When my longtime friend and podcast co-host, Stef, pulled me aside a few weeks ago to ask if I wanted to take an extra day off and extend my Labor Day Weekend to participate in some Autumnal activities, I don’t think she’d even finished asking before I had submitted my PTO request/notice at my office. Of course I wanted to do that! Despite the heat, the humidity and sporadic thunderstorms we’ve been having lately- it’s finally September and I am ready for all things cozy and chilly!
After grabbing our respective Pumpkin Spiced Lattes (iced, because it was insanely hot out,) Stef and I headed out early this past Tuesday morning to Mystic, Connecticut. I’ve written about the small and cute coastal town here before- including during the height of the pandemic, and as recently as last Summer when I’d stopped by for some bubble tea at a very cool new café in the area. It’s one of my favorite places to travel during the warmer months, but it is also a hidden gem to visit in the Fall if you’re looking for fun things to do and beautiful scenery.
We started our day at B.F. Clyde’s, a historic cider mill that is only open from September through December. While there, we got our mandatory chilled ciders, cider doughnuts, and some boozier options to bring home for company or, in my case, the freshly kicked off NFL season.
The mill has tasting rooms, a general store and arts & crafts shop- but it also had a ton of hornets. Between the very hot climate and an endless supply of sweets/sugars out in the open- Stef and I had to keep in motion and do some running now and then so we could enjoy our snacks in peace without getting swarmed or stung. I highly recommend visiting the mill because it really is lovely and there’s a lot to see- but just be cautious if you’re allergic to stings! A cooler, rainier day may work best!
Afterwards, Stef and I headed downtown- a short drive from the Mill- to do some window shopping and eventually duck into Mystic Pizza to beat the heat. Stef had never been before and had wanted to see it, so we grabbed a table and enjoyed a cheese pizza together before it was time to head back to Massachusetts where we closed out the evening with drinks, dinner and a movie with our friend Sean (he’s made many appearances on the blog before!)– who drove in from Boston to meet us and catch up.
Overall, it was a very fun day- and Stef and I are looking forward to the long overdue “cooldown” in the Northeast so we can head out to local pumpkin patches and outdoor seasonal attractions without dealing with sunburn and/or insect bites and stings. Fingers crossed it’ll happen soon!
Until then, I’m heading to the Seafood Festival in New Hampshire this weekend and will finally be finishing decorating my apartment with some new finds/buys I’ve picked up recently.
And of course, I’ll have photos to share along the way!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 