The family and I had a wonderful vacation with my sister and brother-in-law in Connecticut. We saw a lot of the sights, ate some really great food, and did some shopping.

Highlights:

The highlights included a day trip to Mystic Seaport. The work they do on rebuilding old ships, in the traditional manner, was amazing. We toured the ships, the museums, and the living exhibitions. I’d highly recommend Mystic as a destination. I can’t help but mention the Polish tie-in. We toured the sail training ship the Joseph Conrad. For those unfamiliar, Joseph Conrad was the pen name of Teodor Józef Konrad Nałęcz-KorzeniowskiAlso note that nearby New Britain is often referred to as New Britski because of the large Polish-American population..

We also visited the Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill. Fun for the kids and very interesting for the adults. They have wonderful nature trails and an exhibition center. The history surrounding the discovery of dinosaur tracks at the site reminded me of what government can do when it chooses to do the right thing.

Shopping:

For shopping we checked out Evergreen Walk and the IKEA store.

IKEA was an event unto itself. An amazing place. As my sister noted, it is not a place you run into and out of, it is an experience. The experience lasted about four hours, including lunch in the cafeteria – the Swedish meatballs were great. I want to redecorate.

We also visited a Stew Leonard’s Dairy Store. That was an experience as well. The products were first rate, and unusual. I found babka (Polish bread) from Brooklyn and Polish Priest Pierogis. It was great for the kids too, with a lot of interactive and entertaining displays.

Food:

For food – my sister makes great meals and knows all the best places. We tried the following:

Lunch at the Sea Swirl in Mystic – an excellent clam shack. I had the fried clams, my wife had the fish. Both were fantastic. I can see why people rave about this place.

Dinner at Abbotts, Lobster in the Rough. Another excellent experience. Down home outdoor eating/picnic style. I had the sampler. Enough lobster, clams, muscles, and fixins’ to serve an army. Note that they do not serve beer or wine, but they allow B.Y.O.B.

While at Evergreen Walk we dined at Ted’s Montana Grill – famous for serving bison steaks and bison burgers. The bison streak was excellent.

Other food highlights included the New York Pickle Deli – if you ever get the chance, check out their seafood bisque. On the way out of town we tried the Wood-N-Tap, a local chain. The food was basic but good.

All-in-all a great trip. I’m happy that my sister lives closer now and that we can spend time together. She and my brother-in-law were excellent and understanding hosts.