USA TRAVEL GUIDE, “NORTHEAST” CONNECTICUT

CONNECTICUT: "THE CONSTITUTION STATE"

BY CLAY LARROY

If you're looking to get away from it all with a trip away from home, don't forget to travel smart. Regardless of whether you are traveling to a nearby location for the weekend or taking a week-long destination vacation, you are always going to benefit from some tips and ideas on how to make the whole process, more fun and less stressful. Take time each day to alleviate stress while traveling or vacationing and you will thank yourself for it when you get back home. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!

Connecticut is the picturesque southern gateway to New England - a mixture of town, country and quaint coastal villages. Beyond the towns and major cities inhabited by New York commuters are calm colonial villages set in a rural landscape, quietly hiding much of the nation's early history and an abundance of antique stores.

The third-smallest state in the USA, Connecticut has a rich literary history. Hartford was the home of Mark Twain and tourists can visit The Mark Twain House, at Nook Farm, where he wrote his greatest work in 1884, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The coastal metropolis of New Haven has an extraordinary list of firsts, including being the home of the first hamburger sandwich and the first lollipop. It is also home to Yale University.

Where to stay in Connecticut

Hotels

Hotels in Connecticut range from luxury hotels by the beach to independent, cheap motel accommodation. Quality Inn, Hyatt, Courtyard by Marriott, Doubletree and Hilton are among the well-known, upmarket hotels in Connecticut. Hotels in the New England coastal region are extremely popular during the summer, particularly its spa hotels.

Those who like to gamble should opt for the well-known Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket and the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, both in the Mystic region of southeastern Connecticut.

Bed And Breakfast

There are plenty of bed and breakfast accommodation options throughout Connecticut, ranging from farm stays to charming, historic New England properties. There is a good choice of bed and breakfast options in Hartford, New Haven and Litchfield.

Camping Caravaning

There are a number of different campsites to be found in the state parks and forests, particularly around Litchfield and Mystic. They offer a wide range of amenities and are close to fishing, hunting spots as well as outdoor activities.

Things to see and do in Connecticut

Hartford

Explore the state capital, Hartford (www.enjoyhartford.com). Families will enjoy the Bushnell Park Carousel, built in 1914, and Wadsworth Atheneum, the oldest public art museum in the country.

Mashantucket

Try your luck in the casinos of Foxwoods Resort (www.foxwoods.com), or tour the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in Mashantucket.

Mystic Seaport

Discover Connecticut's maritime past at Mystic Seaport. Inspect displays of wooden ships, a maritime museum and art and craft collections. Marvel at the sharks, dolphins and seals at Mystic Aquarium. Shop and dine in the New England colonial setting of Olde Mistick Village (www.oldmysticvillage.com).

New Haven

Explore the thriving cultural life of New Haven (www.visitnewhaven.com), the site of Yale University, the Peabody Museum of Natural History and the Center for British Art. New Hope is a region of inventions, medical milestones, a long list of firsts and 10 national historic landmarks.

Nook Farm

See Hartford's literary heritage at Nook Farm - the place where Mark Twain wrote his greatest work, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1884. The cottage next door was once the home of author Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Stonington Borough

Venture 8km (5 miles) east of Mystic to Stonington Borough, a delightful old fishing village, which boasts a number of antique shops and a Lighthouse Museum (www.stoningtonboroughct.com).

REFERENCE SITES:

http://www.travelresearchonline.com/

Who has connections to Connecticut? That's where rich people go to live the rest of their life in the woods.

Patrice O'Neal

  

Travel  and create magnificent memories for your family!