CONNECTICUT STATE -  UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION GUIDE

Why Vacation in Connecticut?   by Luigi Chan

As a New England vacation travel writer I've always considered Connecticut an overlooked state when people choose destinations and attractions for a New England vacation. As you'll discover here a Connecticut vacation offers excitement... or peace and quiet, depending on your mood.

Let's take a quick look at seven reasons why you should consider a Connecticut vacation for your next New England trip.

THE MUSEUMS OF CONNECTICUT

With more than 14 diverse theme museums in Connecticut, there's bound to be something to suit your taste. Here's a quick rundown...

Bridgeport is home to The Barnum Museum and Discover Museum, and at Danbury you'll find the Military Museum of Southern New England and the Danbury Railway Museum. Keeping with a train theme Thomaston hosts the Railroad Museum of New England and Naugatuck Railroad.

In Bristol you can find The New England Carousel Museum and period time pieces at the American Clock and Watch Museum. Just a little south in Waterbury is Time Expo, and a chance to celebrate the heritage of the Litchfield region at the Mattatuck Museum. At the Connecticut Antique Machinery Museum in Kent experience machinery that once drove commerce in the area.

Windsor Locks is not just home to Bradley International Airport but also to the New England Air Museum and south in East Haven experience another form of transportation at the Shore Line Trolley Museum.

And rounding out our must-see list is Mystic's Museum of America and the Sea, and the fabulous Mashantucket Pequot Museum in nearby Mashantucket.

THE CONNECTICUT WINE TRAIL

Wineries in Connecticut? Yes, in fact there's 16 of them scattered throughout the state, and they make a perfect basis for a Connecticut Vacation. The climate in Connecticut is mild compared to the rest of New England and wines produced include: Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, and Riesling. While Connecticut wines have only been produced since 1978, many farms where the grapes are grown are hundreds of years old. The wine tasting room will usually be open but call ahead for a tour time. You'll find these wineries not geared for large bus loads, but on the plus much more intermit than wineries in Northern California.
 

The wine trail is split into two major regions and it's suggested your tour is split up over three to four days. But because the trail takes you near so many other destinations and attractions in Connecticut let yourself be distracted and enjoy the jaunt through scenic and historic New England towns. FOXWOODS AND MOHEGAN SUN Combined Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun make the largest casino complex in the world. Foxwoods in owned and run by Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, and Mohegan Sun by Mohegan Tribe on lands they own in Uncasville. These are sophisticated high-style experiences with shopping complexes, hotels, high profile entertainment acts, and top-rated restaurants. They are both close to each other and located in the eastern region of Connecticut, and close to museums, scenic drives, and the Connecticut vacation attractions in Mystic.

Forest of Eastern Hemlock Trees in East Haddam, Connecticut, USA Buy at AllPosters.com

HISTORIC HOMES OF CONNECTICUT

Perhaps the most famous home to see on your Connecticut vacation is Mark Twain's in Hartford, which is now a museum as well full of many artifacts he accumulated in the 17 years he lived there. Also in Hartford is Harriet Beecher Stowe home of Uncle Tom's Cabin fame. Another famous woman's home is the academy run by Prudence Crandall in Canterbury - it's the site of the first academy for black women in New England. Your trip to Connecticut should include the town of Litchfield where you can view museum quality preserved colonial homes, and the Litchfield History Museum and Tapping Reeve House and Law School.
 

Mark Twain's House, Hartford, CT Buy at AllPosters.com

Connecticut includes many historic homes that played an important role in the Underground Railroad and the African-American journey from slavery to freedom. ESSEX STEAM TRAIN AND THE CONNECTICUT RIVER The historic 1892 Essex station is your kick-off point for a unique combined 21/2 hour vintage Steam Train and Riverboat Cruise along the Connecticut River. In the summer it's cooling, and in the fall stunning with the turning of the leaves. The Connecticut River Museum is also in Essex and vividly brings to life the river's history as told through paintings, artifacts, and interactive exhibits. THE TOWN OF MYSTIC Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Aquarium are magnets for visitors to Connecticut. The seaport is billed as The Museum of America and the Sea and depicts an authentic 19th century seafaring village, tall ships to tour, and a Preservation Yard where master shipbuilding skills are still practiced. The Mystic Aquarium includes a delightful array of indoor and outdoor exhibits, including Beluga whales, and a stunning display and model of the Titanic.

THE ANTIQUE RUNS

Connecticut is famous for its concentration of antique shops, and draws thousands of treasure hunters each year who take a Connecticut vacation just to stock up on bargains and specimens to collect and decorate their homes. The village of Woodbury is known as the "Antiques Capital of Connecticut" and has over 45 dealers, but the fact is you're never too far from that special purchase no matter where you are in the state. Just sometimes its nice to take the time to follow your nose along a scenic New England road and see where it takes you... you can bet if it's in Connecticut, it'll take you close to an antique shop.

Connecticut, one of the smallest states in the nation, is not well recognized as a tourist location. However, if you do your homework you might find that it is a pleasant place to spend your holiday. It is a place worth the visit. In the past, you may have traveled in Florida, Arizona, or Colorado, but now you wish to find more regions to visit in your country. Maybe this is the time to have a agreeable vacation exploring the Connecticut tourist areas; you'll particularly enjoy the seaside or the gold coast in Connecticut.
 

The Connecticut Seaside  Thirteen miles due east of New Haven there are more places to visit in the Connecticut tourist area known as Guilford. This area is perhaps the earliest Connecticut colonial community, dating back to 1639. Here, you explore many historic homes and a couple of these homes are accessible to holidaymakers. Twenty miles outside of New Haven is Madison. Here, Connecticut showcases numerous historical structures, many of them grand homes. An agricultural district surrounds Madison and visitors to the area will enjoy the characteristic architectural style as it was in the 1700s. While traveling around Madison, you might want to stop at the Connecticut tourism department and locate Hammonasset State Park, which is located within the peninsula on Long Island Sound. This State Park has the only public recreational seaside beach for water activities in this area.

Close-Up of Concession Sign at a Carnival, New London, Connecticut, USA Buy at AllPosters.com

New Haven Connecticut 

The New Haven area has had its share of Economic difficulties. However, the financial climate has improved during the last few years. Traveling throughout Connecticut you should take time to discover the State. New Haven has its entertainment, with its theaters and performing art centers. If you only wish to sight see and take photographs, Connecticut offers you plenty with its museums, and of course world renowned Yale, one of the nations prestigious universities. You can take your entire household on this vacation. You and your household will get much pleasure from seeing how the upper class lives in their gated communities on Long Island Sound. Connecticut's exclusive coastline is situated in the southwestern corner of that State, and holds the treasure of fantastic mansions, exquisite marinas, and multimillion-dollar condominiums. This favorite spot for Connecticut tourism is one of the wealthiest regions in the United States.

Fairfield County is known as the Connecticut Gold Coast. However, as you travel inland you'll notice that the wooded areas begin to become more dense, and the land gradually has an upward incline. In place of the yachts, you begin to see horses grazing in their paddocks on many large estates. As you tour inland visit Connecticut's outstanding restaurants, and take a stroll along the quaint streets. Do a little gift shopping at the exclusive bounties and make some time to be with your family on the seaside. There are quaint villages along the north shore known are Connecticut tourism locations.