I have a free airline trip that I need to use by July 09. I am thinking of Connecticut during the April/May time frame for my husband and I. Talked to AAA and got a map and tour book, which I've been
I have a free airline trip that I need to use by July 09. I am thinking of Connecticut during the April/May time frame for my husband and I.
Talked to AAA and got a map and tour book, which I've been reading. Is this a good time of the year or too cold? We enjoy museums, history, small towns where we can talk to locals and browse.
Checking out B&Bs, restaurants but it seems expensive. Trying to stay in 'shoulder' season to keep expenses down.
Will fly into Hartford and stay one week. Best places to visit? What not to miss? Enough time to experience the state?
I love Ct in the spring! I would go in May and plan to stay in the Mystic/Colchester area. (Do not stay in Mystic,but instead, stay more in the countryside at a B&B. There are plenty of these.) Then, all around the area are small towns with beautiful scenery and plenty of people to chat with. Flowers are blooming and the weather is mild. By the way, if you like, you will also be near two of the largest gambling casino complexes in the world, Foxwoods is one. Flying into Hartford will be just the place as it is near all of these places. I also love the Glastonbury area. This town looks as it was drawn by an artist.If you stay near any of the places I have mentioned or nearby, you will find that driving distances are short and very scenic.One of my favorite things to do is drive around and look at all the lovely towns and countryside.
I forgot to mention that we have stayed at THE INN AT LOWER FARM and liked it a bunch. Nice rooms, lovely grounds,yummy breakfasts,friendly and knowledgeable hosts. Not that expensive.
April can still be a bit iffy in New England, so I would recommend May instead. There are more spring flowers out and the trees have started to seriously bud. In the absence of any freak snowstorms the weather is usually very pleasant by then.
Gillete Castle in East Haddam on the way to Mystic is worth a visit, as is Misquamicut beach (little early for a swim though ;). Actually I guess that's technically in RI, but it's right over the border. And really, there's a lot in RI that's worth a drive too. I would think a week should be plenty of time if you have a car.
I have a free airline trip that I need to use by July 09. I am thinking of Connecticut during the April/May time frame for my husband and I. Talked to AAA and got a map and tour book, which I've been reading. Is this a good time of the year or too cold? We enjoy museums, history, small towns where we can talk to locals and browse. Checking out B&Bs, restaurants but it seems expensive. Trying to stay in 'shoulder' season to keep expenses down. Will fly into Hartford and stay one week. Best places to visit? What not to miss? Enough time to experience the state? Posted by pebble
We haven't been in Conn. in the spring, but were on Cape Cod for 5 days at the end of March and beginning of April a couple of years ago and enjoyed lovely weather (all but one day was sunny), and it was not cold. I suspect that if you do enough online research you'll find an inexpensive, but nice enough place to stay. We stayed in a "motor hotel" with many amenities for just under $50 per night. While I doubt you'll find anything that good for so little, the shoulder season is a great choice (can't guarantee nice weather, but the chances are good).
You can also google for average temps and rainfall, y'know!
I have lived in a suburb of New Haven for 25 years and offer advice based on many years of day trips and long weekends traveling my own State.
Regarding weather, I agree with the post that said May would be a better bet than April as you risk cool and raining in April. Even though you will likely base yourself in a small town, don't overlook YALE university in New Haven. The museums there are world class and would take more than one day to see.
For small towns with a sense of history you may want to explore the Northwestern part of the State--known as Litchfield County (Sharon, Kent, Cornwall, Lakeville....) which is a part of the Southern Berkshires and borders on Massachusettes towns of Lee, Lenox, Stockbridge--prefect for your intersts. Although the Southern Berkshire/Litchfield county area is beautiful and full of Inns and B&Bs, be warned that it has also been discovered and has become a 2nd home to the wealthy and high powered from the Manhattan financial district and can be pricey.
Althernatively, the CT shoreline beyond New Haven offers great trendy and quaint seaside towns (Madison, Guilford, Old Saybrook..., all the way up to coastal Rhode Island.
The great news is that all these places are easy to drive to. My advice is to pick a base that is within 1 to 1.5 hours drive of all the areas you might like to visit and enjoy.
You don't say where you live, but CT is like the rest of New England, spring comes on its own schedule and doesn't always come all at once. So it can start, then retreat, then try again, then be beat back, etc.
Also, just so you are aware - it may seem like a small state but if you're really planning to visit "Connecticut" and not a specific town or area, there will be a lot of driving involved. The interstates in CT are very heavily trafficked, often only 2 lanes in each direction, and not in very good shape. The country roads are quaint but narrow, hilly and dark at night. And let's be honest, the countryside is beautiful but the major cities are pretty grungy and depressed. So if you visit Bridgeport or New Haven or Hartford, plan ahead be aware of your surroundings and don't be dumb. There are some pretty tough neighborhoods in those cities that should not be visited.
Having said that :), the shoreline east of New Haven gets very pretty and the parts of the state up near the Mass. border can be gorgeous.
I suggest you get the free CT Vacation Guide book from www.ctvisit.com to get a sense of what's here and where the attractions are. I live in middle part of CT and I love it here. It's also close to other attractions in Rhode Island and New York. So, if you had a rental car you can easily get to them using a map and a guide book. May is the best time to come; the flowers are in bloom and everything smells fresh! Have fun
