To borrow a famous quote, Mystic, Conn., isn’t exactly a town, it’s a state of mind. The municipality actually sits on the Mystic River, with the towns of Groton on the west and Stonington to the east.
And no, it’s not the Mystic River from the Oscar-winning crime drama—that’s in Massachusetts. This was the setting for the film Mystic Pizza, which launched the careers of a young Julia Roberts and an even younger Matt Damon.
Legend has it that Los Angeles screenwriter Amy Jones was summering in the area and grew infatuated with the actual Mystic Pizza restaurant. Jones ended up writing a movie around the pizza parlor and the waitresses who worked there, and film crews soon descended on the area, shooting in various locations. The original eatery is still a favorite tourist stop on Main Street.
But that’s just Hollywood. The lure of this area begins with the sea. For hundreds of years, Mystic and the surrounding region built ships and boats from its centrally located shipyards. At one time this was the most important harbor in North America, producing over 600 ships, and later submarines.
The nation’s maritime history lives on via the reconstructed 19th century Mystic Seaport village and the world’s largest collection of ships and boats. And the Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration displays deep-sea discoveries as well as an impressive display of beluga whales cavorting about in a one-acre setting.
Yankee heritage lives on via quaint villages and towns, historical buildings and museums, and the friendly spirit of a people who have been living here since the 1600s. Scenic farm roads can lead you everywhere from a world-class spa to balloon rides, a pick-your-own blueberry orchard, a wagon ride through a working bison farm, or a glass of fine chardonnay along Connecticut’s Wine Trail.
Mystic also continues to foster a great cultural and artistic tradition for New England. The acclaimed Lyme Art Colony organized here in 1899 and became a beacon for America’s Impressionist painting movement. The Florence Griswold Museum spans 11 acres along the Lieutenant River, and the original house has reopened as a country retreat for artists.
A multitude of galleries and museums dot the landscape on both sides of the river, showcasing works from national as well as local artists and artisans. And recently restored to the tune of $15 million, the beautiful Garde Arts Center brings a full calendar of music, opera, film festivals, and Broadway shows to the community.
The newest and biggest additions to the local travel industry, the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Resort casinos, sit just eight miles from each other in the woods of southeastern Connecticut. Like the original Las Vegas, this newest Vegas of the Northeast spares no expense in its quest to provide the utmost in gaming and headliner entertainment.
Foxwoods, the world’s largest casino, is actually a complex of eight casinos, including the new MGM Grand, and boasts twice as many slot machines as the entire population of Mystic. Visitors can also stop at the nearby Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center and learn about the early history of the region’s first inhabitants.
The Mohegan Sun may be a tad smaller than Foxwoods, but is no less awe-inspiring. A seven-story indoor waterfall serenades diners at Chahnameed’s Island restaurant, and the jaw-dropping Wombi Rock, a glowing three-story crystal mountain made of imported stone, serves as the focal point of the Mohegan’s main casino.
From the shining sea to singing slots, Mystic is one pizza planners can sink their teeth into.
