By Grace Papa
Calling all North Easterners! Whether you’re bored this summer or visiting someone on the East Coast and need a cute place to visit, I highly recommend the quaint town of Mystic, Connecticut. With its superb restaurants, unique attractions, and a main street lined with cute shops, Mystic makes for a fun, relaxing trip. I visited over spring break with my best friend from home and I’m here to share my key takeaways, recommendations, and advice!
SHOPS
If you are a shopaholic or just enjoy aimlessly browsing stores, West Main Street is the place to be. With a beautiful florist shop and extensive book store, there is always something to explore. Some of my favorites were La Cote, which had crystals, rock soaps, and home decor, Rochelle’s Boutique which had hair clips, hats, bags, and clothes organized by color and featured popular brands such as Free People. Definitely on the pricier side but super cute to look around and get inspo! I spent the most time in Hang the Moon which had super niche things that catered to everyone—a section for cat lovers, wine lovers, Betty White lovers, you name it! My favorite store, however, was down an alley off of West Main: it was the coolest record store I’ve ever seen. There were album covers hanging from the ceiling, old radios and cassettes, and endless bins of full-size records ranging from The Beach Boys to Mac Miller. They were also blaring music and everyone in the store was dancing; the vibes were immaculate to say the least.
FOOD
One of the biggest attractions in Mystic is Mystic Pizza. The 1988 film called Mystic Pizza starring Julia Roberts is based on this restaurant, which makes it as popular as it is. The walls inside are covered with scenes from the movie, neon signs and there is even a nostalgic penny flattening machine. For apps, we got the fried pickles and jalapeno poppers—both were to die, for, however, the pizza, not so much. Maybe I got too excited with the toppings or maybe I just have top notch pizza taste being from New Jersey, but this pizza was definitely not great. But it’s more about the experience, right?
Another great place is the Mystic Diner, which I was hesitant to go to at first (because you can get diner food anywhere) but I was actually pleasantly surprised. A short stack of chocolate chip pancakes at 9 pm, say less! It was the perfect late night spot since a lot of places aren't open very late in this area. The staff was so friendly and they even had cute merch! We ended up getting milkshakes to-go and drank them back at the hotel while we watched a movie. A great way to end the night if you ask me!
In the morning, we visited Li’s Bake Shop where we picked up everything bagels with cream cheese. Again, being from New Jersey, my bagel standards are very high, but these are Grace Approved™. The bagel to cream cheese ratio was superb…well done Li. After we picked up bagels, we brought them to Mystic River Park where we sat on the water to eat. If it’s a nice day out, I highly recommend sitting on the water and watching the boats go by!
ATTRACTIONS
Mystic’s big attraction is the Mystic Aquarium which I was eager to visit after constantly seeing their videos pop up on my FYP. If I’m being honest, it was slightly underwhelming…or maybe it’s just because I'm almost 20 and have been to plenty of better aquariums in my time. However, if you’re lucky enough to be visiting when there’s a sea lion show going on, it is well worth it! And I have to admit, I spent a lot of time admiring the beluga whales. Conveniently, next to the aquarium is Olde Mistick Village which has even more shops and restaurants. There’s a toy store, chocolate store, Scandinavian gift shop, a cinema, pet store, and so much more! If you’re hungry, there’s Mango’s wood-fired pizza, a European tavern called Jealous Monk, and Pink Basil which serves Asian dishes.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Overall, Mystic is a great place to go for a girl’s trip, solo getaway, or family vacation. It’s something different and not really heard of! If you’re not into shopping or don’t have the funds to eat out, there’s no shame in visiting just for the aesthetic. Plus, it makes for some great Instagram pictures.