A peaceful nature setting within a two minute drive to Historic Downtown Mystic.
- House
- Sleeps: 6
- Bedrooms: 3
- Bathrooms: 2
- Min. Stay: 3 nights
House, 3 Bedrooms + 2 Baths, (Sleeps 6)
Bedrooms
Owner
Mary Goodman
- Languages:
- english
About Mary Goodman
My niece, Liz, and her husband, Toby, co-own our vacation home with me. Liz and Toby live in the house I grew up in, which is just on the other side of the woods behind the John H. Goodman house. Liz is our local contact for guests, and she does all of the housekeeping. Toby does all of the grounds care, and I often wonder how he fits it in. I do all of the bookings and am the initial guest contact, which I enjoy. I am a Mystic native, and I had to move to San Diego for work. I miss Mystic and my family, and I plan on retiring here, in this house. I recently acquired a newer-model VW van, and I enjoy camping and hiking whenever I can. We love our house and we take pride in it.
Mary Goodman purchased this House in 2007
Why Mary Goodman chose Mystic
THE JOHN H. GOODMAN HOUSE The land that this house is built on was owned by John H. Goodman, my paternal grandfather. He inherited the land from Mrs. N. Stanton Gates, who was the last Denison to live in the Denison Homestead (which is just up the road from the house). He was a master gardener and took care of the house and gardens for Mrs. Gates at the Denison Homestead for 15 years until she passed away, and the Homestead became a museum. He, his wife, and his two boys loved Mrs. Gates, and she was very kind to them all. He created and maintained a large cutting garden next to the Homestead barn, so that Mrs. Gates could always have fresh flowers during the warm season. He designed and created colorful, serene gardens surrounding the Homestead. I remember a beautiful scallop shell birdbath in the middle of one garden. He used to put sunflower seeds in an old, broken tobacco pipe, and as he stood outside with the pipe in his mouth, the chickadees would come and get the seed from the pipe bowl. He tended the orchard, cut 9 cords of firewood every year to heat the Homestead, and was Mrs. Gates chauffeur and trusted friend. When Mrs. Gates died on February 9th, 1941, she bequeathed my grandfather 10.5 acres of her land, part of which this house now stands upon and is surrounded by. She wrote in the will that “he had been so kind and helpful to her. “ He was the only person to inherit land from her, as all the rest went to the Denison Society and is now part of the Nature Center. The picture hanging over the fireplace mantel is the front door of the Denison Homestead, where love and kindness reigned. We hope that you can feel the spirit of all who came before, as you relax and enjoy our peaceful little house on this special piece of land.
What makes this House unique
This house has great energy and is very peaceful. I (Mary Goodman) always leave there relaxed and refreshed.
Amenities
Featured
- No Smoking
- TV
- Children Welcome
- Satellite or Cable
- Washer & Dryer
- Air Conditioning
- Internet
- Heater
- Parking
- Fireplace
Bathrooms
- Bathrooms: 2
Safety features
- Deadbolt lock
- Smoke detectorMain Living Area and in all Bedrooms
- Exterior lighting
- First-aid kitKitchen - in counter under sink
- Carbon-monoxide detectorKitchen and Utility Room (where furnace is)
- Fire extinguisherKitchen
General
- Air conditioning
- Heating
- Linens provided
- Washing machine
- Clothes dryer
- FireplaceWood burning
- Parking
- Internet
- Towels provided
- Wireless Internet
- Iron & board
- Hair dryer
Kitchen
- Dishwasher
- Fridge
- Hob
- Oven
- Microwave
- BBQ
- Coffee maker
- Toaster
- Ice maker
- Dishes & utensils
- Kitchen
Dining
- Dining area
Entertainment
- Television
- Satellite / Cable
- DVD player
- Books
- Games
- Toys
- Video library
Outside
- Deck / Patio
Notes
- Birdhouses, Birdfeeders, Ironing board and Iron
Policies
Cancellation Policy
100% refund if cancelled at least 30 days before arrival date. 50% refund if cancelled at least 14 days before arrival date.
Damage and incidentals
You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property that is caused by you or your party during your stay.
House Rules
Children allowed
No pets
No parties/events
No smoking
Max guests: 6
Minimum age of primary renter: 25
- No excessive noise. This is a quiet neighborhood and the owners live nearby.
- No parking on the front or side lawn. Additional parking at the end of the driveway may be used.
66 Reviews
Close to area attractions yet very private loacation
If you want to be near all the great stuff to do in the Mystic-Stonington area yet seek a private location, this is the spot for you. Home is adjacent to Pequotsepos nature preserve and the property grounds are distinctly Stonington-like with many large exposed rock outcroppings.
Perfect location
Great location for the Sergio concert and touring Mystic, Stonington, Westerly & beyond. Spotless!
Swarming insects made getting in & out of the car difficult & sitting outside impossible—perhaps seasonal?? Strong musty smell in entrance foyer.
Thank you for the 5 star review, Nancy, and thank you for bringing the musty smell and the insects to our attention. We apologize for the inconvenience these things caused you. After you checked out, our housekeeper found a previous guest's musty bathing suit behind the louvered, furnace doors where the patio entrance is. She has removed it, and the musty odor is gone. As for the insect swarm, it is no longer there and thus we cannot identify what it was. It has never happened before. Our vacation home is surrounded by woods, however, and there are some old logs in the woods that might have harbored ants or termites that swarmed while you were there. We do preventative maintenance on the house every year, and we do not believe that the insects came from the house. You did reassure me that it was not a swarm of bees, which has put our minds at ease. We take great pride in keeping the house spotless and well maintained. We want our guests' memories of our Mystic house to be happy ones. If you would like to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact me offline by email or phone. Thank you.
More spacious than looks
There is plenty of room in this house! The living room and kitchen are quite large. The second bathroom has a shower. There are plenty of games and toys for kids. The WiFi has great connection. Close to everything. Great communication with owner.
Great house close to Mystic
Great amenities such as the a/c, full kitchen w/ tons of cooking supplies, and I really appreciated the owner leaving extra razors when I arrived for a beach vacation and realized that I forgot mine :) Ample and clean bedding and towels. One note, if you are someone who is easily woken up by light through the windows in the AMs, bring a sleep mask as the bedrooms don't have good light-blocking curtains.
Great place to stay with younger kids
House is great. Kitchen is well equiped, lots of comfortable seating. The toddler in our group appreciated the selection of toys and books and adored the window seat. Location is wonderful, reasonably quiet and secluded but close to everything you might want to do. Mary was very responsive to questions. We would definitely stay here again!
Map
[Activities for families]
Activities for families with small children:
Mystic Aquarium. Small kids love this place. There are touch tanks, a sea lion show, a 4-D movie (not included in admission) and tons of things to look at. At the penguin café you can get 2 big pieces of pizza for lunch for less than $10, but you can also bring your own lunch and picnic there.
Penguin encounter at Mystic Aquarium. You sit in a circle and a penguin walks around to each person. Kids who love animals will absolutely love meeting a penguin. Call for reservations.
Mystical Toys. All small kids love a toy shop. This one specializes in toys that you can't find at the big box stores. It's right on the water. To make their day extra special there is an ice cream shop right across the street, and a candy shop just down the boardwalk.
Williams Beach. A small beach with no waves. There are covered picnic tables on site. There is also a playground.
Mystic River Park. A fenced-in playground right in downtown. Try to go early in the day or else the sun will heat up the playground equipment and it gets hot.
Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center. Right down the road! Small kids love walking around the pond on the trails as it has several wooden bridges. There is an activity called "night in the Meadow" that you can start by yourself. You sit in a darkened theater and listen to all the woodsy night noises while a friendly narrator tells you what you are hearing. Animals light up as they are introduced.
Activities for older kids:
Mystic Seaport. Make sure you go to the "Dead Horse" ceremony. Older kids usually get chosen to help haul it around the deck (not an actual horse). Don't skip the boat house. You can rent a boat for an hour or take a tour of the harbor. On the green you can try out old fashioned toys like a hoop and stick. Mystic Seaport is a living museum that transports you back in time, be sure to go into every building and ask questions. What do they recommend for a cough at the 1860 apothecary? What is cooking today at the Buckley House? Go on the Morgan and take 3 steps to the left. Look up. How can you tell this boat is a whaler? (Harpoons hanging directly over your head).
Kayak or paddleboard the Mystic River. There are two companies, both with excellent launching areas. You can rent a double kayak to put smaller kids in with an adult. You can kayak right up the river past the Seaport and explore the waterfront.
Beluga encounter at the Mystic Aquarium. There is a minimum age and height requirement. This is one of the only places in America that you can get in the water with a beluga whale. Reservations can be made months in advance and it fills up early.
Feed the Stingrays at Mystic Aquarium. It's only $3. You buy a ticket at the information booth and then exchange the ticket for stingray food (fish). The stingrays seem to like the corners of their tank best so try to stand there. Get ready for splashing!
Misquamicut beach. A gorgeous beach about 25 minutes away. Probably the most beautiful beach in New England, with big waves and three miles of white sand. Bathrooms and food concessions on site.
Half day sail on the Argia. The sunset sail is romantic and beautiful. The Argia schooner goes right past the lighthouses and shore sights of the Mystic area.
Mystic Fields of Fire adventure course. This is a massive ropes course in the woods of Mystic. They even have night courses under the stars if you like an extra challenge. Bring tick repellant and sunscreen. You can also play paintball.
Mohegan sun casino. Kids are not allowed on the casino gambling floor but the Casino of the Sky is full of shops and restaurants for the whole family. Walk around the 7-story indoor waterfall or shop at Dylan's candy bar. You have to park in the Indian Summer garage (go all the way down to the far end away from the exit) to use the elevators for children under 21.