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
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!