Just finished a 3 day trip with my family:
- Submarine Force Museum (Nautilus) - This is in Groton, CT, right next to the naval base that runs the museum (on the way between NYC and Newport). Really nice museum with some exhibits on the history of submarines, an excellent short film, and a tour of the USS Nautilus. Free parking and admission (unlike the very expensive aquarium and seaport museum in nearby Mystic).
- Cliff Walk - We did the section from the 40 Steps until the rocky section just past Ruggles Ave. Nice views of both the ocean on one side and some of the mansions on the other, with a great breeze keeping the temperature down. You pay for parking on the street near the 40 Steps) during the summer, but admission is free. Might be smarter to try and park by The Breakers parking lot (for free) and walk it the other direction. There's a bus/trolley that you can take back to your car (pay via their app), but we ended up just walking back up Ochre Point Ave.
- Ocean Drive/Brenton State Park - We drove slowly along Ocean Drive, stopping here and there to gawk at the more modern mansions and the beauty of the landscape. At Brenton Point, we ate lunch on the picnic tables and flew kites. Kitt's Kites has a trailer out there, and he sells cheap kites for $5 (buy your own beforehand to save money). He also does a build your own kite for the same price, but was done for the day when we got there. This is an open state park, so no charge for parking or admission.
- Thames Glassblowing - This was a quick stop-in. The kids watched other people doing the 'make your own ornament' through the window, while we bought a few pieces for ourselves and as gifts. We were able to park on the street right in front. The glass in the shop seemed on the expensive side (we actually bought 'seconds' that still looked good for a little cheaper).
- Prescott Farm - We relaxed by the pond for a bit, took a walk through the different gardens, snapped some pictures of the windmill, and got out of there. None of the buildings were open to go into. No charge for parking or admission.
- Green Animals Topiary Garden - We bought the Breakers+1 tickets ($29 for adult, $9 for kids 6 and up - free parking), and this was our plus one. The gardens were really nice - not just the topiaries, but the flowers, vegetables, fruit trees, etc. The house was cool too. Not opulent like the others, but still a cool window into an earlier era.
- Touro Synagague - Tour was pretty good. The exhibits in the visitors center were kinda lame. We also drove by the Jewish cemetery that the tour guide mentioned and I was shocked at how small it was - seems like only a handful of people buried there. There's a larger Jewish cemetery as well. Tickets are $12 for adults, kids free under 12. We found 2 hr parking right in front of the visitors center.
- Bowen's Wharf - This is the historic port area. We walked around, but there's not much to see. It's super busy and touristy in the summer. Lots of bustling restaurants and shops, booths for boat cruises that launch from there etc. We also stopped in an arcade across the street (Ryan Family Amusements) and let the kids play a game or two. Parking is metered, though our spot had more than enough time left on it, so it was free for us.
- The Breakers - You can't visit Newport and not tour at least one mansion. The audio tour was great, with a family version for the kids. Take a quick walk around the outside too, as the grounds are fairly plain, but still very nice. Parking is free.
- Fort Adams - Nice guided tour of the fort. A lot of it is run down, but you can still see a lot of the history and significance of the place. There are really nice views of the bay from the top. Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for children 6 and up - free parking.
We took the auto ferry home from New London, CT to Orient Point, NY and drove back from there. Total was $67 after signing up for a free membership (each time can cost different amounts). It was an experience for the kids, which makes up for the fact that it costs more and takes longer than just driving back.
We stayed in Middletown, at the Quality Inn. It was fine for the price, but no more than that. A note on davening (if you're there in the summer). There's a parking lot just for those coming to davening - here's a link to the location (
https://goo.gl/maps/vhzX2qv8UKB2). Also, the times were really odd. They davened mincha the first night at 7, then waited till shkia (~7:40) to daven maariv. Then the next morning, they announced mincha for 7:15, but actually started that evening at 7. Bottom line, be prepared to spend a while there even just for mincha/maariv.
Topic Wiki
