Transcript
Speaker: Not every trip has to be big to be meaningful. And this is one that felt really doable for our family during a challenging season. It isn't a big flashy trip, but that's kind of the point and why I wanna share it with you today.
Speaker: Welcome to Family Travel that supports ADHD, autism, and anxiety, the podcast for families who love to travel and have children with big feelings, challenging moments.
Speaker: I'm Joseph Bianchi, a mom to three children, board-certified pediatrician, and a travel lover. If you're raising children with ADHD, autism, anxiety, or other behavioral differences, and the idea of travel feels both exciting and overwhelming, this podcast is for you.
Speaker: Each week, using an easy-to-follow 3-2-1 plan, three places, two food options, and one great tip for families in a given location, we'll talk about real-life experiences of traveling with kids who don't fit the typical mold.
Speaker: Most episodes will follow this format, but we'll also sprinkle in some listener stories, deeper dives into specific challenges, and interviews. From meltdowns at airport security to the beauty of a breakthrough moment in the middle of a museum, we're covering it all.
Speaker: The chaos, the joy, and the learning that comes with it. Whether you're planning your first road trip or you're already seasoned family travelers, family travel that supports ADHD, autism, and anxiety is here to help you feel seen, supported, and maybe even inspired to book that next adventure.
Speaker: Because around here, we believe in wandering without limits. So grab your crew, your luggage, and your love of adventure, and let's hit the road together. Okay, welcome to the show. Today we're heading to Mystic, Connecticut, which honestly is one of those trips that just feels easier.
Speaker: This can be done as a great day trip if you live in the Northeast, particularly the tri-state area, or something to add to a longer New England summer itinerary. Maybe to break up the driving or to just break up your locations a little bit and spread things out.
Speaker: We just did this one with my two youngest during a long weekend and it was perfect and very low stress during a particularly challenging season for our family.
Speaker: I really like Mystic because it's easy to get around, very family friendly and offers a mix of activities without feeling overwhelming for your family. For kids with ADHD, autism, anxiety, that balance can really make a big difference. You can do a few things, take breaks, and not feel like you're constantly rushing from one place to another. We went during a cooler, like winter into spring transition time weekend. I'd say it's probably more ideal to go during warmer months, but just know you may be trading better weather for more people. For us in March, we were able to enjoy low crowds, less waiting, a slower pace, but we had to wear a few extra layers.
Speaker: Okay, so let's hop into our 3-2-1 format for Mystic, Connecticut. I think if you're going to Mystic, you have to include the aquarium. It's a must do. It's probably the main draw for most families. And I have to be honest, it's also one of the better aquariums that our family has been to.
Speaker: It's big enough to be interesting, but not so big that it becomes overwhelming, which honestly really makes a huge difference. I'd say about two to three hours is probably enough here to feel like you've made a big dent. And my kids were able to stay engaged for that period of time.
Speaker: We did really well with like a two and a half to three hour time period. The main indoor gallery is darker and cooler, which gives it a really nice, calm, peaceful feel. Probably in the summer, it's awesome to go in there when you're hot. And if someone needs a place to regulate, I'd head here.
Speaker: There's also a lot of opportunities for hands-on interaction like touch tanks in this main gallery. So if your kids are anything like mine, my kids love the touch tanks, but they also get really enthusiastic in the touch tanks. So I would bring an extra shirt for your day pack for that post-touch tank change. We also found the staff in here really supportive, especially if your child needs a little extra time or guidance about how to sort of manage themselves. with the touch tanks, just the few extra tips, safety tips. They were really patient and really just, I felt like, got it
Speaker: I also really like this aquarium's focus on ecology, preservation, and education, which comes through in their exhibits. And they have a nice sort of focus on local sea life, which I think you can kind of use that to transition back to when you're out with your kids, especially if you live in the Northeast. One area we really liked, which was previously known as Dino Seas, now called World of Wonder, It does have extra cost, but I think it can be well worth it, especially if your kids like to be more active and like hands-on exhibits like my children. This can be well worth it. It's about $12 a person extra, so it can add up if you have a bigger family. It's just something to be aware of. It features a great indoor play space for the littles and aerial ropes course for the older kids, which can be helpful for a building in some movement during your time at the aquarium.
Speaker: Like many places we featured on the show, this aquarium is also a Culture City certified location. So there are sensory supports available and lots of nice signage throughout just to kind of give you a heads up about things. Because I will say in the space where they keep the aerial course, the indoor play area, that World of Wonder area, It's brighter, there's some flashing lights, it can be more stimulating. So you just wanna be mindful of that, but they do warn you before you go in. So they have some nice signage to help families just be aware of that.
Speaker: Another thing we really liked about the Mystic Aquarium is that there were outdoor exhibits throughout the aquarium. some animal exhibits, fish exhibits. They also had a playground for younger kids up to the age of five, which helped break things up if kids need movement or just an opportunity to reset, or maybe the younger kids are just getting bored looking at the animals. They want to move a little bit. It's a really nice outdoor playground.
Speaker: I definitely suggest kind of having a strategy when you head to the aquarium because there can be a lot to do there. We sort of built everything around the timed activities. So we checked out like what are the things that are time sensitive like the sea lion show when we first arrived and then we sort of built our visit around that.
Speaker: um I'd pick three to four must see things and focus on those just to avoid stress or overwhelm because there is a lot to see and do here. We did the sea lion show, the touch tanks and the main gallery. the reptile area and the penguins outdoor playground area. We sort of split up. My youngest did the outdoor playground area and my middle child did the penguin exhibit.
Speaker: So we really loved the Mystic Aquarium. Definitely would put it on your to-do list if you're here or even in the area at all. Okay, so for number two on our three things to do in Mystic, Connecticut, I would suggest Old Mystic Village. It's another great stop. It's flexible. There's lots of outdoor space, and it's right next to the aquarium, which is super convenient if you're including that on your list. It's actually like walking distance for the kids, so you could move your car and park closer to the village or you could just walk over, which is what we did. but
Speaker: Old Mystic Village is a small walkable area with shops, open spaces, and lots of just cute little places to stop and explore. my kids really enjoyed the duck pond and taking pictures with some of the interesting statues. There was like a gnome statue, a dragon statue. They kind of liked doing that. We didn't follow a set plan. We just kind of walked around, saw the docs, took some photos, chowed on some snacks, and I got a delicious latte to sort of power me through the afternoon. You don't really have to spend a ton of time here. It's just like a good place to maybe spend about an hour or so.
Speaker: It's also nice because it doesn't feel crowded in the same way a larger attraction might feel or if you've just come from the aquarium sort of at peak hours it's nice to just spread out a little bit and kind of have an opportunity to reset and have less crowds. There are some cute shops here.
Speaker: i personally enjoyed Alice's haunted little bookshop. My middle child liked it. My youngest was mildly terrified but overall we thought it was cute and I definitely think that if there is tweens or teens in your group they would really like it. There's also some great family-friendly dining here if you're hungry and you want to build in having a meal here as well.
Speaker: Okay, so for number three on our list of places to check out in Mystic, Connecticut, Denison Pequot Sipos Nature Center. I hope I said that right. I tried to look it up a few times because it was a little bit challenging for me, but hopefully I got it.
Speaker: One of the best things I think you can do in Mystic is just to build in some quieter outdoor time. And this is a great option to do that. It's a short drive from the aquarium in Old Mystic Village or a short drive from the seaport. So wherever you're spending your time, it's not too far. There are some nice, easy walking trails, lots of open space, a small nature center with exhibits. You can see frogs, fish, turtles and snakes, lots of different insects, birds. There's also a historic farm that's attached by trails called Coogan Farms. It's connected to this area as well. I find an environment like this can be really helpful after something more stimulating like the aquarium. Kids can kind of spread out, move around, reset without a lot of pressure or noise.
Speaker: And one of the things is it's really flexible. You could spend a short amount of time here or you could spend longer and do more of the trails and more of the exhibits, kind of depending on how everyone's doing. I think this would be good for like a half day or a quarter day.
Speaker: It's not super expensive for children 3 to 12. It's $7 each. For adults, it's $10. And if you have little ones with you that are under 3, it's free. I think it's nice to have a place like this built into your trip. just can make the whole day go more smoothly.
Speaker: Okay, so now that we've talked about our three places to visit in Mystic, Connecticut, let's talk about our two EATs. Okay, the first one is Jealous Monk, which is located in Old Mystic Village. So if you're checking that out, you could just stop here to have dinner or lunch.
Speaker: It's a casual spot beer garden. So I'll be honest, when we went, it was like a Thursday night right around happy hour during... a colder season. So we were inside. We couldn't partake in the outdoor seating. So it felt a little bit louder and busier than what would typically work for our family. But you kind of get what you sign up for. and i And I knew that. But I could really picture this being a great option for families like mine in the summer if you're able to sit outside on the patio, which is big, spacious, and the overall vibe feels like it would be like very relaxed in the summer for kids out on the patio.
Speaker: I thought the food was solid. The staff was great with my kids. So I think that this is a place worth considering. i just think it's one where timing, season, and where you can sit and make a big difference. So I think it just comes down to knowing your group, knowing your kids, your family, and what works for them, and also when you're going. So I think if it's a nice summer night, you're not going at like peak, peak dinner hour, I think this would be a great place to go with your kids.
Speaker: Next on our list, I included just a place for dessert or a special treat, someplace that we checked out, which was Drawbridge Ice Cream. This was a great option because it gave us an opportunity to see and appreciate the seaport area, which was really nice. And again, I think might be better to check out during warmer months, but was still great to check out in and March. This is a classic ice cream shop. It's a really easy stop with your kids. You can grab something quick and keep the day moving without turning into a whole event. And it's also nice just to appreciate the scenery of the seaport area and give your kids an opportunity to see it. My kids were really intrigued by the drawbridge that was right outside the shop and they liked it. We got some great pictures there. There's lots of flavor options, which helps if your kids are a little particular. They also have great stuff for adults like affogato or lattes, which is a nice bonus when you're going with your kids. Sometimes a small low pressure stop like this is exactly what helps us kind of keep the day going more smoothly. OK, so now we've done our three places, our two eats. How about our one travel tip?
Speaker: OK, my one tip for Mystic Connecticut is to really think about when to go, because I think the experience can feel pretty different depending on the season. So we actually went during a little bit of a cooler time of year and we got kind of a cold weekend a March when we went.
Speaker: It was definitely less crowded, but the town also felt a lot quieter and almost a little bit off in some places. I imagine in warmer months there's more going on and there probably is a little more energy, more things are open, and more of a lively feel. So if your child can handle a little more activity or you're able to go here maybe during the weekday and not a summer weekend, that might be the best fit and you might be able to fully enjoy all the area has to offer, like outdoor seating options, a more lively seaport area.
Speaker: But if your child does better with fewer crowds, a slower pace, going in the off season could have its rewards. It could work really well, just with different expectations, especially as a parent about what you're getting from it.
Speaker: So in closing, as we always say here at the show, travel doesn't have to look like anyone else's version to be meaningful. Meet your family where they are, adjust when needed, and keep wandering without limits. You've got this. If this episode resonated with you, please follow or subscribe to the show and share it with another parent who might benefit. We'd also love to hear from you.
Speaker: Feedback, questions, places you'd like us to cover on the show. Email me a show suggestion or reach out if you're planning a trip and would like some support. Comments on the podcast review also help us be seen by more families and parents as well. You can also find us on Instagram at Family Travel That Supports.
Speaker: There we share tips, info on upcoming episodes, and ask for listener input as well. And just a quick disclaimer, this podcast is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not to be considered medical advice for any patient.
Speaker: So thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next time.
