Where you decide to retire can have a big impact on how much you enjoy your retirement. Some want to be in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. Others may want to enjoy a slower, more relaxed pace. At Vista Point at Fairview, our community will be close to plenty of activities for seniors, but also offer 70-acres with scenic waterfront views where you can relax. To show how the newest addition to our Fairview campus can put you in the heart of everything, here’s a list of things to do for seniors in Groton, Mystic, and Stonington.
Southeastern Connecticut Area Attractions for Seniors
While there’s plenty of local dining and shopping throughout the area, our Mystic, Stonington, and Groton senior activity guide has suggestions for wine connoisseurs, to nature lovers, and history buffs.
- Wine Trail: Enjoy the beautiful vineyards and sample the hard work of local vintners at Saltwater Farm Vineyard, Stonington Vineyard, and Jonathan Edwards Winery which are all in the Stonington area. Or explore farther out at Preston Ridge in Preston, Connecticut, or Maugle Sierra Vineyard in Ledyard, Connecticut.
- Beer Trail: Sample some local brews at either Beer’d Brewery in Stonington, Connecticut, or Grey Sail Brewing in Westerly, Rhode Island.
Great Outdoors
- Bluff point State Park: This untouched gem features pristine beaches, ocean breezes, and rugged shoreline beauty. It also offers a mix of wooded hiking and biking trails along with opportunities for amazing wildlife viewing.
- Beebe Pond Park: This local park consists of 97 acres of woodlands with a salt pond, stone walls, boulders, swamp, streams, and the remains of an old mill.
Boating
- Captain Jack Spratt: Cruise the bay in Captain Jack Spratt’s historic classic wooden catboat sailing yacht, TRIM AGAIN. Learn about the mansions, lighthouses, forts, people, and other local history. You’ll also experience the natural beauty of the barrier beaches, marshland, bay, and sound.
- ARGIA Mystic Cruises: The schooner ARGIA is a traditional sailing ship that carries up to 49 passengers for 2 hour cruises. You’ll be able to enjoy excellent views of the islands, lighthouses, and nature.
Cultural Attractions
- Fort Griswold: Fort Griswold is a former American defensive fortification in Groton, Connecticut, named after Deputy Governor Matthew Griswold. Along with Fort Trumbull on the opposite side of the Thames River (more information below) this fort played a key role in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. Griswold defended the port of New London, Connecticut, a supply center for the Continental Army and friendly port for Connecticut-based privateers who targeted British shipping in Groton.
- Fort Trumbull: Fort Trumbull is a massive granite fort near the mouth of the Thames River in New London, Connecticut. The original fort was built in 1777 and named for Governor Jonathan Trumbull. The present fortification was built between 1839 and 1852.
- Captain Palmer House: A National Historic Landmark, this 14-room Victorian Mansion built in 1852 gives visitors a fascinating view into mid-century shipbuilding, international trade, family life, and more. Plus, Captain Palmer is credited with sighting Antarctica. Visitors are welcome to stroll the entire property, tour the home, and climb the steps into the cupola for a spectacular view.
- Old Lighthouse Museum: Built in 1840, this lighthouse was the first in the country to be converted to a museum and its unique collection reflects more than 350 years of Stonington’s history. You can climb the tower for a dramatic view of Long Island Sound and three states: Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York.
- Mystic Seaport Museum: Climb aboard the Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship in the world, and experience what it was like to go to sea in the Great Age of Sail. Meet blacksmiths, coopers, printers, and shipwrights hard at work in our recreated 19th century seafaring village.
- The Maurice C. La Grua Center: This non-profit cultural center offers a wide variety of concerts, art exhibitions, and speakers.
- James Merrill House: This 19th-century late-Victorian style house was formerly owned by poet James Merrill. Upon his death in 1995, the house was kept by the village as a home for writers and scholars and allows them to live rent-free during academic-year residencies. In the years since Merrill’s death, over a hundred writers have used this space as a residence and retreat. The house was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2013 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016.
- F. Clyde’s Cider Mill: Established in 1881, B.F. Clyde’s is the oldest steam powered cider mill in the United States. The season starts in September with sales of hard ciders and apple wines, jams, jellies, local honey, maple syrup, and fudge. Also available in the Fall are apples, apple pies, pumpkin bread, gourds, Indian corn, pumpkins, candy apples, kettle corn, and apple cider donuts.
- The Denison Homestead: This 300 year old 160-acre privately owned family farm has been preserved through the generations with a mission to connect the community to the history, land, and environment of the property. The homestead is home to the 1717 House Museum, also known as Pequotsepos Manor, the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center and a farmers’ market. The 1717 House Museum is on the National Register of Historical Places.
- The Lyman Allyn Art Museum: Located in New London, Connecticut, the museum has a permanent collection of approximately 10,000 European Art and American Fine and Decorative Art pieces, making it the most significant collection in Southeastern Connecticut. Other attractions include the Outdoor Sculpture Garden and Hawthorne Doll House.
- Mystic Aquarium: See thousands of animals including beluga whales, African penguins, frogs, fish, and more. There are interactive exhibits, live presentations during animal training and feeding sessions, and exciting shows featuring California sea lions.
- Submarine Force Museum: Home to the world’s largest submarine library, the museum holds countless pieces of sub-maritime history. It also features a number of exhibit halls, research areas, and even a real-life nuclear submarine Nautilus. The museum contains over 33,000 artifacts, 30,000 photographs, and over 20,000 historically important documents for visitors or researchers to view.
There’s Never a Shortage of Things to Do for Seniors
Vista Point will be a community that’s close to all the things you love about the Connecticut shoreline and will be the area’s only senior living community to offer waterfront views. Contact us to learn more and discover how you can reserve your more exciting future today.
