Our summer trip to Mystic, CT

While we did not originally have a trip to Connecticut planned for this summer, time on our favorite shoreline never disappoints. We’ll file this whole vacation under COVID silver linings :) Our 2020 trip looked a bit different than past years, even beyond mask wearing and hand sanitizer – as our last two trips were both for friends’ weddings, and were co-scheduled with Natalie and Joe. While there were no big events or cousins this time around, we made the best of it. Here are a few photos, if you’d like to see!

Naturally, much of our time was spent outdoors. We hiked at Avery Preserve, Candlewood Ridge, and Bluff Point (where we hunted for hermit crabs, a favorite from John’s childhood! Octonaut June was enthused.). That top picture is especially sweet to me – my father-in-law enthusiastically met the playmate needs of two children who had gone for months without much social interaction at all, and his and June’s bond was really cemented, I think.

It was an unusually warm week while we visited, so we spent lots of time cooling off at the beach and in the pool! Though the pool was a balmy 92 degrees, so cooling off was a relative term :)

And OF COURSE we spent plenty of time in Mystic, including repeat visits to Sift, MDI, and the brand-new Young Buns Doughnuts, which opened the week we were there! We scooted out to Noank, too :)

A major highlight: my in-laws’ driveway being re-paved. This involved lots of “big trucks,” with Shep is quite predictably ob-sessed with at the moment.

To indulge the other child, we also spent the morning at my family’s horse farm, where we scrambled around in the (400-year-old?) hay loft and pet a few noses.

My highlight? Celebrating Shep’s second birthday at one of our favorite parks, with all four grandparents. It was the most beautiful night, with yummy takeout from Mystic Market, wading at the beach, bubbles, and birthday presents.

We set up under this magnificent tree:

Dreamy, no? And here is the sweet birthday boy, gazing at his four beloved grandparents singing happy birthday to him.

Let’s zero in on that dessert for a minute, though, shall we? Hmm. Doesn’t look quite right, does it?

Indeed it is not.

We had carefully ordered a fruit tart from Sift, carefully toted it ever so delicately to the park… only to have the bakery box inadvertently tipped completely upside down by an unaware grandparent :) So, we stuck a candle in a pile of cream and tart and berries and glaze, which was less than nothing to look at but tasted exquisite. The birthday boy did not care one bit :)

Here is the tart before it met its demise, so you can fully appreciate the artistry!

It was a beautiful night and a lovely trip, made more precious by the fact that we’re not exactly sure when we’ll next see each other again, thanks to COVID and increased preschool exposure. Praying it is sooner than we can imagine!

More Connecticut trips here and here.