A weekend in quaint MYSTIC, CT. New England charm right on the water.....
We grew up spending a lot of time in the summers on the Long Island Sound but hadn't had the chance to really explore the mainland and Mystic in particular til last weekend when a friend got married. What a cute little town with loads of history to boot!
Arriving late Friday from NYC, we pulled in to the B&B we were staying at for the weekend-- House of 1883. Described as a Greek Revival, the columns that greeted us were in line with that. The sweet older gentleman, Robert, who is one half of the duo who owns and runs the place-- walked us around the antique filled (stuffed, rather) common parlors and into our room, the Peach Room. We liked the Peach Room, one of the least expensive rooms at $175/night because it's on the first floor away from other rooms and has a porch and private entrance.
We enjoyed our time at the inn, but it's not for everyone. Anyone overwhelmed with clutter or a slightly musty smell that comes with rooms full of antiques and lots of rugs, will not do well here. It was almost too much for us, but we loved the carved Balinese bed and other treasures Robert and Evan, his partner, had seemingly collected from their world travels. They could use an editor perhaps... They were such sweethearts and we felt like we were staying at a heartwarming, slightly eccentric great uncle's house. They also have a pool on the property amidst lovely gardens -- it wasn't open for our stay and way too chilly anyway, but would be nice in the summer. All in all the House of 1883 is a good value for the area, just weigh the above concerns.
Because we had been slammed in Friday evening traffic-- all of New York seemingly needing to get away at once-- we arrived starving and rather late. Happily S&P Oyster Company in the heart of Mystic and right on the water serves until 10:30pm! This is a perfect spot-- cozy ambiance with huge windows opening up to the river, a friendly staff, and good food. Ideal location for a glass of wine and steamers or a seafood pasta....
After dinner we met some friends from the wedding party just across the street at the Riverwalk. They have a gigantic wraparound bar and had a one man band strumming.... Not a wild or fantastic bar scene, but a good place to gather with a group of friends as there's plenty of room and it's convenient.
The next morning after breakfast at the Inn which was tasty but not light, we went for a jog around Old Mystic where House of 1883 is located (a two minute drive from Mystic). It was beautiful -- tons of forest and the little town of Old Mystic is beyond charming with gorgeous clapboard houses painted all different colors and most of them bearing a white sign decreeing the original owner's name, the year the home was built and their profession. We spied a hatmaker, a sieve maker, a farmer, a banker and a merchant amongst others.
For lunch we headed into Mystic and had a delicious lunch at Bravo Bravo, catty-corner to S&P Oyster Co. This was the best food we had all weekend-- the lobster roll was heaven, an elegant and refined version, and the salmon salad perfectly cooked. We also appreciated the chic minimalist decor- a nice break from the usual New England nautical or old school antiques-- just serene whites and with pale wood and black and white photographs.
After lunch we browsed a few shops and were pleasantly surprised. A few stand outs-- Webster Road is a well edited chic boutique selling housewares and gifts; Posh is a cute little shop selling bath and beauty products as well as some gorgeous pajamas and robes; and Comina offers housewares with an international feeling.
It was time to race back to the inn to primp for the wedding which was stunning at the Mystic Seaport-- definitely worth a visit.
After a raucous and fun wedding, the next morning we had time for a hangover curing breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheese and herbs at Kitchen Little right on the river....
Can't wait to get back to the Long Island Sound later this summer!
