Connecticut for the First Time
 

My husband and i are flying into Hartford from South Florida for the upcoming weekend for an event at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. We have all day Saturday to see the area. We will be leaving from Hartford and ending in Storrs Saturday evening. Would like to spend most of the time outdoors viewing beautiful scenery, stopping at some arty shops and eating some great food.

Any suggestions.

If the weather is rainy, I recommend the art museum in Hartford - I believe it is called the Atheneum. It's a wonderful museum - definitely worth going to. Also, the Mark Twain House and the Stowe house, which is next door.

West Hartford is interesting to walk around - some nice, ethnic restaurants. I wish I could remember the one we ate at last winter - it was middle eastern/mediteranean (I think). The park in downtown Hartford is pretty for walking around.

I agree with Kwoo: for shopping and dining, West Hartford is your best bet.

I also second the rec for the Wadsworth Atheneum, the Mark Twain House, and the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. The latter 2 are next to one another.
http://www.wadsworthatheneum.org/
http://www.marktwainhouse.org/
http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/

You can check out my recent day trip report to Hartford, where I visited all these places:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...or-9-hours.cfm

Hello,
I live in this area and went to UConn. What are you interested in doing? What type of food are you looking for? Fine dining? Pub-type food? Will you be staying near UConn or in the Hartford area?

I recommend:
Bidwell Tavern in Coventry, CT for a great selection of local-brews and fantastic wings.
Altnaveigh Inn in Mansfield/Storrs, CT (make reservations) for great food - more fine dining.
Main Street Cafe in Willimantic, CT for good beer and tasty food - fancier than Bidwell, but not what I'd consider upscale dining. See West Hartford for that type of food. This is a converted post office - nice building.
Cavey's in Manchester, CT has fantastic food and a quieter atmosphere than the restaurants in West Hartford although there isn't as much to do locally.
West Hartford Center for a good selection of restaurants, shopts, etc.
UConn itself is a rural campus. You should stop at the Dairy Bar for ice cream made with milk from their cows. There is also a nice walk around Horsebarn Hill Road that is scenic and short.
If you provide more info on your trip, I can provide more recommendations. If not, I hope you enjoy your trip!

-BAM

Thanks for the response.

We really have only one day to see the area. We like the outdoors, if we could drive to the coast in not more than 1 hr and see some nice scenery and small towns. Don't want to spend all our time driving. Not really interested in spending time in a big City.

thanks again.

The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public museum in the US.

The Mark Twain House as built and furnished to his specifications when he was the most prominent (and profitable) American author and lecturer of his time.

Both very worth a visit.

You might enjoy Essex. It's a delightful town along the Connecticut River which has numerous shops and a few dining spots. Old Saybrook is a pleasant town, also with small shops. We've enjoyed dining near the water. Take route 9 down to rt 154 along the river to Essex. At Chester there is a ferry to Hadlyme, near Gilette Castle state park - the ferry is an experience. enjoy the day

The Mansfield Hollow Dam is close to the UCOnn campus. Where are you staying? I wouldn't say this is the most scenic place to visit in CT but about 15 minutes from Storrs and a nice hiking spot.

Just over an hour from Storrs (maybe 1:10) is Mystic, CT which would be my choice. There is an aquarium, a seaport as well as outdoor shops - small shops, not big chain stores - that are all in a pedestrian only area.

Also, just down the road from Mystic is the stonington lighthouse (on Water Street in Stonington). There is a parking lot just beyond it that juts out into the ocean. You can bring a picnic and have lunch sitting on the rocks.

A good place to hike near Chester/Hadlyme is Devil's Hopyard State Park. There is a big waterfall there and hiking trails/picnic facilities. You can climb on the rocks at the base of the falls - very pretty. We've had a lot of rain this summer, but the falls are at their best in the spring.

As Bethie said, Head down to the Stonington/Mystic area for a look at the coast, go down to the point in Stonington and park and walk around the old part of town. Try Noah's in Stonington Burough or Daniel Packer's in Mystic for good food. This is about an hour from Storrs. Just east of there in RI is Watch Hill, for nice old "cottages" and a hike out to Napatree point to walk the beach.