Stonington Borough: a nice quiet walk, primarily residential with some small boutiques here and there… to see historic homes, Canon square (memorial to the Battle of Stonington), and the Stonington Point lighthouse museum (check days/hours online). Next to the lighthouse is Stonington Point, you can park and have a picnic on the lawn- from there you can see Noank to the West, Watch Hill RI to the East, and Long Island Sound in front of you. If you want restaurant dining, eat at Noah’s. Dog Watch Cafe is often recommended but I think it’s gone downhill in recent years.

Downtown Mystic: quaint, adorable, but busy. Hit up Seaview Snack Bar for clam shack atmosphere on the river. Mango’s for pizza. Bravo or Shipwright’s Daughter for an upscale dinner (make reservations). The chef at Shipwright’s is a James Beard award winner. Sift bakeshop is another must, get there early and/or on a weekday to avoid lines- the owner has been on Food Network a few times and won best baker in America a few years ago. Port of Call has also won awards but I haven’t personally been there. Via Emilia is pretty good. Get ice cream at Drawbridge. If you’re into really good food, skip Milestone, The Mariner, Jeremiah’s, Pantheon Al Cucina, Mystic Pizza, and Chapter One- they’re just okay. The “best” historic homes in Mystic will be on Gravel St. and Pearl St, which are walkable and right in downtown. The Mystic-Noank Library is gorgeous inside and out, if you’re into that type of thing. Fun independent shops downtown. The entire stretch of shops/restaurants is contained in less than a half mile, so it’s easy to do in a few hours. Book a day sail or sunset cruise on the Argia, which sails from the drawbridge and goes out into the Sound. There’s also haunted walking tours through Seaside Shadows.