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| River Valley Trail Getaway | |
Just a two-hour drive from New York City or Boston, Greater Hartford abounds with cultural treasures and a mélange of dining. Reserve the "Escape! Cultural Package" (promo code: EON) at the new Downtown Hartford Marriott; the package includes two admission tickets to the Wadsworth Atheneum. After checking in to the hotel, walk to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, the nation’s oldest public art museum famous for its Hudson River school paintings, rare Colt firearms, and the Wallace Nutting Collection of Early American Furniture. Before exploring the museum’s renowned collections, stop for a sumptuous lunch at The Museum Cafe…on the terrace, weather-permitting. For dinner, walk from the museum or hotel to Peppercorn's Grill for award-winning Italian cuisine. On Day Two, drive twenty minutes to the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington a 1901 mansion modeled on George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Situated in a lush rural setting, the house museum contains an outstanding collection of French Impressionist paintings and family memorabilia surrounded by landscaped gardens and walking paths. Lunch at The Grist Mill Cafe Restaurant in Farmington before driving twenty minutes to the New Britain Museum of American Art, presenting one of the finest collections of American paintings in New England in their newly completed Chase Family Building. The museum overlooks the Frederick Law Olmstead-designed Walnut Hill Park with paved walking paths. That evening, before taking in a symphony, opera, Broadway show or jazz concert at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, dine at trend-setting Max Downtown for award-winning fare. On Day Three, experience one of the nationally renowned homes of Mark Twain or Harriet Beecher Stowe before returning home.
For tourism information on the region, visit River Valley Regional Tourism District or call 800-793-4480. For tourism information on Connecticut, visit ctvisit.com. |
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| Fairfield County Trail Getaway | |
Explore sophisticated Greenwich and Coastal Fairfield County, just 35 miles from New York City, known as Connecticut's Gold Coast while you discover five world-class museums and historic sites along the Connecticut Art Trail.
Check-in to the luxurious Homestead Inn in Greenwich, a Relais & Chateaux property and head for Greenwich Avenue for designer shops, boutiques and art galleries ... dubbed the "Rodeo Drive of the East." Then, drive to the Bush-Holley Historic Site in Cos Cob/Greenwich, Connecticut's first Impressionist art colony and Bush-Holley historic home. Take the 45-minute tour of the home (offered at 12:15, 1:15, 2:15 or 3:15.) That evening, dine at one of the many fine restaurants along the Avenue or for a special occasion, treat yourselves to the Inn's award-winning restaurant, Thomas Henklemann.
On Day Two, check-out of The Homestead Inn and into the Delamar Greenwich Harbor Hotel, an intimate luxury waterfront hotel located across the street from the Bruce Museum. Walk to the Bruce Museum, for changing exhibitions of fine art, photography, ethnology and natural science in a park setting. Lunch al fresco back at the hotel at the famed L'Escale Restaurant.
After lunch, drive to the Center for Contemporary Printmaking, a multimedia studio and gallery dedicated to the art of the print housed in an historic landmark carriage house in Mathews Park. Stop at South Norwalk's Chocopologie cafe and retail store for a decadent chocolate treat before heading back to the hotel.
That evening, drive twenty minutes to the Dressing Room, Paul Newman's restaurant next to the Westport Country Playhouse for a pre-theatre dinner of authentic homestyle Connecticut cuisine before live theatre at the Westport Country Plahouse (8:00 curtain.)
On Day 3, check-out of the Delamar Hotel and drive twenty minutes to the Weir Farm National Historic Site and Weir Farm Art Center in Wilton to tour the studios and park grounds that inspired American impressionist painter J. Alden Weir. From Weir Farm, drive ten minutes to the neighboring town of Ridgefield and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, renowned as a national leader for its presentation of outstanding new art and cultivation of emerging artists. Get a bite to eat at Balducci's in Ridgefield before heading south to New York!
For tourism information on the region, visit Coastal Fairfield County Visitors Bureau or call 800-866-7925. For information on Connecticut tourism, visit ctvisit.com.
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| Litchfield Hills Trail Getaway | |
Just a one and one-half hour drive* from New York City, Litchfield Hills beckons with village greens, country inns, white-steepled churches and winding back roads. But it’s not all countryside in this northwestern corner of Connecticut. The Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center in downtown Waterbury and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield are two cultural treasures in this part of the state.
Start your getaway by checking-in to House on the Hill Bed and Breakfast in Waterbury, an1888 Victorian sitting high on a southern hillside, just blocks from the Mattatuck Museum. Walk to the Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center to view collections that focus on the region’s heritage and Connecticut’s master artists. Then take a five minute drive to Timexpo, the Timex Museum to learn the story of Timex since it began in the 1850’s.
End your day with award-winning steak or lobster at Carmen Anthony's Steakhouse, a local favorite.
On your second day after enjoying a sumptuous breakfast at the inn, drive 15 miles to Woodbury for some of the best antiquing and dining in New England. Woodbury is known as the Antiques Capital of Connecticut, with more than 45 antiques and arts dealers lining a six mile stretch along Route 6. Lunch at the award-winning Carole Peck’s Restaurant in Woodbury, named one of the nation's best restaurants by Zagat's in 2007. On the way back to the inn, stop at Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust for a nature walk. That evening, enjoy a pre-theatre dinner at San Marino Ristorante before a live performance at the Palace Theater or the Seven Angels Theatre .
On Day three, check out of the House on the Hill Bed and Breakfast and head back to New York with a stop along the way at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield. If time permits, spend the night at the historic Stonehenge Inn & Restaurant and dine at their AAA Four-Diamond restaurant. For more information on Litchfield Hills - Northwest Connecticut Convention & Visitors Bureau, visit their website or call 800-663-1273. For Connecticut Tourism, visit ctvisit.com.
*Don’t want to drive? Then take Metro North to Waterbury, where the innkeeper will pick you up at the train station and drive you to Hertz for a rental car. |
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| Mystic Country Trail Getaway - Mystic and the Shoreline | |
Bordering the charming Connecticut shoreline, Mystic and the Southeastern Connecticut region are rich in history, architecture and cultural attractions...and only a two hour drive from New York City or Boston.
Check-in to the Bee & Thistle Inn in Old Lyme (ask about their package with the Florence Griswold Museum), an elegant inn with eleven guest rooms, before walking to the Florence Griswold Museum, home of American Impressionism with one of the foremost collections of Impressionism in America. For lunch or a late snack, drive less than one mile from the museum to Old Lyme Ice Cream Shoppe and Cafe for premium ice cream, specialty coffee or sandwiches. Return to the comfort of the Bee & Thistle Inn Inn for relaxation and dinner in their superb dining room.
On Day Two, after a hearty breakfast at the inn, drive two miles to the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, which offers a comprehensive collection of European art as well as American fine and decorative art. A key strength of the museum is the collection of European works on paper. Have lunch at Fred's Shanty, a local favorite, for seafood and burgers (open seasonally) or Mr. G's Restaurant for sandwiches, salads, pizza and Italian specialties. After lunch, drive across the Thames River to the Submarine Force Museum in Groton (admission is free), the only submarine museum operated by the United States Navy, with the world's finest collection of submarine artifacts. Board the USS Nautilus, America's first nuclear-powered submarine and experience first-hand the thrill of being a submariner.
Or, continue on Route 1 to Mystic Seaport, the nation's largest maritime museum, where you can climb aboard historic tall ships, see a working shipyard in action, stroll through a re-created 19th century seafaring village on seventeen acres or ride aboard a 1908 steamboart (operated seasonally.)
Return to the Bee & Thistle Inn to freshen up before a short walk to dinner at the Old Lyme Inn: The Grill for tavern fare (open daily), or the romantic Winslow Dining Room (open Fridays and Saturdays).
On Day Three, if you are heading back toward New York, take exit 63 off I-95 to Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets, seventy outlet stores representing fine designers and name brands. If you are traveling north toward Boston, stop in Norwich for a visit to The Slater Memorial Museum, located on the Norwich Free Academy campus. See plaster-casts of ancient Greek sculpture; Connecticut, American and European paintings and decorative arts; contemporary American crafts; Asian textiles and decorative arts; Native American and pre-Columbian artifacts; and African and oceanic artifacts.
For tourism information on the region, visit Mystic Country Visitors Bureau or call 800-863-6569. For Connecticut tourism information, visit ctvisit.com. |
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| Mystic Country Trail Getaway - Northeastern "Quiet Corner" | |
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Just a 1-1/2 hour drive from Boston, Northeastern Connecticut boasts rolling hills, white-steepled churches, winding country roads, picturesque town commons and 18th century homes.
Nestled within this scenic landscape is the University of Connecticut at Mansfield/Storrs which is a destination in itself for its vibrant cultural scene. Check in to the Nathan Hale Inn & Conference Center located in the heart of the campus (ask about their Celebrate the Arts! package), then walk to the University's Lodewick Visitors Center to pick up brochures on the campus's four museums, performing arts center, farm and barn tours, etc.
Walk to the University's William Benton Museum of Art (free admission) to view changing exhibits of art from the 15th to 21st centuries. Visit the Café Muse for a snack or the UConn Dairy Bar for its famous home-made ice cream. Dine early dinner at the Inn's Blue Oak Cafe before a live performance at either the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts or the Connecticut Repertory Theatre.
On Day Two following breakfast at the Inn, walk to the UConn Animal Barns for a self-guided tour of their dairy and beef cows, sheep, horses and baby animals. Check their website for the schedule of feeding and milking times. For lunch, go to Kathy John's, a local landmark and favorite with the UConn crowd, known for delicious hamburgers, sandwiches and old-fashioned soda fountain milk shakes and sundaes. After lunch, return to campus to learn how Connecticut’s natural history is integrated with its cultural history at the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History.
Dine at the romantic Altnaveigh Inn in one of their three snug, distinctive dining rooms. In the summer, enjoy a drink on the patio; in the winter, dine before one of their warming fireplaces.
After you check out of the Nathan Hale Inn on Day Three, and if you are heading north toward Boston, stop at the elegant and award-winning Sharpe Hill Vineyard in Pomfret for a gourmet lunch (reservations required), wine tasting and tour of their 25-acre vineyard. Or, drive scenic Route 169 through Pomfret to Putnam for antiques stores and either casual or high-end dining.
For information on the area, visit the Mystic Country Visitors District. |
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| Greater New Haven Trail Getaway | |
If you love to walk in a city where you can park your car and walk from place to place, and feed your soul as well as your senses, then you will find much to love about downtown New Haven and the multi-faceted campus of Yale University, home to the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery. All just 75 miles from New York City (a 1-1/2 hour drive, or Metro North or Amtrak train ride.)
Check-in to the sophisticated AAA Four-Diamond Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale before walking two blocks to the Yale Center for British Art which houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom, exhibited in a striking building designed by American architect Louis I. Kahn. After dark, New Haven becomes a lively university town with a rich selection of dining options and nightlife. Adjacent to the Yale Center for British Art, dine al fresco at the convivial Scoozzi Trattoria and Wine Bar, known for imaginative pastas and superb desserts. After dinner, walk next door to the Yale Repertory Theater, one of America's leading professional theaters.
On Day Two, walk a few blocks from the Omni to Yale University Art Gallery, a fine-arts museum presenting works of art from ancient times to the present day --- and like the Yale Center for British Art, open year-round free of charge. The Gallery's main building, designed by American architect Louis I. Kahn, is a masterpiece of modern architecture and design which recently underwent a comprehensive renovation. The Gallery is located across Chapel Street from the Yale Center for British Art. Grab a light lunch plus great people-watching at a local favorite, Atticus Bookstore & Cafe. For a glimpse of college life, take a tour of Yale University campus (tours start at 149 Elm Street, Saturday & Sunday at 1:30 p.m., Monday - Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.) Hear about Yale's rich 300-year history and aspects of student life at several of Yale's twelve residential colleges. The tour also includes the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library, Yale's largest, and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Constructed with more than one hundred panels of translucent marble, the Beinecke is home to one of the world's preeminent collections of rare materials, including the Gutenberg Bible.
That evening, dine at the Union League Cafe, voted Connecticut's #1 restaurant in 2006 & 2007 and enjoy a live performance at the Shubert Theater.
On the third day, check-out of the Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale and enjoy an authentic Italian breakfast at Caffe Bottega, known for their excellent cappuccino and espresso. Then, head south on the Merritt Parkway and stop at one of the fine museums and historic sites in Fairfield County: the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, the Bush-Holley Historic Site in Cos Cob/Greenwich or the Weir Farm Art Center and National Historic Site in Wilton.
For more information on the Greater New Haven visitors district, visit their website or call (800) 332-STAY. For Connecticut Tourism, visit ctvisit.com. |
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