Day Trip - Stonington, Mystic and Noank

I like to go to Stonington because one of my favorite authors lives on the main drag there.  Alexandra Stoddard, an interior designer, wrote Creating a Beautiful Home, in which she chronicles the renovation of her 1775 "cottage."  She describes it so well that I was able to spot it immediately.

Have you heard of Living a Beautiful Life?  It was her bestseller.  She's all about being present in the moment and intentional in your actions.  The book is divided into sections on eating, dining and bathing in a way to heighten one's senses.  I highly recommend it.

It was a beautiful day; many people were out walking with their dogs, or each other.  We ate at a favorite restaurant, Noah's.  The food, including delicious desserts (my favorite part of a meal), is homemade so dining is leisurely.

Some other houses I love:

Pretty, old-fashioned decorations.

Can you tell the style of house I love?  It's my new favorite; I think it's called Federal style.

We then went to Mystic and Noank.  They both were kind of quiet, which is fine.  Noank is a lovely seaside village in the town of Groton.  Here's what we saw:

Steep road lined with luminarias.

Check out the rooftop dining spot above the wreath in the center.

Pretty, simple decorations.

Another Federal beauty, in Mystic.

As much as I complain about taxes, Connecticut is a truly beautiful state, with many stunning homes.  It has numerous old Colonial and Victorian homes in every part of the state.