If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw some pictures from our weekend in Madison, CT. Seven years ago (to the day), we visited this cute coastal town with Boots as a puppy. It’s funny to go back and read the blog post now. Traveling without kids is so different!
On that trip I remember crying a lot because I was so beyond desperate to get pregnant. I had had two miscarriages and was “diagnosed with unexplained infertility” shortly after. In my head, I thought there was a chance that I could never had kids and it truly almost broke. me.
To come back to the same place with Amalia and Luca was cathartic and special and healing in ways I didn’t know I needed.
On a lighter note, Boots, a puppy at the time, got skunked on the beach one of the nights we were there and the staff at the hotel helped us get tomato juice and vinegar for his bath. It was kind of hilarious actually and we still talk about it. No skunks were spotted this time around, thank goodness.
I’ve said it a few times now but our summer has been challenging and busy and we just needed a few days to connect and relax as a family. It was perfect. Perfect! I randomly found this little beach cottage last minute and had very low expectations so was pleasantly surprised at how lovely it was. The view was next level and the house was adorable.
We did a lot of throwing rocks in the water (Luca), practicing swimming (Amalia), and chatting on the porch overlooking the water (Julia & Anel).
The anxiety and stress that I had been feeling for the last few months, fell away for a few days as I enjoyed my family in the most beautiful setting.
If you’re heading to Madison anytime soon, this is what we did:
Christy’s for breakfast– We remembered their giant pancakes from our last trip and the kids loved them! They split a strawberry chocolate pancake (they’re giant).
The Wharf at The Madison Beach Hotel for dinner– The house was only a two minute walk from the hotel so the first night we decided to keep things easy and head over for dinner. Hotel restaurants can be meh but this one is awesome. We overlooked the water and enjoyed crab cakes, lobster cobb salads, mussels, and pasta for the kids. They had a fantastic zero-proof mocktail menu too which I always appreciate.
RJ Julia’s Bookstore– The way I love this bookstore. We spent almost an hour perusing both the kid and adult sections of one of the best bookstores I’ve ever been to. Don’t worry, I definitely plugged my book and they said to reach out when it drops.
Ashley’s Ice Cream– They are voted best ice cream in Connecticut for good reason! They have some amazing dairy free options too. I went with coffee oreo. 10/10.
Grand Apizza– There are so many great food options in Madison, but we just wanted to keep things easy and low key for the kids. The goal was zero meltdowns and we somehow succeeded! The pizza at Grand’s was next level New-Haven style pizza. We finished three smalls between the four of us. It was fantastic!
Lobster Landing– Anel picked up lobster rolls here for lunch the first day and they were just as good as we remembered them from the last trip. At some point we had heard they were the best rated in all of CT and I get that. Don’t expect anything fancy, it’s a bunch of benches outside with lobster rolls wrapped in tin foil, but they’ll blow your mind.
The Lobster Pound– We had been to this spot in Guilford with friends a few years ago and loved their lobster rolls so decided to hit it up again for lunch on our way home. It’s basically a big dock where they serve (hot) lobster rolls, hot dogs, cole slaw, and clam chowder. The kids can run around and it’s super low key.
