Hartford, CT - Things to Do ??
 

I will be making a mileage run to and from Hartford, CT soon and wondered what would be a worthwhile way to spend a Saturday in that general area?

Also, any suggestions for Italian or German restaurants?

Thanks!

Since the airport is already quite a bit north of Hartford, you might want to rent a car and drive north to Massachusetts. You could be in the heart of the Berkshires in less than a hour, and you might even catch the fall colors. There are many wonderful little towns and villages - Amherst due north or Lenox and Stockbridge a little to the west.

I've always thought the best thing to do in Hartford is to drive to Boston.

The Wadsworth Atheneum is having a very good exhibit called "The Impressionists at Argenteuil" through Dec 3.
http://www.wadsworthatheneum.org/

The Foxwoods Resort and Mohegan Sun casinos are about an hour drive from BDL, near Norwich. Both are quite nice.

Actually, to see the last of the fall colors, drive south about an hour, to the shore (I-91 South). Up north might be all done, but down here, it is truly AWESOME !!! . For Italian restaurants, try Carbones in Hartford, or Caveys (downstairs) in Manchester (about a 20 minute drive from BDL).

[This message has been edited by BIM (edited 10-22-2000).]

If you're of literary bent, visit the houses of Mark Twain and his next-door neighbor, Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Used to live near there 5 years ago. Try Franklin Avenue, off Hwy.91. Its their little Italy. Great bakeries. Two good restaurants. DiFiore's and Carbone's(there all good). If you travel a little bit north, up 91 to Mass., Springfield has the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Mangia!
Hope those are smiles showing.

Springfield has the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Further North, there is Northampton, which has absolutely FANTASTIC dining. Regardless of your tastes, you will find something you'll like.

There's also a ton of boutique-type shops downtown (or, shoppes, as they tend to call themselves).

Further north still is "The Scenter of the Universe". Yankee Candle Company. Scented Candles and a year-round Christmas village. A great place for a little early Christmas shopping.


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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."

If you do head north, consider the Delaney House Restaurant, in Holyoke, MA, for a break from the normal fare. A very nice place - excerpt from the menu "...based on availability-the chef prepares venison, partridge, bison, bear and other items, something different each day "
http://www.delaney-house.com/

[This message has been edited by BIM (edited 10-23-2000).]

1. Check pollstar.com to ascertain if Hartford Arena is hosting any concerts that interest you. 2. Look up the University of Connecticut website for sports and cultural events in nearby Storrs. 3. Essex to the south of Hartford is a classic New England village with quality shopping, restaurants and well-kept period architecture.

There's a small but great aviation musuem right at BDL.

I second both the Athenium and the Mark Twain House. The latter is an idiosyncratic mish-mosh architecturally, and the tour is a delightful mix of Twain's history and stories by and about him. Together with lunch somewhere (the Athenium's cafe isn't bad) these can easily be done in a few hours - perfect for a mileage run!

I just completed a mileage run to BDL, and took the 1 hour drive to the Foxwoods casino. The best part was the drive. The fall colors were awesome!

Consider some of the following:

* Basketball Hall of Fame-Springfield, MA
* Norman Rockwell Museum- Stockbridge, MA
Red Lion Inn is great- on Main Street.
* Northampton for Dining- Eastside Grill is
excellent as are all of the rest. in the
area.
* Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun Casinos in CT
* Boston or NYC 2-3 hrs away if you want to
take the drive.
* Yankee Candle in South Deerfield is great!
* Springfield Rest.- Lido's( Italian), The
Student Prince (German), Van Horn Spa
(Irish), and Tilly's.

If you arrive after Thanksgiving, Bright Nights at Forest Park should be open and is very nice! If you need more information or have any questions, feel free to email me.
Enjoy your trip!