Enough to do ??

We ( 2 adults) are planning our 2007 USA visit and were thinking of spending approx 5 days in Mystic. Is there enough to do and see, or is 5 days stretching it a bit. We will have a car .

Can the Hamptons be visited from Mystic and if so, how long does the ferry take ??

Enough to do ??

Not sure about the Hamptons or if the ferry from New London goes there - However, you can take the ferry from New London or Point Judith, RI (about 1/2 hour or so drive) to Block Island, which is beautiful to visit. You can also drive from Mystic to Newport, RI in about half an hour - tour the Mansions, do some shopping. Watch Hill, RI is another quaint community close by - There are two casinos near to Mystic, and most hotels will provide shuttle service -

There is also a wonderful Indian Museum, and lots of antique shops.

I think you will find plenty to do and have a nice trip - Mystic is a good base location that enables you to explore several areas.

Enough to do ??

I am headed to Mystic this Friday with my 11 year old - I will try and remember to get back to you after Monday, 1/1 when we return. I am sure he will keep me running around the whole time we are there, so I should get a pretty good sampling of all there is to do!

I think 5 days in Mystic is definitely stretching it. Don%26#39;t know how many times you%26#39;ve been to the northeast. Boston is only about

1-1/2 - 2 hours away from Mystic; Newport 45 minutes to an hour.

I encourage you to split the time between two places. While there is no ferry service from the Hamptons (which is on the south/ocean side of Long Island), you might want to research the Nork Fork of Long Island - which is across the Sound from CT. There are some nice towns (Greenport, Cutchogue, Jamestown, etc.) that you can visit and lots of very good wineries on the North Fork of L.I. Ferry service will take you about an hour and a half from Orient Point (LI) to New London (CT)

Good luck!.

Ok, back from Mystic. If you are looking for rest and relaxation, 5 days will get you that. I don%26#39;t think there are enough activities to do right in Mystic for five days, but with a car you could do a couple of day trips. We went to Jamestown, wanted to go over to Newport but once I saw the bridge - NO WAY! Anyone who has a bridge-phobia like I do will understand. Due to the time of year there was no ferry service, so that was disappointing. As far as going up to Boston, definately do-able, but not if you get intimidating by driving. Very heavy traffic, and if you are not used to it or used to our driving, it may not be fun.

We really enjoyed a half-day going to Rhode Island, driving around Watch Hill was incredible, the houses was so unique. We also went to the beach in Jamestown, you could spend hours there walking.

Mystic itself was very charming and we ate in town several times and walked around in the evening- but the stores do close early, again, may be due to the time of year.

You may have many more opportunities available to you, I think our timing afforded us far fewer crowds, but also fewer options on activities.

Have fun!

Thanks to all for your thoughts.

Last year we were in Boston, Newport and Cape Cod so Mystic looked like a good bet to further our USA experience. On arrival at Boston we are planning to head up to Ogunquit for 4/5 nights beforedriving down to Mystic and then spend either 1or 2 nights in Boston before flying home. I%26#39;ll have another look at Mystic area on line, but my wife really liked the look of Block Island for a day visit.

Here is a silly question, ---- How long would it take to drive to Washington DC from Mystic ?

Washington DC is at a minimum a six hour drive from Mystic -- of course that depends on traffic and your own driving style.

In regard to your larger question there is a lot to do within an hour or two of Mystic so it would be a good enough base for five days or so if you plan day trips. One thing to consider, though, is cost of lodging. You are paying a premium to be in Mystic so if you are going to be traveling from there a lot it might pay to be someplace less expensive. I don%26#39;t think there is five days worth of stuff for a tourist in Mystic per se. We live about twenty minutes away and are having someone stay with us for a week this summer, and we are wracking our brains to figure out a week%26#39;s worth of activities.

Hi! 5 days is plenty and there is plenty to do. If you want to head to the hamptons on LI for some other days the Ferry from New London goes to Orient Pt, drive from there through Sag Harbor (nice town) and down to East Hampton etc... The ferry goes several times per day.

While in greater Mystic I would suggest the following:

Downtown Mystic %26amp; Noank

Mystic Seaport %26amp; Village

Stonington Borough- 18th c. seaside village with shops, cafes etc...

Essex (about 30 mins from Mystic) on RT 9. 18th c village with shops, cafes, etc...

New London- brie %26amp; bleu for lunch, wine %26amp; spirits for a nice tour

Old Saybrook - shops, Cornfield PT( Katherine Hepburn home etc...)

Plenty to do... Casino%26#39;s, boat tours, lazy New England days etc...

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Great list, Brynulf. I would add a few more things:

Westerly and Watch Hill Rhode Island are both only a few miles east of Stonington village.

Also, there are two major casinos in the area -- Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun. Most folks I have asked perfer the second one. It is about 20 minutes north of Mystic (Take I-95 south to I395 north and follow the signs.) Even if you have no intention of gambling, the place is a sight to see. There is a large area of shops, restaurants and you can sometimes see the entertainment in Wolf Den from the casino floor. They have nationally known acts in the Sun Arena (folks like James Taylor, Eric Clapton, etc).

If you want to see some more rural New England, take a day and drive up I-395 to Woodstock and Pomfret. They are very pretty and will the green farmland with stone walls will complement the pretty seascapes you will see around Mystic.