A whimsical mother/daughter journey in search of a real-life equivalent to the small town in Connecticut from the beloved TV show, Gilmore Girls. Though Stars Hollow only exists in the show, we are dedicated to creating our own Gilmore-esque adventure!
The Seaport Museum was worthy of a two-day sojourn alone, but these Jersey GG Fans
needed to ration our time wisely this trip. Next time, we will learn more.
We arrived in Connecticut yesterday, so the festivities have begun in search of its irrepressible New England charm. Our hotel, at first glance is not unlike the Dragonfly Inn, yet it is about 90 minutes away on the coast in Mystic. We were warmly greeted at the reception desk by the manager, and headed up to the room to change into swimsuits for a relaxing soak in the hot tub.
A cocktail reception and a family style buffet dinner was waiting for us in the concierge lounge! Thank goodness, because we were famished. We ate chicken with vegetables, and chatted wth the other guests. We also overheard an older couple discussing visiting the Seaport, and how much they loved discovering new places together. Cute older couples also seem to glean the best vital info, especially about things like when the servers put out the good desserts. Eavesdropping is kind of like the old school Facebook trolling. Maybe that is when I lost track of my purse.
The server saved the day by putting it aside for me to pick up later. Way to go, Mom!
After we changed out of our traveling clothes, we headed to a quintessential seaport village called Mystic, complete with a drawbridge.
I liked the way the drawbridge looked from the angle.
The Whalers Inn was a beautifully restored building in town.
Across the street, we saw a lighthouse in town.
What a lovely night for a stroll.
The town was in twilight as we windowshopped, and gazed into the restaurant entrances which were bedazzled with twinkly lights, and flanked by trees wrapped in white lights. Most clothing, antique and gallery shops closed earlier, so if you want a souvenir you need to come in to town before 6pm. We would easily imagine the Gilmores meeting at one of these upscale shops or sharing a slice and a beer or iced tea in Mystic. It is about two hours from Washington Depot, so this would be nice day trip for them or anyone who likes whaling ships, seaport museums, drawbridges, ice cream and pizza.
Don't have a thing to wear?
Well, now you can dress the part, thanks to the shops at Mystic.
We came to see one place in particular. Mystic Pizza, the inspiration for the movie starring Julia Roberts. My son Kyle is a huge Julia fan, so this excursion was an homage to Miss Roberts and her longtime admirer. (Kyle is Ellie's twin brother. It is always a pleasure to see them talk together, especially after an extended absence. He just happens to have autism, which keeps our lives exciting and also helps us to appreciate extra unique mother/daughter travel experiences like this one!)
There is another pizza place in town, called Pizzetta, among many other enjoyable eating establishments. Both offer gluten free pizza, which made me smile. We passed restaurants and bars with chalkboard sandwich boards boasting margaritas and sangria, as well as craft beers.
Store front were smartly adorned in anchors, lobsters and whales. The themes are happily inescapable.
What drew us here ended up being less important than the town itself. It struck me that I had been here about 25 years ago, remembering only the seaport with my dad, LaQuay, who was an avid fisherman. The Seaport is so much more interactive and family friendly these days. Lots of ongoing renovations of old structures, ample and inviting wooden benches and delightful windowboxes overflowing with bright seasonal blooms. We even took a photo in the same area where we once sat with my dad.
The anchors seem to be everywhere, not just on the clothing.
And they are larger than life.
Now, I purposefully took in the neighborhood, and its surroundings with new eyes alongside my daughter and sister, who briefly worked and lived in Naugatuck, CT in the 90's. Everything from the shops to the beautiful bridge brought delight to the stroll down East Main Street. We took cell phone photos galore, until we could not see anymore. It was a peaceful, joyful night!
Sunsets on the Seaport are just what we were "weighting" for.
Dianne let us take her photo for a change.
The docks were safe harbor for the beautiful ships which sailed tourists all day long.
I really enjoyed seeing these seaport houses refurbished complete with colorful windowboxes.
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