Mystic Seaport Museum

Steve’s take

Mystic is right off I-95 and the seaport museum is a recreated 19th-century fishing village where your kids can climb on tall ships and watch blacksmiths work. It's the kind of place where 'we'll stop for an hour' becomes three hours and nobody regrets it. Hit Mystic Pizza across town afterward — yes, it's from the Julia Roberts movie, and yes, the pizza is actually good.