Play Mystic for Me
March 2007
By Barbara Petty

A recipe for a perfect weekend getaway, or the ideal family vacation, or the older adult vacation playground: Mystic, Connecticut!

How can one place be all of those things? How indeed, I exclaim. After staying at The Inn at Mystic for four days and seeing just a few of the myriad activities available at this seaport town, I became a devotee.

The Inn at Mystic

Greg and I were invited to spend a long weekend at The Inn at Mystic as guests of Inn owner Jody Dyer. Having never been to this part of the county, the only concept I had of New England was the Kennedy boys playing football in their preppy white attire at their Hyannis Port, Massachusetts home. That hint of a memory was not altogether incorrect – the easy, rolling hills, the brilliant sun mirroring off the Atlantic coast, the “Nantucket” style architecture of the homes – all of that was pretty much correct. In addition, Mystic and the surrounding area provide an abundance of entertainment and educational opportunities for just about any age or interests.

Mystic, Connecticut is actually a census-designated place (CDP) in New London County, Connecticut. It is located about 90 miles south of Boston, 130 miles from New York City, two miles south of Interstate 95. The town is located on the Mystic River, which flows into Long Island Sound, providing access to the sea. The Mystic River Bascule Drawbridge crosses the river in the center of town. Mystic also boasts of being the location for the movie Mystic Pizza with Julia Roberts, if one chooses to care about that. Nonetheless, the town features a quaint downtown and the view from the bridge looking out towards the ocean or inland is spectacular. The Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea, is perhaps the most well known destination, offering yearlong attractions.

Our trip may best be described by highlighting the attractions into categories. Depending on your criteria for a successful vacation, you may choose to have one, two, or all of the experiences!

Romantic Getaway: For the ultimate in romance, the Inn at Mystic has to be at the top of your list. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, one of Hollywood’s best all-time love stories, chose the Inn at Mystic for their honeymoon destination. The Inn, a Colonial Revival mansion, was built in 1905, and was sold to the Dyer family, the current owners in 1980. The Inn overlooks Mystic Harbor and Long Island Sound. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is comprised of 15 manicured acres and five buildings:

The Gatehouse has four guest rooms, all with private baths, individually decorated with period antiques, English paneling, and fireplaces with imported mantels. Room Number 8, also known as the Bogey/Bacall Suite, has been maintained in the same style as when the famous lovebirds stayed, and can be reserved for your second honeymoon!

The Haley Mansion features five luxuriously appointed guest rooms, each with private baths, original extinct pin pine paneled walls and fireplace, individually decorated accommodations, antiques, canopy beds, soaking tubs or steam bath/whirlpools, a Victorian verandah and a sweeping view of Mystic Harbor.

The Motor Inn has 40 guest rooms and features many of the same amenities: antiques, designer fabrics and wallpaper along with modern touches. We stayed in one of the rooms in this part of the Inn, and it was fabulous. We had a large working fireplace, antique-furnishings, and room built just to house the oversized Jacuzzi. I accidentally put in way too much soap in the water and combined with the action of the jets, well, let’s just say, we had a scene right out of a comedy movie.

The East Wing has 12 guest rooms and all of the ground level rooms have whirlpools.

The Floodtide Restaurant has six additional guest rooms with colonial charm, turn of the century reproductions and furnishings, and great views of the Long Island Sound. The exterior is typical Cape Cod architecture, but the restaurant inside is anything but typical. The Floodtide offers exceptional fare and prides itself on serving naturally raised meat and fish, organically grown vegetables, and to-die-for desserts. Jack Texeira is the Executive Chef at the Floodtide Restaurant, and he personally came to our table to discuss the menu and answer any questions we might have. Jaime Martell is the Executive Sous Chef. Eating became one of the highlights of the day with offerings such as these: wild mushroom ravioli appetizer tossed in a sweet plum tomato and basil pommodoro sauce, lightly finished in a rich mascarpone cheese sauce; a table-side prepared Caesar salad that was the best I have ever had in my life; an entree of garlic and Dijon encrusted lamb chops with a rosemary scented port wine reduction, smoked gouda and Yukon gold potato puree, and sautéed baby vegetables. The wine selection was respectable and did include a few surprises like a 2002 Louis Latour, Chassagne Montrachet. Don’t even get me started on the desserts – well, OK, get me started: what about a spiced pumpkin tiramisu, or a warm apple and toasted almond torte, or a cheesecake of the day? Yummy….

Breakfast was served buffet-style, but each dish was still prepared with thought and intention: egg dishes with peppers and special seasonings, organic sausages, and fresh squeezed juice. Although we did not partake, The Floodtide also offers 4pm Tea, served in the traditional English manner.

The Inn at Mystic also boasts tennis courts, use of canoes, kayaks, or sailboats, and walking trails. Or enjoy a simple aperitif on the veranda over-looking the harbor. The Inn also hosts many wedding receptions: wedding parties can stay in the mansion, and the ceremony and/or reception can take place in the tented terrace that can accommodate 225 people.

The Inn at Mystic is located at the junction of Route 1 and Route 27 in Mystic. For reservations call 860.536.9604. For yearlong events and activities, visit their Web site at www.innatmystic.com

The Charles W. Morgan

Family Activities: Mystic Seaport – The Museum of America and the Sea. America’s premiere maritime history museum, The Mystic Seaport is a recreated 19th century seafaring and fishing village. 19 acres front the Mystic River and feature anything and everything that a 19th century village would have -- from a rope-making warehouse to a shop of navigation equipment. Inside one building was a display of various types of carved figurines that were typical of vessels from that time. Another of my favorite attractions was the Planetarium at Mystic Seaport. Daily programs demonstrate navigation using sextants, octants, and the stars. It was pretty amazing to realize that early explorers traveled the world using these simple instruments… their understanding of geometry would put any 9th grader to the test!

One shop was devoted exclusively to ships in a bottle! This exhibit would be especially intriguing for young people who enjoy working with their hands. The craftsmanship of some of these vessels attests to the dedication and patience of the person that lovingly built them.

The most famous of all the attractions, The Charles W. Morgan, is the jewel of the watercraft collection. The Charles W. Morgan is the last wooden whaleship in the world. Originally launched in 1841, the ship held up to 35 crew and enough supplies to last a long time – whaling excursions would often take months, even years.

Rotating exhibits keep visitors coming back. During our visit, we saw a wonderful collection of photographs by the Rosenfeld brothers, The Art of the Boat. You will recognize the style immediately; one of their photographs graced the cover of Life Magazine in the 30s. Stunning black and white images capture the beauty of the open sail. Another special exhibit, Black Hands, Blue Seas, tells the story of the remarkable contribution of African-American sailors during the 18th century.

One of the few meals we did not eat at the Inn at Mystic was a tasty lunch at the Seamen’s Inne Restaurant and Pub, right on the premises of Mystic Seaport. The Inne is noted for their clam chowder, and I highly recommend it, along with a cup of hot cider! The rustic charm combined with great service made for a comfortable break in our day.

Mystic Seaport hosts two annual lantern light tours, one during the Holidays and one at Halloween. We were there in December so our play was set on Christmas Eve in 1876. The story of the courtship of Edith Ward and James Douglass unfolds as the group tours the village led by a guide with a lantern light! Visiting private homes, the apothecary, the pub, the library, and even a boat, the narrator/guide and the actors explore the dilemma of the two young lovers. Things are not as they appear… quite fun.

For detailed information about yearlong activities, visit www.mysticseaport.org

The Beluga Whale with a trainer at the Mystic Aquarium.

The Mystic Aquarium Institute for Exploration can be classified under both family activities and educational opportunities. Much of the facility is interactive, allowing for hands-on interaction and learning. In the main hall there are several viewing tanks. The Hidden Amazon allows you to explore the amazing creatures that live under the canopy of The Amazon; The Seahorse exhibit is relatively new and shows these fascinating creatures in a natural environment; reach in and touch a ray as they glide through the water in the Ray Touch Pool; scale the Aquarium’s Rock Wall that is two stories high; and the XD Theatre is a 3-D motion simulated ride that transcends time, space and your imagination! Two unbelievably large tanks house whales and sharks (not together!).

Special shows include the Sea Lion show - only one of four facilities in the world where you can actually view Steller Sea Lions. These 1,700 pound beauties are trained to follow visual and auditory commands. Outside, the Beluga Whale performance is one of the most impressive displays I have ever witnessed. Hand signals and visual symbols lead these beautiful animals through a series of demonstrations that convinced me of their advanced intelligence. By appointment, you can experience a small, intimate demonstration of the socialization of the African Penguins, the only aquarium/zoo setting that is working on this type of interaction with penquins.

Dr. Robert Ballard makes this aquarium his home; his office is on the second floor of the main hall. His discovery of Kennedy’s PT boat and the Titanic are both featured in additional displays on the premises. Discover remains of the RMS Titanic (along with an 18-foot model) and the PT 109 along with artifacts from Roman trade ships and other ancient shipwrecks from the floor of the Black Sea.

The Mystic Aquarium also offers much in the way of educational experiences. Check out their Web site prior to your visit for additional information, www.mysticquaarium.org The Aquarium is located at 55 Coogan Boulevard, in Mystic, 860.572.5955

A village scene at The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center.

Lifelong Learning: The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center is impressive on multiple levels. It is the most comprehensive Native American museum I have ever seen, it is impeccably designed and curated, but most importantly, the Mashantucket Pequot people are directly responsible for the museum’s existence. Resulting from the death of a Dutch caption in the 1600s, the Pequot nation was disbanded and ordered to never assemble again. Nonetheless, this proud people survived quietly. During the 1970s, a major effort took place to contact all descendants of the Pequot tribe. A fundraising effort (including the establishment of the Foxwoods Resort Casino) and awareness campaign ensued, federal funds were sought and granted (including Federal recognition in 1983), and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center opened in 1998.

The museum not only tells the story of the Pequot tribe, but a history of the Native American people traced from the Ice age to the present. One of the most impressive galleries was the Pequot Village, a recreation of a day in the life of a typical Pequot community, circa 1550. Walk through the village, listen to the sounds of people at work and play, the crackling of fire, the grinding of corn, the laughter of children. Enter a typically furnished wigwam and imagine what life was like for these people. The exhibits continue through the 1637 Massacre at Mystic, up through life on the reservation today. As a photographic buff, I particularly enjoyed the oversized photos of some of the tribal members.

For more information and a schedule of events go to www.pequotmuseum.org The Museum is located at 110 Pequot Trail, in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The phone number is 800.411.9671

Adult Entertainment: We cannot leave the area without at least mentioning the Foxwoods Resort Casino. Although we did not visit the site, we could see it from the Pequot Museum, and it is huge! It boasts of six casinos (one of them is smoke-free) and a total of 1,400 rooms on site. The casino, surrounded by New England forest, offers headline entertainment, shopping, nearby golf, an indoor pool, salon and spa, exercise room, and of course, the gaming.

For me, I’d stay at the Inn at Mystic, and if I had a huge desire for gaming, I would drive over to the casino – it’s about 30 minutes from Mystic.

Play Mystic for me, and play it over and over…

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