Shoreline on Route 156

The coastal option: from Old Lyme you follow CT-156 along Long Island Sound through Niantic to Waterford, cross the Thames River to Groton and finish in Mystic and Stonington. It's a ride for views and stops, with Mystic as the lunch destination. The New London to Groton crossing uses the I-95 bridge. Summer brings heavy traffic and lights on US-1, so go early or off-season.