Mad for Mystic

A few years ago, the bestie and I embarked on a trip to New England. We drove up to Connecticut, through Rhode Island, and then onto Boston. I'd never been farther North than New York, so I really enjoyed seeing that part of the country. As much as I loved Boston and Newport, in my opinion, the prettiest city we visited was Mystic, Connecticut.

It's the quintessential New England port city. It's not too big and not too small. And for someone who grew up outside of Annapolis, I felt right at home around all the boats and cute little shops. I just knew one day I'd go back and show off the town I'd fallen for.

I was excited to return this past summer and on this trip, I was the tour guide and was able to show off what I love so much about Mystic.  Though, I'm not sure what that exactly is. 

 

It may be the boats in the harbor, all coming and going in and out of the waterway. It may be the super cool drawbridge in the center of town, that due to a feat of engineering goes up and down every hour just to show off exactly how amazing its engineering really is. It may be the shops up and down Main Street full of nautical-themed items, as well as all sorts of beautiful handmade knick-knacks. It may be Bank Square Books, which is the coolest Indie bookstore I've ever seen. It may be the ridiculous access to all things seafood - lobsters, crab legs, and clams, oh my!

Or it may be a combination of all those things coming together to create a wonderfully sweet seaport. Any way you look at it, Mystic has a little something for everyone. And it's perfect for a long weekend or a summer escape. Note the emphasis on summer - because as beautiful as it is in July, I can't imagine I'd be sharing the same idyllic thoughts if I'd have visited in January...