Leaving the luxury Normandy Farms RV Park, we drove to Connecticut and checked into the Mystic KOA. What a difference…the KOA was a family campground and there were lots of family’s settled in for the holdiay weekend. There were Class A Motorhomes, 5th wheels, pull behind trailers, pop-up tent trailers, EZ Ups, charcoal grills, smokers, propane grills, bicycles, scooters, lots of kids and dogs of all sizes.
As we set out for a quick tour of Mystic, we soon discovered that the campground is not really in Mystic, but, several miles away. But, it was situated near the Connecticut, Rhode Island borders, allowing us to do some day trips.
QUAINT COASTAL TOWN OF MYSTIC
I must admit that I really didn’t know anything about Mystic, CT other that what was portrayed in the movie, “Mystic Pizza”. As we drove through the town, we found it to be a traditional New England seaside village, complete with lovely shops, restaurants, and tourists. We secured a parking place and walked along the Mystic River Bascule Drawbridge into the historical downtown. After walking through town and a few shops, we walked back across the bridge to the riverfront. We saw several boats waiting for the drawbridge to open. We found a good viewing area and watched as the bridge opened to let the boats through.
MYSTIC RIVER DRAWBRIDGE – Built in 1922
This historic bridge spans the Mystic River and connects connecting the two sides of Mystic. It was exciting to see it in motion. The counterweights are not enclosed and we could see all of the moving parts as they raised and lowered the bridge. When the picturesque drawbridge rises( at 40 minutes after the hour), it halts traffic on both sides of this beautiful town for around 5 minutes before being lowered again.
Newport, RI
Newport is a beautiful seaside city that is famous for it mansions and rich history of yachting, golf and tennis.
I was anxious to make the drive to Newport and view those glamorous mansions…Ken not so much. Some of America’s most prominent families built eye-popping summer homes (cottages) along the waterfront. Since, we didn’t really want to take the time to do the individual mansion tours, I was satisfied with taking Ken’s private driving tour. With directions in hand, we drove past some of the Gilded Age mansions in awe. They were very difficult to photograph from the street, so, I don’t have good photos.
After viewing the mansions, we continued on to the Ocean Drive. The 10 mile drive was a winding road with coastal scenery, stunning homes, and expansive water views. Spectacular!
Along the way we stopped at Brenton Point State Park. The park,located at the point of land where Narragansett Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. In ghe grassy are we saw several kites flying in the ocean wind.
Another fun sight was the small colorful “vehicles” buzzing up and down the ocean drive. Obviously, they were rentals but we didn’t find the rental shop.
After we completed the Ocean Drive, we set out to locate historic mansion, The Breakers. I walked through the gate and took a few photos. It was a very crowded place!
Next stop – Mystic Pizza
MYSTIC PIZZA
Never did I imagine a New England road trip would have me hunting down pizza, but stopping at Mystic Pizza was a MUST in my eyes. It is the iconic restaurant that inspired the 1988 film, ‘Mystic Pizza’. We waited in line outside in front of the restaurant for about 30 minutes before being seated. Inside, the restaurant is chock full of memorabilia from the movie and local area. We could even watch the “Mystic Pizza” movie from our table. We ordered the House Special pizza and a special beer supposedly made to compliment their pizza. I must say that it was worth waiting in line because the pizza really was “A Slice of Heaven”!
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