Tucker Family Trip- Adventure to NYC, Mystic CT, and T. Swift’s Holiday House
Nostalgia is in, re-creating core summer memories from childhood is fueling how we spend our time off whether at home catching fireflies, catching a movie at Haars Drive In, or on our most recent family roadtrip to Mystic CT, aka the setting for the iconically 80’s movie, “Mystic Pizza.”
To break up the 6-hour drive to CT we decided to make a weekend-stop in NYC. Here’s what we did there!
-Stayed across the river in New Jersey and took the train into Penn Station.
-Watched great street-performers and billboards in Times Square
-The kids sampled their first NY Pizza and bagels
-Explored Dumbo and the Brooklyn Flea Market
-Drove along the waterfront
-Visited Pow! Kids Books.
Onward to Ct, about 3.5 hours farther north, the destination of Mystic was chosen by Heidi’s Aunt for its feature in the Hallmark movie- “Mystic Christmas.” It’s no surprise it’s been the inspiration for multiple films with its quaint new-england village vibe, historic homes lining main street, and a drawbridge to boot. We explored fun shops and restaurants downtown and found there were options for everyone in our extended family!
Our favorite spots were-
-Toast and Tonic in Mystic for breakfast
-Mariner in downtown Mystic for dinner- their swordfish dinner is delicious!
-Stick & Fin in Westerly Rhode Island-” a coastal cafe” with coffee, cold-pressed juice, etc.
-High Tide in Westerly, Rhode Island- you can make your own smoothie or choose to order from their good-for-you-food menu- similar vibes to Tucker & Co.
- We also squeezed in some thrifting at Pennywise and Adventure Mystic (we found used snowboarding gear!)- both downtown.
Toast & Tonic, I had the breakfast skillet, Stick & Fin in Westerly Rhode Island I had the Turrono juice, and our whole family ate at Mariner in downtown Mystic for dinner, I had the swordfish dinner so good. And High Tide in Westerly, RI I made my own smoothie, but their shop does super good for you drinks and food with a similar vibe to Tucker&Co. Also we thrifted at Pennywise in Mystic. And bought used snowboarding gear for Isaac and the kids at Adventure Mystic also in downtown Mystic.
To have a quintessential new england beach day, we drove 30 minutes North to Rhode Island, opting for public beaches- keep in mind you’ll need to pay to park! Before heading home, Jane absolutely insisted on a drive-by of “Holiday House” owned by Taylor Swift and the inspiration for her folklore-era song, “The Last Great American Dynasty.” Sitting back from the road with spectacular views of the water, the Watch Hill, Rhode Island property is conveniently located on a 10 MPH- street, perfect for taking it all in.
Being close enough for a weekend road trip, but far enough away to feel transported to another scene entirely, the atlantic ocean, saltbox houses, and quaint downtowns await your visit to New England!