Connecticut - Small(ish) state, lots(ish) to do.

Connecticut might not look like that big of a state, but it is. Or maybe it's not that it's big, it's that they pack a lot into it. If you've ever driven down a Connecticut back road you know it's compact! Some of the roads aren't wide enough to spare the room to draw a yellow line down the center. So while I can't give you a 'what-to-do' for the entire state, and I wasn't in one particular big city that I can talk about, I'm just going to highlight a few of the places I visited.

Captain's Cove:
This little gem (oh my gosh, I can't believe I used the word gem), located on Black Rock Harbor, packs a lot of fun into a small place. Like its home state. What you'll find when you arrive in Captain's Cove is a boardwalk, looking out onto boat docks and a small harbor, and a long row of tiny houses, all built in Colonial and Victorian styles. Only they aren't houses, they're stores. Selling stuff and junk alike. Once you walk beyond the stores, you'll find a large restaurant and a fascinating collection of memorabilia; some looks like it came out of a circus tent, and some appears to have fallen off an old fishing boat. The stores open in the afternoon (although some owners open earlier). The Cove was a unique and entertaining find. More than the stores I loved the collection of...'things'...kept on the boardwalk near the restaurant.


Mystic:
There's a lot to do at Mystic Seaport, if you want to pay for it. Which I didn't, so I can't speak personally about most of it. But I can tell you that there's a 19th Century Village where you can see exhibits and roleplayers. See how 19th Century life was with demonstrations and educators. There's also a lot of old historic boats you can go on-board to check out. However, when I was there, the most famous boat, Charles W. Morgan was being restored under a heap of scaffolding and plastic. The seaport also has a planetarium, to fill you in on 19th Century navigation. Oh, and there's a Mystic Pizza, of course. But no Julia Roberts. And most of the movie was filmed in Rhode Island. Darn you, misguiding movie industry!
If you want to venture a couple miles down the street you can visit Old Mistick Village. Lots of stores with lots of shopping, plus a couple snack shops and restaurants. It's a pretty big village, and the stores offer a great variety.

Old Mistick Village Duck Land

And then there is the Mystic Aquarium. Where you do aquarium things. Or get married with a beluga whale officiating. Or if you aren't engaged, you can have cocktails with the whales. Who doesn't want to spend their afternoon with a sloshed whale!

Bronx Zoo

Bronx Zoo:
Ok, technically this one is in New York. In the Bronx, if you hadn't gathered. I've become a bit of a zoo expert, self appointed, and this is a great zoo. It's big, and there's a lot of walking. But it's spacious for the animals and clean. There weren't too many animals hiding out of sight, although the red panda was either hiding or the snow leopard next door ate it. Lots of gift shops, so get ready mom and dad.

Maritime Aquarium

Maritime Aquarium:
Here's a place to do more aquarium things, in SoNo (that's South Norwalk, I'm told SoNo is what the cool people call it). It's a pretty small aquarium, but still a good afternoon filler. They currently have a white crocodile, which I can't accurately describe the creepiness of. They have an awesome touch tank, full of sharks and sting rays. And fish type things. A nursery aquarium shows baby sharks and sting rays.You can view the seals inside or outside, and get up close. There's also an IMAX theater. Also, I'm not sure how long they'll be at Maritime, or why Meerkats are even at an aquarium to begin with, but for now you can spend an hour or two watching the hilarious little things run around in the Africa exhibit. So when you drive up to the aquarium, that explains the giant Meerkat on the roof. You are in fact in the right place. FYI, parking is in the parking garage across the street.

Stew Leonard's:
Yep, you bet I just put a grocery store on my Connecticut to-do list! But this is a special grocery store. For starters, there's a petting zoo in the parking lot. Sheep, cows, ducks. It's also labeled as the World's Largest Dairy, featured in Ripley's Believe it Or Not and the Guinness Book. But that still isn't why this store is the best...at least if you're under 5. While you wander around picking up random food items, you'll find singing milk jugs and butter, egg laying chickens, a six foot cow walking around, and dancing celery. Lots of buttons to push. If you happen to be a button pusher. Don't just 'run in' to Stew Leonard's though. There's no running about it. It's a maze. One way in, one way out. That sounds ominous. As does singing butter.




Well there ya go, I've given you a few things to keep you busy on the eastern part of Connecticut. Especially if you need groceries and like aquariums.