The Swamp

We have a tour of UConn planned for Monday, and figured we'd take advantage of a long weekend and try to spend Sunday doing something in CT and stay over for the morning tour. After doing some digging, there is a whole bunch of nothing in CT! What a lame-ass state. Biggest tourist attraction is the Mark Twain house? I remember liking Mystic Seaport when I was about 5 or 6. Spent 10 minutes there while at a work conference nearby and I can't see that keeping my kids entertained for more than 10 minutes. Really just need about half a day's worth of activities. Found an adventure ropes course/zip line place, but it's looking like scattered showers all day. Open to any suggestions.

Also finding it really surprising that there doesn't seem to be any hotels within 20 minutes of campus. Over 18,000 undergraduates and no hotels? WTF?

Six Flags New England is in Springfield, MA, which is super close to Hartford. Looks to be only about 45 minutes from UConn.

I've lived in the state next to Connecticut for over 40 years. Here are the top 10 things I've done in the Nutmeg state:
1. Got throw up drunk in New Haven
2. Went to a concert in Hartford
3. Got bored in casinos
4. Stuck in traffic
5. Got pissed that I didn't get gas before leaving NJ because it's so much more expensive in Connecticut
6. Stuck in traffic
7. stuck in traffic
8. avoided several speed traps on 84
9. stuck in traffic
10. stuck in traffic

EdRomero wrote: ↑Fri Jun 30, 2023 8:53 pm I've lived in the state next to Connecticut for over 40 years. Here are the top 10 things I've done in the Nutmeg state:
1. Got throw up drunk in New Haven
2. Went to a concert in Hartford
3. Got bored in casinos
4. Stuck in traffic
5. Got pissed that I didn't get gas before leaving NJ because it's so much more expensive in Connecticut
6. Stuck in traffic
7. stuck in traffic
8. avoided several speed traps on 84
9. stuck in traffic
10. stuck in traffic

I’ve got 3-10 checked off my bucket list. Expected 3 hour trip took almost 7 hours, kept making me change highways to avoid an accident, then there’d be a worse won and switched me back.

Maybe drive the entire perimeter of the state?

Rex wrote: ↑Fri Jun 30, 2023 9:35 pm Maybe drive the entire perimeter of the state?

Or I could detour to Scranton and complete I-84.

I saw DMB in Hartford in 1997 or 1998.

Old-Newgate Prison is pretty fun.

Well, no. But it is if you're into history.

There's also a pretty decent submarine museum in New London.

But yes, it's fun for field trips (Mass has Sturbridge which is like Mystic Seaport) and once you age out of that? You drink down the street at the Williams house. It's cool cuz his dad is out of town again. Bring your trunks cuz he's setting up his equipment in the backyahd.

Why not go to the Basketball HoF in Springfield?

Old Sturbridge village hadn't thought of that in a long time

The Submarine Museum in Groton is worth checking out. Some of the exhibits were hands-on, which was neat, and the demonstration of how subs have grown over the years was very cool. You can tour the USS Nautilus, which is the first nuclear-powered sub ever built, but they don’t let you see the engine room because some tech in it is still classified.

Otherwise, I didn’t find Connecticut to be impressive.

Sabo wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 6:33 am The Submarine Museum in Groton is worth checking out. Some of the exhibits were hands-on, which was neat, and the demonstration of how subs have grown over the years was very cool. You can tour the USS Nautilus, which is the first nuclear-powered sub ever built, but they don’t let you see the engine room because some tech in it is still classified.

Otherwise, I didn’t find Connecticut to be impressive.

That sounds cool to me, not sure a 14 yo girl or my wife would be interested. OTOH, my daughter became obsessed with the lost submersible story, so… maybe? She’ll be miserable no matter what we do.

The most fun thing I’ve done in Connecticut is renting a car and driving to Rhode Island to get high with Jerloma.

Funnily enough, I’ll also be in CT next weekend for the first time. That said, we have a family thing so I’ll be occupied.

Go to New Haven (maybe an hour away from stores and do a pizza tour and drop by Yale. I’d be all over the Sub Museum but I don’t see that having a lot of appeal to the other family constituencies as you have predicted.

Crash Pentz's family reunion.

govmentchedda wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 9:12 am Crash Pentz's family reunion.

That was my plan.

The father of one of my freshman year room mates was the curator of the Mystic Seaport museum.

Is Toad's still around in New Haven?

DaveInSeattle wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 3:34 pm The father of one of my freshman year room mates was the curator of the Mystic Seaport museum.

Is Toad's still around in New Haven?

Yup.