Esmé's school took a hiatus recently so we decided to get the H out of Dodge and see a little more of the world. Our horizon broadening took us as far as Mystic, CT where an impressive aquarium, quaint downtown and a little living history, not to mention a hotel avec indoor pool guaranteed us some family fun.
K and I visited Mystic some years ago. It was during that era where we could wake (on our own volition) some random Saturday, linger over breakfast and then and only then decide how we might fill that bottomless chasm of free time that lay open before us. Road trip! And why not? There were no naps to juggle, snack times to manage, bedtimes to honor. We were living large. We were going to Mystic.
Three hours later we found ourselves rather underwhelmed by the boaty little hamlet. It was damp. A little tattered. And a bit too eager to cash in on its Mystic Pizza, five-minutes of infamy. Skipping the pizza we had some lack-luster chowder at a place called Bartleby's. We decided to skip the Seaport Museum, a crucial mistake in hindsight. And after wandering around the waterfront we hopped back in the car and onto 95 for the trip back home. If only our future selves could have convened with our former selves, we would have at least insisted we squander a little of that pre-baby freedom at Foxwoods.
Anyway, we decided to give it another go, and I'm so glad we did. Esmé particularly enjoyed herself, so much so that she's planned a return trip that includes her cousins. She's all packed and ready to go.
The town itself is much improved and down-right quaint. Bartleby's is still there, but appears to have received the Gordon Ramsey treatment. The aquarium was impressive with Beluga whales, lots of playful seals and more. You'll notice we didn't take a single picture there. It was a madhouse. The February vacation brought throngs of kids and managing our two in a darkened museum with a labyrinthian floor plan was about enough for us to handle. The Seaport Museum was even more impressive and had, in anticipation of the break, prepared a host of activities from crafts to demonstrations of games from way-back when. Esmé was particularly taken with the whole living history scene. She visited the printshop where she was able to operate the press. Learned about the art of coopering. Explored some boats including an old whaling ship! A side trip to Stonington proved worthwhile with its charming lighthouse-- I swear we could have been on the Irish coast.
Oh and the pool? I think the Sound would have been balmier. The seal tank warmer. Esmé didn't seem to notice. But Esmé can't swim unassisted so we took turns just grinning and bearing it while chaperoning her from the chilly end to the even chillier end. Theo, on the other hand, demonstrated much greater presence of mind. He didn't get any further than one big toe and spent the duration poolside on a lounge, swaddled in a towel and in the arms of the more fortunate parent.
