2024 Summer Weekend on the Connecticut Shore | Travel Guide

Hot buttered lobster rolls, seaside strolls, and natural beauty await on a two-day meander through this storied region where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound.

WATERFRONT HOTEL
Madison Beach Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, Madison

Check into this stately resort with its own private beach, and you’ll find plenty to please even the most well-traveled guest. The storied hotel was reimagined and rebuilt a dozen years ago with three floors of deluxe rooms, many with balconies and water views. Take a dip in Long Island Sound or unwind in the spa, then dine beachside at The Wharf. hilton.com/en/hotels/mpecuqq-madison-beach-hotel 

BREAKFAST SPOT
Cristy’s Madison, Madison

Set in an 1800s building that once served as a girls’ school, this eatery comprises two cozy, wood-paneled dining rooms with a bar between. In addition to eggs, hash, and sausage plates, there are more than 40 types of pancakes, festooned with fruits, grains, and candies of your choosing. Each stack is topped with generous dollops of butter and snowy sprinklings of powdered sugar. cristysmadison.com

BEACH
Hammonasset Beach State Park, Madison

You can spend hours exploring two miles of pristine, sandy beach and miles of strolling and biking paths—or unfurl a towel and do precious little. But you don’t want to miss the Meigs Point Nature Center, which offers engaging displays of local flora and fauna, along with explanations of the park’s fragile ecosystem. ctparks.com/parks/hammonasset-beach-state-park

Hunger pangs? The best beach-day eats are just outside the park on U.S. Route 1.

CLAM SHACK
The Clam Castle, Madison
This old-school stand, a Connecticut shoreline gem since the mid-1960s, serves up copious baskets of fried seafood, as well as tacos and burritos. Two types of chowder and the lobster bisque make for great openers. Then go for the deep-fried whole-belly clams or the meaty lobster roll. You know you want the jumbo version. clamcastlect.com 

You may regret overindulging, though, when you see what’s for dinner.

CHINESE RESTAURANT
Taste of China, Clinton
She’s a Chinese national, and he’s from nearby Madison, Connecticut. Together, Hu Ping and Jonathan Dolph created a Chinese restaurant that draws food lovers from across the shoreline and beyond. Taste of China specializes in Szechuan cuisine with an inventive menu that includes crispy sesame beef, sizzling shrimp and scallops, and Chengdu duck. Choose from nearly a dozen varieties of Belgian beer, the owners’ favored beverage. clintontasteofchinaus.com

Start your second day by motoring up U.S. Route 1 to the classic shoreline town Katharine Hepburn called home.

BAKERY
The Pursuit of Pastry, Old Saybrook

From croissants and scones to locally famous baked doughnuts, you’ll start the morning sweetly here. There’s a full line of coffees and teas to jolt you awake, too. Enjoy your repast inside the brightly colored café, or head over to nearby Founders Memorial Park, which has photogenic views of the mouth of the Connecticut River. pursuitofpastry.com

STROLL
Harkness Memorial State Park, Waterford
No visit to the shoreline is complete without a walk through this park’s Jazz Age mansion, Eolia, and its formal gardens and waterfront grounds. The 42-room mansion may be toured on weekends in the summer; the surrounding gardens, created by landscape architect Beatrix Farrand in the 1920s and early ’30s, may be enjoyed anytime. And there are 242 acres of lawn, pathways, and beachfront for strolling, biking, or just enjoying the panoramic view of Long Island Sound.ctparks.com/parks/harkness-memorial-state-park

OUTDOOR DINING
Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock, New London

Situated on a thin strip of land between railroad tracks and a pleasure-boat harbor, Captain Scott’s is hard to find but tough to beat when it comes to fresh seafood. Lobster rolls come in both hot and cold varieties, and the deep-fried seafood is plentiful and top-notch, especially the fish-and-chips. Picnic tables radiate out from this funky shack, and there’s often live music on weekends. BYOB—and a tablecloth and flowers if you want to feel fancy. captscottsnl.com

Continue east to Connecticut’s top tourist town, where you may want to bed down for several nights if you’ve never visited headliners like Mystic Seaport Museum and Mystic Aquarium before. Only have one night? It can still be unforgettable.

COUNTRY INN
The Taber Inne and Suites, Mystic

Just a half mile from downtown Mystic, this sprawling, 12-building property offers a wide variety of accommodations, as well as the area’s largest indoor swimming pool. Each white clapboard building has its own characteristics. Choose from spacious two-story units, a one-story carriage house, or standard hotel-type rooms. Some units have gas-jet fireplaces, Jacuzzis, and private balconies. taberinne.com

FINE DINING
Shipwright’s Daughter, Mystic

Chef David Standridge has created a restaurant that stands head and shoulders above most others in food-crazy Mystic. In his bistro at the Whaler’s Inn, the James Beard Award nominee for the Northeast’s best chef may be seen orchestrating the open kitchen and putting the finishing touches on every dish. The seafood comes almost exclusively from nearby docks. Unusual native species like dogfish, scup, sea robin, and monkfish are transformed into plates of seafood wonderment. shipwrightsdaughter.com