Location, location, location: The Whaler's Inn, Mystic, Connecticut

The location of the Whaler’s Inn, in the center of Mystic, Connecticut, is fantastic. It is located on one end of the drawbridge at the Mystic River, which alone is a key attraction for adults and children. You can spend time at the riverside park and watch the ships go by, or go down the street to a wonderful playground. There is also an outstanding toy store, Mystical Toys of Mystic, that had wonderful, fun, and educational toys. From the Inn you can also walk to many restaurants and Mystic Drawbridge Ice cream. Though we chose to drive, the Seaport and Aquarium are just about a 10 minute walk away.

We appreciated the kindness of the people at the front desk. Nicole, the assistant manager and Amy, in particular were so accommodating, offering us a larger room when there had been a cancellation. (FYI-they treated us to this room so that we could get a sense of the Inn.) Finally, they were wonderful at steering us towards restaurants and activities.In terms of rooms, the main option for families would be to share a room. They have rooms with two double beds or in our case, we had a room (known as the "Morgan Suite") with a queen for us, a rollway for our 3 year old and a crib for our 1 ½ year old. The room is very spacious and includes a living room area. It also has lovely details such as wainscoting and access to the front porch. The room was also remarkably quiet, even though it was situated on Route 1. The price includes a basic breakfast buffet, though we chose to head out to enjoy Kitchen Little. (After all, this was a FoodieMommy trip!). Finally, they also offer packages that include tickets to the Seaport and Aquarium. A room with two double beds is $159/189 for weekdays or the weekends, while the luxury room that we stayed in was $229/$259. Overall, it was spotless and comfortable without being pretentious.

The Whaler’s Inn, 20 East Main Street, Mystic, 1-860-536-1506, 1-800-243-2588