Connecticut

Connecticut

This is just a wholesome, family friendly state. There should be something for the entire family to enjoy at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, which houses collections of decorative art, natural science, and anthropology. They also throw festivals and educational programs throughout the year. Continue down the Connecticut Art to the Bush-Holley Historic Site in Cos Cob/Greenwich, the Weir Farm National Historic Site in Wilton/Ridgefield, and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk. In the Greater New Haven region: the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven. In the Litchfield region, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield and Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center in Waterbury. In the Mystic region, the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, the William Benton Museum of Art in Mansfield/Storrs, the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, and the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain. In the Hartford / Central region, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford. Another museum that should be on the list is the Yale –Peabody Museum. It was established in 1866 by the first Professory of Paleontology in North America. Professor Marsh donated the dinosaurs he named Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Brontosaurus in the museum’s Great Hall.

Another gem that offers something for the entire family is the River Museum, where you can run across bald eagles and other birds. The history of this place includes dinosaurs, Native Americans, and Dutch explorers, offering lots of history.

If you like to be outside visit the Northwest Park and Nature Center has 12 miles of hiking trails that during the winter you can also use for snowshoeing or cross country skiing. They also offer demonstrations on maple sugaring and Coffee House Concerts. You can also see the stars at the Copernican Observatory whether through the largest telescope in the US or in the planetarium. Or enjoy one of my favorite pit stops is the Creamery Bison Farm in Brooklyn is a place where you can see bison, eat icecream, and take a wagon ride. So far- no down side.

Good old American History would force you to drop in on the inventor of the cotton gin by stopping by the Eli Whitney Museum in Hamden. If you prefer your history in writing, stop by Mark Twain’s House and Museum in Hartford. You can also learn about the Woodland Indians at the Institute for American Indian Studies. Lots of exhibits to show you about the way of life of the people, but also hike, look at gardens, buy some jewelry or pottery, etc.

One of the coolest things in Connecticut has got to be the Watertown Alpaca South Wind Farms. They of course sell various materials made out of the alpaca hair (which is supposedly second only to cashmere)

In terms of nightlife, feel free to see a show at the Warner Theatre and while you are there you can enjoy the architecture, the inside design, murals, glass chandeliers and more that make this place famous.

Like all the other states, Connecticut offers alchol. Connecticut wineries make ciders and fruit wines. The best known winery, is the Litchfield Winter Wine Trail that runs in the winter and makes a full event out of it offering sledding, etc.