This past week Emma and I checked off yet another thing on our summer 2023 bucket list– a trip to a coastal CT town! If you’re looking for an action-packed, quick and easy overnight trip this summer, look no further than Mystic, Connecticut. Emma and I have you covered with our 24 hour itinerary in Mystic, CT! Keep scrolling for where to stay, where to eat, and things to do!

Keep Scrolling For Our 24 Hour Itinerary
in Mystic, CT!

Our Thursday Itinerary – Arrived in Mystic around 3:00pm

Where To Stay: The Whaler’s Inn // Mystic, CT + DISCOUNT CODE!!

A huge thank you to The Whaler’s Inn for hosting us for 1 night! As always, all opinions are 100% our own! The Whaler’s Inn is located right in the heart of Mystic, CT. In fact, our room had views of the famous Mystic River Bascule Drawbridge, which was so cool to get to watch out our window! The entire inn has a simply sophisticated nautical feel that perfectly encapsulates Mystic’s river-town vibe. From the moment we arrived to when we checked out, we were surrounded by friendly, helpful staff.

Use code: LOPL15 for 15% off your midweek stay (Mon-Thurs) now through September 29th (Labor Day not included).

Our spacious room featured a very comfy king-sized bed, a built-in desk to get some work done, great views, a cozy gas fireplace that Emma turned on before bed (even though it was 80+ degrees out!!), and our bathroom had luxurious amenities with a jetted soaking tub and rainfall shower head!

I’d be remiss to not mention how inviting their nautical-inspired lobby is! Stocked with coffee, ice water, and freshly-baked cookies, it’s the perfect place to hang out if you’re looking to beat the mid-day heat for a little bit!

Don’t miss out! Use code: LOPL15 for 15% off your midweek stay (Mon-Thurs) at The Whaler’s Inn now through September 29th (Labor Day not included).

Where To Lunch: Red 36 // Mystic, CT

Dina from The Whaler’s Inn recommended we check out Red 36 for lunch and it did NOT disappoint! It should be no surprise at this point that our first stop in Mystic was a French fry snack.. which also ended up being our “linner”.. and lemme tell ya, our linner was a winner (ha!) From the beautiful water views, an outdoor bar and delicious options, we left completely satisfied! Emma got a street taco and I got some tuna poke with our fries! While you could drive, we’d recommend taking the easy 5-10 minute walk to the restaurant.

What To Do: Saltwater Farm Vineyard // Stonington, CT

After our late lunch we Ubered to Saltwater Farm Vineyard and of course we had to match in our Brochu Walker dresses. This vineyard was such a surprise with the live music, raw bar, and a pizza food truck! Whether you’re looking for a romantic evening, a get-together with friends, or a family-friendly vineyard, Saltwater Farm Vineyard is your place! Check out their upcoming live music schedule here!

Pro Tip: You can bring your own lawn chairs and blankets if you’re looking to have a little picnic moment in the grass! Otherwise, there are tables and chairs on the patio and the upper deck overlooking the river!

We tried their two rosé options and ended up taking a bottle home because it was THAT good. We explored the property, enjoyed the music and food and learned about the history of the winery. The winery is was a WWII-Era Airplane Hangar – how cool is that?!

Where To Dinner: The Shipwright’s Daughter // Mystic, CT

The Shipwright’s Daughter restaurant is attached to The Whaler’s Inn and lemme tell you, this was one of the best meals we’ve had. Maybe ever! Beyond the stunning interior that is both bright, yet moody, the menu boasts a variety of artful, delicious options. Fun fact, the Executive Chef at The Shipwright’s Daughter, David Standridge, worked for Joel Robuchon, who I got to meet years ago when I ate at his restaurant L’Atelier in Las Vegas!

As you can see from the pics below, we had no fun at all. Ha! There were lots of laughs, core memories made, and delicious food/cocktails consumed!!

Emma and I started off with two delicious speciality cocktails- the Beach Please & the Noank. For an appetizer, we split the Seared Graffiti Eggplant that was over the moon delicious! Honestly, we could have just ordered two more of those for our entrees and called it a night! I’m glad we didn’t do that though because our entrees certainly didn’t disappoint! Emma had the local fluke and I had the squid ink spaghetti. Both 10/10 would recommend!

For dessert, Emma took one for the team (since I’m dairy free) and sampled the très chocolat sundae and a cherry pistachio cheesecake. She loved them both and said she’d go back to Mystic just to order the très chocolate sundae again!

Our Friday Itinerary- Departed Mystic Around 1:30pm

Where to Breakfast: The Shipwright’s Daughter // Mystic, CT

We spent the morning strolling along the river, taking lots of cute pics in our coordinating outfits, and then made our way back to The Shipwright’s Daughter for breakfast! When I tell you this was the best breakfast of my life, I’m not exaggerating (and I’ve had some pretty amazing breakfasts!!) I loved how peaceful the restaurant felt in the morning light. Emma and I were seated next to a window and got to watch tourists and locals alike making their way downtown.

Emma and I enjoyed Golden Lattes made with oat milk alongside the Captain’s Breakfast, Three Egg Omelet, and Strawberry Vanilla Chia Pudding. Will we both be dreaming about this meal for the next decade? Definitely. I meannn just look at these pictures!

What To Do: Exploring Downtown // Mystic, CT

After breakfast we were clearly fueled up and ran around the town of Mystic, stopping in The Finer Line Art Gallery and our favorite spot, Young Buns for some doughnuts! Fun Fact: one of my all time favorite artists, Becky Elgart, sells her art in The Finer Line Art Gallery.. so we had to stop by and get some new art for the house! 

Another favorite, because we were obsessed with Mystic at this point, was the Just Mystic store where we purchased the cutest Mystic Merch. Did you even go on a trip if you didn’t come back with merch? And yes, we left with the “Mystic Pickleball” Sweatshirt!

Our last stop on our Mystic trip was both educational and absolutely adorable – We went to the Mystic Seaport Museum and learned about the town, the river that breaths so much life into the town, the history of various boats, and more! They had a historic-village that we walked through to see what the homes, grocery stores, and school buildings used to look like. It was so picturesque and the perfect ending to our trip!

Did you know, hot coco was considered a “poor-man’s beverage” back in the early 19th century? We didn’t either until getting a quick little lesson in the kitchen of one of the historic homes!

We drove home and had to immediately plan our next vacation because this girls trip was just too good!! Stay tuned where we are headed next! If you enjoyed our 24 hours itinerary in Mystic, CT, please let us know in the comments below OR send us a DM on Instagram!!