The Ultimate Groton Bucket List

OK OK, all of you Groton haters can take a breath. Whether or not you see this duty station as “rotten,” (we have a blog post for that), my husband and I like to make “bucket lists” for every place we live. Before we PCS and say goodbye to New England, I wanted to compile a list of my favorite things and what I would suggest to anyone who lands here.

So whether you’ve been stationed here for years or perhaps Groton is on the horizon, here’s a list to save for a “salty” day:

FOOD & DRINK

• Try lobster rolls at Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock, Abbots, Ford’s and Costello’s Clam Shack (maybe more?) and declare your favorite
• Eat the fried chicken dinner from Jealous Monk (only available on Wednesdays)
• Order all of the soft pretzels and dips from The Malted Barley in Westerly, then determine your favorite combo
• Go to Mystic Pizza, at least once so you can say you did
• Have a special date night in Mystic, spouses recommend Oyster Club, Bravo Bravo, Chapter One, Anthony J’s Bistro or Via Emila
• Try the gin and tonics at Shipwright’s Daughter, all named after seaport tall ships
• Meat lovers check out Flintstone Fridays at Engine Room
• During the fall try the cider donuts and hot cider from B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill
• Have dinner at Paul’s Pasta Shop, a Groton instutiton
• Eat all the carbs at Sift Bake Shop, and have a cocktail at their year-round rooftop bar
• Try all the donuts in town – Deviant Donuts, Young Buns Doughnuts, Flanders Donuts & Bake Shop
• Day trip to New Haven for the pizza, all the pizza
• Enjoy a cocktail on the outdoor patio at Red 36
• Go wine tasting at nearby wineries, including Maugle Sierra Vineyards, Stonington Vineyards, Saltwater Farm Vineyard, Jonathan Edwards Winery, Preston Ridge Vineyard, to name a few
• If you’re a big wino, check out the CT Wine Trail
• Taste local beers at Beer’d Brewing Co., Outer Light Brewing, Tox Brewing Company, Barley Head Brewing, Bank & Bridge, Niantic Public House & Brewery, Epicure Brewing, Grey Sail Brewing and more
• Eat ice cream from Mystic Drawbridge Island Cream while you walk across the Mystic Drawbridge
• Have a cocktail at The Port of Call and venture to their nautical basement bar, Dive
• Venture to the Stonington Farmers Market (Saturday mornings) for The Flour Shop bagels

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THINGS TO DO

• Go hiking at Bluff Point State Park, and other nearby trails like Lantern Hill, Haley Farm State Park, Devil’s Hopyard State Park
• Take the ferry to Block Island for the day
• Check out all the shops and seasonal events at Olde Mistick Village
• Go to Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport Museum
• Stroll through the Stonington Borough
• Pick-your-own fruit at Holmberg Orchards and do their wine maze in the fall
• Walk the Niantic Boardwalk
• If you have kids, take advantage of the Niantic Children’s Museum and Busy Bee’s Play Hive, or KidsPlay Museum in Torrington, CT
• Poke around local indpendent bookstores: Bank Square Books in Mystic and Book Barn in Niantic
• Go to Napatree Point in the shoulder season (dog-friendly!) and walk the beach until you find the abandoned military fort
• Attend the “Sunflowers for Wishes” festival in July at Buttonwood Farm (and wait in line for the ice cream, it’s worth it we promise)
• Walk around Yale and Brown campuses
• Grab dinner and see a show at Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods
• Go to NYC at least once
• Spend a long weekend in Boston
• Go to Cape Cod during the shoulder seasons
• Venture up to Maine and Acadia National Park
• Go visit Salem, Massachutes during October
• Take a day trip to Newport, Rhode Island: tour the mansions, hike the Cliff Walk, and take the scenic route on Ocean Drive

What did I miss? Comment below!