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North America : United States of America : New England : Connecticut

Connecticut

Hartford Rocky Hill Marriott: The Hartford Marriott Rocky Hill is minutes away from downtown Hartford, CT. The hotel has 247 guest rooms, a fitness center, indoor whirlpool, and 8,600 sq ft of beautifully designed meeting space.

Connecticut [1] is a small New England state, full of charm, rural beauty and several major cities. The State's top tourist attractions include Yale University, which maintains numerous world-class museums, Mystic Seaport, the restaurant and nightlife scene in downtown New Haven, The Maritime Aquarium, and two major Native American casinos.

Regions

Cities

  • Hartford - The state capital.
  • Bridgeport- The most populated city in the state.
  • Danbury - Also known as Hat City, Danbury is home to Western Connecticut State University, Candlewood Lake, and many good restaurants.
  • Greenwich - Ranked the 12th greatest place to live, Greenwich is a quaint town with a great view of Long Island.
  • Mystic - This is one of the most common places to visit, due to the historic seaport and aquarium.
  • New Haven - the state's "creative capital" and home to the greatest amount of pedestrian life, top-rated restaurants and tourist attractions
  • New London - Home to the coast guard acadamy, New London has a historic view of Long Island Sound.
  • Norwalk - home to trendy SoNo with an active night life and The Maritime Aquarium
  • Waterbury - This is a small urban community with lots to do. Look for the Union Station Clocktower that overlooks the city.

Other destinations

Connecticut is rich with history, nature, art and beauty. Truly something for everyone. While many people are drawn each year to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos, there is much more in this state. There are a number of beaches at the shore, state parks and forests throughout the state, and many smaller parks as well. Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam is an excellent family destination. So is the Essex Steam Train and River Boat Ride in Essex.

Beaches

See "Do"

Understand

Geography

Connecticut is split by the Connecticut River, the largest river in New England. The state has 8 counties, and 167 towns and cities. The largest lake, Candlewood lake, is located near the New York border.

Weather

Like most of New England, the weather in Connecticut is varied with the seasons. It can be highly unpredictable in the spring and fall months. The weather in Connecticut is generally stable compared to many other parts of the country. Dangers that plague many regions of the country (e.g., tornadoes, mudslides, earthquakes, etc.,) are not a danger here.

It is recommended to bring clothes for a variety of temperatures when visiting, and to check the weather report closely. Although there are periods of little or no rain, a raincoat or umbrella are good items to pack. Warm clothes in the winter and light clothes in the summer are also important, although it is recommended to pack a light jacket, even in the summer months.

Talk

New Britain, Connecticut is well known for its large Polish community. Large cities in Connecticut, such as Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven and Waterbury have significant Hispanic populations. Bridgeport also has a small Brazilian area. New Haven's Chinatown caters to Mandarin speakers, and Wooster St serves as the city's "Little Italy."

Many people in Fairfield County have a New York accent with the county's proximity to New York City, while some people in Northern Connecticut have a Boston accent.

Get in

By plane

In state

  • Tweed New Haven Regional Airport, 155 Burr Street, New Haven, +1 203 466-8833, [4]. A smaller airport with flights to Philadelphia.
  • Waterbury-Oxford Airport, popular with private aviation. [5] [6]
  • Sikorsky Mem'l Airport [7] in Stratford is a private aircraft charter service based there.
  • Meriden Airport [8] in Meriden, CT provides private air charter.
  • Danbury Municipal Airport in Danbury is mainly used for general aviation.

Out of state

  • Laguardia, JFK, and Newark in the New York City area are all a common choice for travelers in the western part of the state. These are all larger airports then in-state airports, and have more flight opportunities.
  • Logan International Airport in Boston can be a good choice for travelers going to the northeast corner of the state, but is far away from any of the major cities, such as Hartford and New Haven.

By ferry

  • There is a ferry that leaves from Port Jefferson, Long Island to Bridgeport daily, cars are allowed on that ferry.

By train

Amtrak [9] provides frequent service to Connecticut destinations on trains between Penn Station in New York City and South Station in Boston. MetroNorth [10] provides requent weekday commuter service from Grand Central Station Manhattan and several cities and towns in southwestern Connecticut's Fairfield and New Haven counties.

By bus

As with trains, there are frequent intercity buses between South Station Boston and Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan with stops in Connecticut. Major bus lines serving Connecticut include Peter Pan [11] and Greyhound [12].

By car

Those entering Connecticut by car from the west can choose from three major routes. Interstate 84 enters Danbury, Connecticut from Pennsylvania and the lower Hudson Valley of New York and continues to Waterbury, Hartford and Worcester. The Merrit Parkway, closed to trucks and buses, enters the state from New York's Westchester County, and is considered one of America's most scenic highways because of how its design matches the bucolic leafiness of the suburbs that surround it. An extension of the Parkway tunnels under a hill north of New Haven and continues to Meriden where it merges with Interstate 91 going north towards Hartford and beyond. Interstate 95 traverses the east coast of the United States from Maine to Florida, and runs along Connecticut's coast from east to west. The visitor should be aware I-95 North according to federal road signs is actually going East in Connecticut, and I-95 South is going West in Connecticut. Between New York and New Haven I-95 goes through densely populated suburbs and is heavily congested. East (North according to directional signs on the road) of New Haven I-95 goes through more rural coastal towns and is not so congested.

Entering the state from Boston involves taking the Massachusetts Turnpike also known as Interstate 90 west to I-84, or Route 6, a two-lane road, or Interstate 95 from Rhode Island.

Get around

By Car

Car is the easiest way to travel through the state, and the best if you are planning on sightseeing.Several major highways, including I95 and I84, run through the state.

By bus

  • Connecticut Transit (CTTRANSIT), 100 Leibert Road, Hartford, Phone: +1 860 522-8101, Fax: +1 860 247-1810, [13].
  • Bridgeport is served by its own service.
  • New Haven is also served by a free electric trolley system that runs the downtown area.

By Thumb

Hitchhiking along the I-95 corridor is not difficult, as the highway is serviced by a very nice series of rest stops. Walk on, stick out your thumb, and you should have no trouble getting a ride. In addition, the Fairfield service plaza (exit 21) is a frequent stop for buses between New York and Boston, and if there are any empty seats, it is possible to get on, often for free or reduced price if you're a good negotiator.

See

Botanical Gardens

  • Barlett Arboretum and Gardens is located in Stamford.
  • Connecticut College Arboretum is located in New London.
  • Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum is located in Rocky Hill, south of Hartford.
  • Harkness Memorial State Park is located in Waterford, west of New London.
  • Highstead Arboretum is located in Redding, near Danbury
  • Marsh Botanical Garden is located on the Yale Campus in New Haven
  • New Caanan Nature Center is located in New Canaan, near Stamford and Norwalk

Colleges

  • Yale University is the 3rd oldest university in the country, and is one of the country's 8 Ivy League Schools. This school has been home to many famous people, including presidents, authors, judges, and senators. Yale is located in the downtown area of New Haven, overlooking the green.
  • University of Connecticut, more commenly known as UConn, is a good college with a famous basketball team. It is located in Storrs, near Hartford
  • The United States Coast Guard Academy and Coast Guard training tallship USCGC Eagle in New London.

Forts

Lighthouses

  • Avery Point Light is located in Groton, near New London
  • Black Rock Harbor Light is located in Bridgeport
  • Bridgeport Harbor Light is located in Bridgeport.
  • Great Captain Island Light is located in Greenwich.
  • Green's Ledge Light is located in Norwalk.
  • Falkner Island Light is located on the small island of Falkner Island, off the coast of Groton.
  • Five Mile Point Light is located in New Haven.
  • Lynde Point Light is located in Old Saybrook, near New London.
  • Morgan Point Light is located in Noak, a small village in Groton.
  • Mystic Seaport Light is located in Mystic.
  • New London Harbor Light is located in New London.
  • Pecks Ledge Light is located in Norwalk.
  • Saybrook Breakwater Light is located in Old Saybrook.
  • Sheffield Island Light is located on Sheffield Island, off the coast of Norwalk.
  • Southwest Ledge Light is located in New Haven.
  • Stratford Point Light is located in Stratford.
  • Tongue Point Light is located in Bridgeport.

Sports

Minor League Baseball

  • Brideport Bluefish in Bridgeport
  • Connecticut Defenders in Norwich
  • New Britain Rock Cats in New Britain

Hockey

Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)

Schools

Colleges such as Yale and UConn have many sports games open to the public.

Zoos

Do

Amusement Parks

  • Lake Compounce is the oldest amusement park in the United States. Located in Bristol, this park has dozens of rides for all ages, and good food.
  • Quassy is an old amusement park in Middlebury. This park is more suited for younger children.

Aquariums/Seaports

  • Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk
  • Mystic Aquarium and Mystic Seaport in Mystic

Beaches

  • Calf Pasture Beach is a historical beach in Norwalk
  • Cove Island Park is a beach/park in Stamford
  • Cummings Park is a beach/park in Stamford
  • Pleasure Beach is a great family beach/park in Bridgeport
  • Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme
  • Sherwood Island State Park in Westport
  • Silver Sands State Park in Milford

Casinos

  • Mohegan Sun is the largest casino in the country, and the second largest in the world. It is located in Uncasville
  • Foxwoods is the second largest casino in the country, and the third largest in the world. It is located in Ledyard

Eat

Connecticut has an incredible amount of restaurants everywhere you go. There are thousands of restaurants state wide. Downtown New Haven is widely considered the restaurant capital of the state, with more top Zagat-rated restaurants than any other community in Connecticut by a wide margin. Interesting ethnic restaurants, including Eritrean, Malaysian, Turkish, Spanish, French, Mexican, Cuban, Jamaican, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Southern and Northern Indian, Nepalese, Cantonese and Italian restaurants can be found throughout the city. Also, the state's large casinos have plenty of dining opportunities.

Drink

Be warned that there are only 78 hours of the week in which alcohol can be purchased, which is 8am-9pm Monday-Saturday and none on Sunday. If you go to any supermarket on Sunday, you will see that the beer is gated off.

Stay safe

Crime

Although Connecticut is well known for its affluence, and is the third wealthiest state in America, there are sections in the state's largest cities (especially Hartford, Bridgeport, and New Haven) that have dangerous potential, especially at night. Common sense will more than likely keep you far from any signs of trouble in Connecticut, as the state is widely considered to be one of the safest in the country.

Ticks

Connecticut is the infamous birthplace of Lyme Disease. Make sure you know what to do if you are bitten. Tick season is usually from the spring to the fall.

Get out

This page was last edited at 00:54, on 21 March 2009 by Wikitravel user Aquamarine. Based on work by Ryan Holliday, David P. Williams and David, Wikitravel user(s) Smt101, LtPowers, ViMy, Episteme and Texugo, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.