Fantastic long weekend in Connecticut

Best Things Nearby:
Casinos, shopping, and Mystic Seaport

Best Things About the Resort:
See below

Resort Experience:
This is a beautiful resort, even if you go there off-season, as we did. Some of the positives include:

Spacious rooms and layout of the unit:
Our unit had a loft, so even though it was a one-bedroom, six adults had plenty of privacy. Each room is very open and very well-decorated, with high ceilings. The living room furniture is very comfortable, and all of the furniture was very high-quality. The entire unit had lots of closets and storage areas! The kitchen had every gadget wanted (though, with the restaurant, we didn’t eat any dinners in).
A fireplace in the living room which, along with the VCR, lent itself to relaxing (and romantic) evenings.
An indoor pool and an exercise room to burn off some calories.
A fantastic restaurant right on-site (so good that others drive for many miles for dinner). There is also a nice lounge area for after-dinner drinks and many nights there is entertainment.
A beautiful view of the ocean--obviously, it was too cold to go swimming, but sitting on the beach, overlooking the Long Island Sound, was wonderful.
Close to other activities, including two casinos, Mystic Seaport, and our weekend at the Davis Cup Tennis tournament.
Finally, all of the staff was very friendly. I especially appreciated the bellhop bringing my "belongings" to the room, since it was pouring outside. The only negative about this timeshare is that there is quite a distance between where you can park and where your unit may be.

Click here for the condo’s official website.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

When I read "award winning," I wondered exactly what award it was. Even though I never did find out what award the ad was referring to, this restaurant is tops!

Most important, the food was delicious. I had the snapper special, which was cooked to perfection and well presented. The portions were ample, so I didn’t feel I needed to order lots of extras. Of course, I did indulge in the delicious, tasty desert! The menus change during the year, but I would recommend one of their nightly specials. If one of the specials doesn’t appeal to you, there are lots of other choices on the menu.

In addition to great food, the atmosphere was wonderful. The room is very spacious (with large windows and high ceilings), warm (lots of greenery and light), and well decorated (with high-quality furniture; beautiful, rich wood; and very nice paintings). Best of all, the room overlooks the water, so you get a peaceful view of the Long Island Sound.

The location was perfect --- walking distance from our condo!

Finally, the waitress was very friendly and efficient!

Click here for the restaurant’s home webpage.

Normally I do not do any shopping while on vacation, but this time was an exception. I fell in love with "The Shops at Mohegan Sun". The stores were extremely interesting and beckoned me. I don’t know exactly how many stores are at Mohegan Sun, but I do know that I spent many hours browsing – and buying. One of my favorite stores was Odysea. The outside front "wall" of this store was a huge aquarium! I spent as much time outside the store looking at all of the fish in the aquarium as I spent inside, which features unusual exhibits of knick-knacks and jewelry, as well as lots of other odds and ends. And yes, I did end up buying some new earrings! I included two "prints" from the video I took of the storefront to give you some idea of the large number of fish. The pictures didn’t come out as well as I would like (and I had to stop taking pictures when the security guard told me it was illegal to take video while inside the casino).
Click here for the very visual webpage for the Shops.

Some of the other interesting stores included a large display of puzzles at the Discovery store, the memory foam pillows at Brookstone (and I am now a believer in those pillows), and memorabilia from the old days in Nostalgia (including a "I Love Lucy" section). I also was able to redeem a Godiva gift certificate that I had received as a gift several years prior!

If you still were in the mood for shopping and didn’t get your fill, there were other options. One option was at the other casino, Foxwoods. The stores there were more traditional. In addition, we stopped at the Westbrook Factory stores and the North Country outlet (both very close to the Water’s Edge condo).

We saw Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport, and Olde Mistick Village in one day and my personal favorite was the Planetarium at the Seaport. I have always been fascinated by the stars, and since my husband and I were the only ones in the audience, we got an extra-long (about an hour or so) explanation and demonstration. The guide told us all about the various constellations and took special care to explain how the stars look differently depending upon where you live and the time of the season. There is an extra $3 charge for this building, but we certainly got our money’s worth.

We also received a special tour of the Charles Morgan, the "last remaining wooden whaling ship". I think there were four of us listening to all of the information. Each of the guides in every building we visited seemed genuinely in love with the sea and the heritage the museum was portraying. A special exhibit on display at the time we visited was the Sea Dogs exhibit – about how dogs have been involved in sea events. I also enjoyed the large building of figureheads. Quite a variety – of sizes, shapes, and details!

Two comments about the Seaport – not all buildings are open in the winter. In fact, I am sure we would have a different experience if we went during the summer. You would have more to see and more of the "hustle and bustle" feeling. According to the website, "You don't just view our exhibits. You live and breathe them." Secondly, Mystic Seaport has a policy of returning the next day for free so it is best to visit this "attraction" before the end of your vacation.
Click here for lots of facts about the Seaport.

I had several favorites at the Aquarium. As expected, the sea lion show was very entertaining. I also was very impressed with seeing the beluga whales and the penguins, since they are not the normal "animals" you see in other aquariums. In fact the whole Alaskan Coast exhibit area was very nicely laid out for maximum enjoyment. Finally the aquarium has various special exhibits that change during the year. The "PT 109, Courage under Fire" exhibit was also different from past experiences. I believe we spent much more time at the Aquarium than we expected.
Click here for lots of facts about the Aquarium.

We had many choices for a place to have a relaxing drink. One of our choices during our stay in Connecticut was at the Mohegan Sun Casino. Leffingwells, which has several other names, was the best!

Why does it have so many names? First, it is known as a martini bar because the house specialty is over 50 specially mixed martinis. Up to that point, I had never had a martini. However, I now order martinis whenever I am on vacation. Being a chocolate lover, I of course ordered their chocolate dream (Skyy vodka, Baileys, crème de cacao with whipped cream, and a drizzle of coffee liquer).

It also is known as a planetarium, since the ceiling of the bar is actually a huge dome (definitely the largest I have ever seen) where star constellations are displayed. Of course, the display changes as if you are outside watching the stars for real!

It is also known as Wombi Rock. To get to the bar, you walk up a winding "staircase" of stained glass and other crystal glass wall hangings --the bar is actually at the top of this three story creation inside the Casino! The bar itself was composed of blue purple little tiles which complemented all of the other glass and sculptures in the room.

It also is known as Leffingwells. I had to do some research before I found out that Thomas Leffingwell was a "friend of Uncas, chief of the Mohegan’s". Considering the casino is Mohegan Sun in the town of Uncasville, I think the name is from Thomas.

By the way, this bar is one of at least eight bars/lounges at Mohegan Sun! And the price of a martini was reasonable – less than $10, including tip. Not bad, considering all the atmosphere, as well as the great drinks.