Great Destinations

Mystic, Connecticut

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DESTINATIONS
Newport, RI
Providence, RI
Boston, MA
Cape Cod, MA
White Mountains, NH
Champlain Valley, VT
Mount Desert Island, ME

Here, jammed within the borders of this region of southeastern Connecticut, lies the center of the country's nautical past. From its early days as a shipbuilding hub during the nation's infancy, to its later status as the Submarine Capital of America, Mystic and the surrounding region offer an unmatched salty-air slice of New England history.

The U.S. Navy's Submarine Force Museum in Groton is a popular stop, as is Mystic Seaport and the Museum of America and the Sea -- keepers of the largest collection of boats and sea-related photography in the U.S. It's there that you can marvel at a re-created 19th-century New England whaling village or explore the Charles W. Morgan, the last surviving American wooden sailing whale ship.

Maritime history not your thing? Don't worry, there's still plenty for you to enjoy in the area. Go see beluga whales and harbor seals splash about at the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration's "Alaska Coast" exhibit, or, for something a bit more land-based, fill your glass with a fine Chardonnay on Connecticut's Wine Trail, or hop on Route 117 and drive your tired muscles over to The Spa at Norwich Inn.

And then there are the newest and biggest additions to the New England tourism industry: the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Resort Casinos. With their restaurants, shops, shows, and big-name draws that include Michael Jordan, Jasper White, and Tony Bennett, these gambling palaces rival anything you'll find in Vegas. At Foxwoods, the world's largest casino, there's the added bonus of the nearby Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, a state-of-the-art facility with stunning dioramas and a re-created Pequot village.

Not bad for a small wedge of land in the nation's third-smallest state. It's in the Mystic region, after all, that Connecticut's reputation as the land of the suburbs goes, well, out to sea.