Mystic, Connecticut
In the Summer of 2004 we visited Mystic Connecticut with our 6 year old son.
Only a 2-hour drive from Billerica, it was perfect for a short weekend vacation.
We stayed overnight only one night. We stayed at the Howard Johnson (www.FunTraveler.com) in Mystic, which our son loved because of the indoor pool, and in-room Jacuzzi! Also, there was a Friendly's located right next door, practically in the same parking lot! (Although it can be nice to try new, local restaurants, with a finicky child, it's great to have a familiar stand-by at which to have dinner.)
The first night, we walked (quite a long walk) from the hotel to the Mystic Seaport, and back again. We ate dinner (at Friendly's!), soaked in the Jacuzzi and slept.
In the morning we visited the Mystic aquarium, which we really enjoyed! There were many outdoor exhibits, as well as indoor exhibits and a great sea-lion show where you could see the sea-lions up close!
We then visited Olde Mytick Village, which has many quaint shops, and places to eat. We did not spend a lot of time at the Village, as shopping is not a favorite activity with the men in the family!
Then we went to the Mystic Seaport, which was fantastic! We went on board some old ships, visited some old shipping village businesses, and had lunch at the seaport's only restaurant. Our son loved exploring the old ships! We were lucky as there was a boat show being held that weekend, and while we missed the boat parade, we did get to see some of the antique yachts up close as they were docked along the river. The boat-owners were very friendly and loved showing off their crafts. We went into some museums, enjoyed some great lemonade-flavored slush from a cart, and then relaxed in the cool, dark planetarium show. Then, we headed to the gift-shop, bought some souvenirs and snacks, and drove home that evening.
If we had stayed one more night we probably would have visited downtown Mystic. Maybe we'll do that on our next visit!