice, riding on the top open air level is wonderful. Terrific views of all the neighborhoods. The view at night from the Rainbow Promenade cocktail lounge at Rockefeller Center is spectacular. The Empire State Building lit up at night looks fabulous from there. We took a horse and buggy ride through Central Park at dusk. Loved every minute! Quite a few of the drivers are Irish!

Emarald

I agree with all the above postings, Mystic is pretty, but definitely can be done in a long afternoon. I would try to spend more time in Rhode Island and The Cape. NYC attractions and sites are endless, but the "old reliables" are still the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Central Park (all easily assesible as Donna suggests) I don't know how long you have at each stop, but I would definitely limit the time in Mystic. Enjoy...

Audrey

Try to avoid the Hyannis area on the Cape; head for Chatham, Cape Cod National Seashore in Eastham (ride bikes here), Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. I haven't been to the Cape in a few years, but there used to be a good restaurant in Wellfleet called Aesop's Tables as well as some good galleries; there's a fun place in Chatham called (I think) Land Ho--you can't miss it.