Between searching out new ideas for family fun with our teens, and making plans to check out colleges, we’ve been doing a lot of travel research lately and are coming up with what look like some great ideas. The Mystic Country area of coastal Connecticut recently peaked our interest as a place that offers a nice mix of history, adventure and fun to keep families with teens and tweens on the move and under sail — whether taking a break from college visits or just looking for a weekend getaway from New York or Boston.
The Charles W Morgan at Mystic Seaport, photo courtesy Mystic Country
In terms of colleges, Connecticut College, Mitchell College and the US Coast Guard Academy are all in New London, next store to Mystic. Many other schools are within an hour’s drive including Wesleyan University Middletown, CT and University of Connecticut a bit north in Storrs, CT and the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI.
Besides the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods gaming resorts which are within 15 minutes of the town of Mystic, most of the area’s attractions are linked to the ocean and the area’s impressive nautical heritage. The Mystic Seaport is a unique living 19th century maritime museum. The 60 acre site includes dozens of historic buildings, as well as an impressive collection of restored schooners and sloops, a steamer and the last surviving wooden whaling boat, the Charles W. Morgan. The Seaport’s buildings include a chandlery, sail loft, ropewalk, cooperage, shipping agent office, printing office, bank and more.
Beluga Whale at Mystic Aquarium, photo courtesy Tracy M Brown
The Seaport is open year round, as is the nearby Mystic Aquarium with its collection of beluga whales, African penguins, sea lions, seals and other sea creatures. Check out the Deep Sea 3D ride to feel what it is like to go 9,000 feet underwater in pursuit of deep-diving Sperm Whales and Giant Squid. We are told that a combination of 3D film and special chairs make it feel like you are really in a submersible.
Another opportunity to explore the country’s maritime history is found at the Submarine Force Museum on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut. Operated by the US Navy, the museum traces the history of subs from Revolutionary War days to the present. The highlight of any visit to the Submarine Force Museum is a tour of the USS Nautilus, the country’s first nuclear powered submarine. Admission is free.
If you make it to Mystic when the weather is warm and have a few hours to get out on the water, there are a number of options for day sails including a 5-hour cruise on the tall ship Mystic Whaler (a reproduction of a 19th century vessel) or a 2-3 hour jaunt on the 81-foot Schooner Argia in the protected waters of Fishers Island and Long Island Sounds. The local ocean beaches are another refreshing activity in the warmer months.
Visit the Nautilus at the Submarine Force Museum, photo courtesy Mystic Country
We haven’t made it to Mystic Country yet but hope our travels take us there soon. In the meantime, if you’ve visited there let us know your thoughts and comments.
This is one in a series of articles about fun family activities to add onto college visits (or to check out if you are planning a fun family weekend). Check the full list here.
