A Day in Mystic, Connecticut
DATE IDEAS • TRAVEL
A Day in Mystic, Connecticut
We spent a day in the coastal town known for its pizza shop and maritime museum when we attended the annual Mystic Outdoor Art Festival!
We’ve taken to planning Date Days during which one of us picks a town in Connecticut, and we put together an itinerary of places to visit and events to attend in an effort to get to know our surrounding area and sneak in some cultural experiences.
What We Love About Mystic
This was our first time visiting Mystic, and it’s every bit as charming as Mystic Pizza led us to believe. This idyllic coastal town screams New England. And everyone was soaking in the beautiful summer day, whether on the water or along the riverwalk.
Our trip to Mystic coincided with the town’s annual Outdoor Art Festival — and we did need to zig and zag around a ton of people who were there for the festival. But we did walk away with some new art pieces for our home, so we were happy!
We’ll be back, but hopefully, on a less busy weekend.
Plan a Day in Mystic, CT
We lucked out with a beautiful weekend, so we wanted to spend as much time outdoors and along the water… and as we mapped out our itinerary, we realized our chosen date just happened to overlap with Mystic’s annual Outdoor Art Festival! The perfect excuse to take in some fresh air and explore the town, so this itinerary is catered to that event.
1015AM: Park at the Mystic Museum of Art ($25/day)
1030AM: Brunch at Popover Eatery
12PM: Catch the Mystic Seaport Express for a 30-minute cruise down the river to Mystic Seaport Museum
2PM: Stroll along the river for the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival
4PM: Grab a drink at the Oyster Club
5PM: Dinner at Mystic Pizza (Note: We ended up going earlier; see why below)
It’s a simple itinerary, but we maximized our outdoor time.
Where to Eat, Shop & Play in Mystic, CT
RESTAURANTS
We’re proud to say we travel for food as much as adventure — seeking out the best hole-in-the-walls and Michelin Star restaurants.
But with Victoria’s allergies and dietary restrictions, we’re extra cautious about where we eat. We contact restaurants, triple check online menus, and make reservations for as many meals as we can to ensure we have a safe meal plan for every adventure.
The following restaurants confirmed they were gluten-friendly, completely gluten-free, or could safely accommodate a gluten-free / celiac diet, but we encourage you to do your own due diligence before dining at any of these establishments to confirm they can safely meet your needs.
Mystic Pizza
This is the famous restaurant featured in the movie Mystic Pizza, starring Julia Roberts. And while it’s known for its regular pizza, we also need to applaud its gluten-free crust because it was delicious! For those who want to eat here, it should come as no surprise that everyone else has this stop on their itinerary, so we recommend going just after peak hours for quick seating. We went just before 3pm and we were seated right away. But there was already a wait starting up again on our way out.
Our Rating: 4.5/5
Oyster Club
This immediately made it on our list when we saw the Treehouse — the Club’s indoor/outdoor oasis above the Mystic River. It’s the perfect combination of refreshing treats with a view. Snag a reservation on Resy ahead of time, especially if you’re anticipating good weather!
Our Rating: 4/5
Popover Eatery
A must for our gluten-free friends. We visited this spot based on recommendations on FindMeGlutenFree and it did not disappoint! We recommend you “Join the Waitlist” on their site while you’re on your way (especially on a summer weekend) because there was a wait for a table. Alternatively, you can just order food to-go and snag one of their outdoor tables, if you consider yourself lucky. The menu was clearly marked with gluten-free options and we even met a family with children who confirmed it was both kid-friendly and celiac-safe.
Our Rating: 5/5
SHOPS
With the convenience of online shopping and a long-list of go-to brands, when it comes to in-person shopping, we prioritize mom-and-pop shops, spectacular service, and one-of-a-kind finds. You may not always find something you’ll purchase, but we hope you’ll enjoy these shops regardless.
Mystic Outdoor Art Festival
This is a one-weekend event held in the town in August — keep an eye out for an announcement to plan your trip around this event, if you’re shopping for some art. The artists’ tents line the riverwalk from the Seaport Museum all the way back to downtown, which makes it a lovely walk on a beautiful day.
Note: This event brings in over 100k people over the course of the weekend, so plan for an early arrival and consider your route to avoid traffic (because it did get quite congested around the downtown area).
Our Rating: 4/5
PLAY
Part of the fun of exploring a new place is finding events and/or cultural mainstays that are enjoyable for all ages, personalities and interests. We’ll always prioritize affordable (aka free) and outdoor events because we believe that these experiences should be available to everyone.
Mystic Aquarium
Everyone runs to the aquarium when heading to Mystic, but we after some research, we found that it’s really better suited for families with young children. So we skipped it this time around, especially because of the steep price for a ticket. That said, do plan ahead. We did notice that ticket costs rose the closer we got to the date we were eyeing. When we looked a month-out, adult tickets were in the low $30s, but were closer to $50 the week-of! Commit, if you want it on your itinerary.
Our Rating: TBD/5
Mystic Seaport Museum
Plan your visit to the Museum for a clear day because this isn’t your run-of-the-mill single-building museum — it’s a full-on campus with multiple ships you can board, an old-fashioned town with shops you can explore, and a riverside walk you can stroll. The best part? They even have river cruises you can take, if you want to go all-in on the aquatic experience. Our recommendation? Park downtown and take the Mystic Seaport Express which gets you on the water with a mini-tour of the river and ships while it shuttles you to the museum (admission is included).
Our Rating: 4/5
Until our next chapter!
xo, James & Victoria
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