Animal lover in mystic, cT

Stop #1

This aquarium belongs to the old school of kid's attractions. The ones where the price of admission was the first and last time you had to open your wallet—and you got your money's worth at that. At the sea lion show, the trainer stayed well past the show to answer our questions. Near the touch pool the attendant patiently told each child how to painlessly pick up the crabs (from the back in case you're wondering), and reminded them to keep the animals in the water so they could still breathe. The staff seem far more interested in giving visitors and animals a positive experience than making a profit. And there is nary a gift shop in sight, except one small unobtrusive one (that you don't actually need to walk through to exit) near the end.

The non-commercial low-key environment and lack of crowds actually make it easy to take the visit at a relaxed pace paced. Finding a good seat at the show, even minutes before, was easy, we didn't have to wait or fight our way to the front for anything and the exhibits were fun and interactive. My daughter particularly enjoyed the lobster area where she could crawl through a tunnel underwater to see what it was like to live on the bottom of the ocean and the bird room where she hand fed various tropical species inside an aviary. I loved the way the animals were exhibited--grouped by categories like the tropics or the Amazon, and with plenty of room to roam.

Plus that new baby sea lion (Boomerang) is just so umissably cute.

Stop #2

Mystic Kite Shop Right across the street from the Aquarium, this small kite shop has a wide selection of kites from the most basic to the more elaborate. A better souvenir than some plastic figure they'll quickly discard--it keeps 'em moving, can be shared across generations and teaches basic science.