Photo: Denis Leon

Summer Getaways: Southeastern Connecticut

The New England coast is closer than you think, and full of treasures

If the Capital Region seems worlds away from the nearest ocean, it didn’t feel much different where I grew up, 36 miles east of Albany in Pittsfield, Mass. When I was a kid, the family sometimes vacationed in Rhode Island or Cape Cod, and as I lay sprawled out in the way-back of the station wagon, reading Archie comics and gazing at the passing trees, those trips seemed to take an awfully long time. And yet, when I was home from college one summer and some friends decided to take a day trip to Misquamicut State Beach at the westernmost end of the the Rhode Island shore, I disovered that the ocean, less than three hours away, really was within striking distance.

In fact, there are plenty of beaches along New England’s southern shore; Misquamicut happens to be one of the largest, along with Hammonasset State Park in Madison, Conn. Either can be done as a day trip from the Capital Region, as long as you’re willing to get up early, get home late and spend two-and-a-half hours or so on the road either way. Pack a nice big picnic lunch and plenty of liquids, or plan to hit one of the seafood shacks that are popular in these parts (Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale, on Route 1 in Madison, is a stone’s throw from Hammonasset and a bit of a local legend; if you have kids, take them out back after lunch for soft ice cream and a carousel ride).

Of course, you can stay longer than a day, and if you give yourself more time, there’s no end of things to do in this busy corner of New England. In fact, if you plunk down in, say, Mystic—as we did on a recent three-day, two-night adventure—you are within striking distance of everything from the Block Island ferry (a short ride, and a lovely day trip in and of itself) to the charming village/beach at Watch Hill, to the casinos at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, to the aforementioned beaches, and the laid-back, pedestrian-friendly village of Mystic. And of course, the two destinations most closely associated with Mystic (and I’m not talking about movies, or pizza, or Julia Roberts, but yes, the place does still exist): Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium.

A word on accommodations: You have many options in this neck of the woods, including fancy resorts, house rentals, budget motor inns, quaint B&Bs, and of course, the big, glitzy casino resorts. We stayed at Mohegan Sun once when my wife had a conference there, and while the experience was novel, I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone: The hotel lobby merges into the retail-restaurant-bar-gaming complex, which is an assault on the senses (including the fact that you can still smoke in parts of it). I have heard over the years that proven gamblers are sometimes offered free rooms at these places; I can’t vouch for it, but I guess it would help defray some of your gambling losses. We chose the modern and comfortable Mystic Marriott Resort and Spa in Groton and enjoyed it very much, especially the kids, who spent an hour or so each day frolicking in the pool. The property is seconds off of I-95, and therefore very convenient to the nearby attractions.

We did not visit Mystic Aquarium this time (we have done so twice in the past, once as a day trip from Albany), but it is well worth it, even if it is a little pricey for a large family (two adults and three kids over age 3 will cost $109). Lots of colorful displays of marine life that will keep the kids entertained and perhaps educated; they’ll love the penguins and beluga whales, and especially the sea lion shows in the marine theater (if I remember correctly, depending on where you sit, you might get a little wet—no big deal, right? Just put away the iPod).

Mystic Seaport is one of my favorite museums, in part for its uniqueness; it also is a delight for the kids. (If you’re looking for bang for your buck, this is just a little bit cheaper than the aquarium; the aforementioned family of five will pay $93; subtract $15 for each kid under 6.) Stroll around the grounds and check out the various exhibits: the 19th century village, the maritime art gallery, the preservation shipyard (where you can watch boats being restored), the gardens, an interactive mapping exhibit, and the Mystic River scale model, which shows what the village looked like in 1870 and offers glimpses into several stages of shipbuilding. (A guide in the room could answer any question about how the village evolved, which buildings had burned down, etc.) The best part of all is the ships, several of which you can climb on and explore, including some of the below-deck sections where the crew eats and sleeps.

A new discovery for us this time was the town of Mystic, which offers pleasant strolling and shopping (a very good toy store kept luring the kids back), a number of restaurants, and the occasional spectacle of the drawbridge being raised for passing ships. At one end of the bridge, Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream serves some of the best cold sweet stuff we’ve found anywhere. Relaxing with a cone, watching the ships sail by, taking in the salty air and sea breezes, Albany seems worlds away.

—Stephen Leon

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