{"id":22545,"date":"2011-07-28T10:54:18","date_gmt":"2011-07-28T14:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/?p=22545"},"modified":"2025-09-02T02:57:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T06:57:47","slug":"connecticut-summer-activities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/22545\/connecticut-summer-activities\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecticut Calling: Seven Activities for Summertime Fun"},"content":{"rendered":"

May 1, 2011<\/p>\n

Connecticut is everything a car-free summer\u2019s day should be. A visit here gives you a touch of \u2018real\u2019 New England, without having to travel far from home. From tall ships and tattoos at Mystic Seaport, to a chance to tickle your taste buds at Mohegan Sun, to a culture vulture\u2019s treat in Hartford, a visit to the nutmeg state spells summer. Here are seven day or overnight trips that will acquaint you with this kinder, gentler state\u2019s many options for warm weather fun.<\/p>\n

What<\/strong>: Beluga Encounter | mysticaquarium.org
\nWhere<\/strong>: Mystic Aquarium, Mystic
\nWhen<\/strong>: May through October
\nWhy<\/strong>: Get nose-to-nose with New England\u2019s only beluga whales. Pull on a pair of waders and jump in right beside them during this special 90-minute program. You will wade waist-deep with a trainer beside you, as you touch and connect with these magnificent mammals. You will learn more about them, their habitat and the passionate efforts to conserve this species. This unforgettable experience costs $130.
\nHow to get here<\/strong>: Peter Pan Bus Lines drops you off next door.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Schooner

\"Martime

What<\/strong>: The Maritime Aquarium & Movie Package | maritimeaquarium.org
\nWhere<\/strong>: Norwalk
\nWhen<\/strong>: Valid Thursday-Sunday
\nWhy<\/strong>: Connecticut spells family, and Norwalk makes for an easy and affordable mini-vacation. The Four Points by Sheraton Norwalk is offering a room, two adult and two children\u2019s tickets to the super family-friendly Maritime Aquarium and the IMAX movie, starting at $108.10 per night.
\nHow to get here<\/strong>: Metro North\u2019s New Haven Line to South Norwalk.\u00a0 The hotel runs a free shuttle within the surrounding area. Call the hotel to arrange for pick-up at 203.849.9828.<\/em><\/p>\n

What<\/strong>: A Culinary Blast at Mohegan Sun | mohegansun.com
\nWhere<\/strong>: Uncasville, CT
\nWhy<\/strong>: You don\u2019t need to be a betting man to enjoy spending time in the land of the casino. If you\u2019re partial to celebrity chefs fare at bargain prices, you have hit the jackpot, as more than 25 eating establishments are represented at Mohegan Sun. At Todd English\u2019s Tuscany<\/em>, the buffet Tuscan Table<\/em> lunch costs only $22.95 weekdays, and includes traditional antipasti, authentic pasta dishes, cured meats and a stellar dessert table. Bobby\u2019s Burger Palace<\/em> presents an array of premium-quality burgers that Food Network dynamo Bobby Flay has selected, in a casual setting with low prices. If you crave luxury, try Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain<\/em>. The menu celebrates America\u2019s diverse culinary heritage, and offers regional specialties that showcase New England\u2019s bounty. Anticipation is high for this summer\u2019s opening of Ballo<\/em>. Chef John J. Tunney seeks to recreate an authentic Italian restaurant experience, from his food to his by-the-glass wines to the stunning bar, made with Carrera<\/em> marble. Consider staying the night, as this 34-story hotel has a spa, big name entertainment and lots of shopping options.
\nHow to get here<\/strong>: Greyhound from Port Authority or Metro North One-Day Getaway Package to New Haven, where you connect to the shuttle bus.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"This

 <\/p>\n

\"New

What<\/strong>: Norwalk Seaport Association Oyster Festival | mta.info
\nWhere<\/strong>: Veteran\u2019s Park is on Norwalk Harbor.
\nWhen<\/strong>: September 9,10,11
\nWhy<\/strong>: Celebrate those beloved bivalves in style. With musical entertainment on three stages, a children’s activity area, amusement rides, arts and crafts booths, a food court, harbor tours, environmental and maritime displays and an oyster pavilion, this is a great way to celebrate summer\u2019s last hurrah.
\nHow to get here<\/strong>: Metro North is offering a One-Day Getaway, on sale beginning August 13, that includes admission to the Oyster Festival, and shuttle bus to\/from the Festival for $8, plus discount round-trip rail fare from your boarding station to South Norwalk on the New Haven Line. <\/em><\/p>\n

Photos: Schooner Quinnipiack\/Wojtek Voytec Wacowski, Bob Doran<\/a>, Maritime Aquarium, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, New Haven Open at Yale<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

May 1, 2011 Connecticut is everything a car-free summer\u2019s day should be. A visit here gives you a touch of \u2018real\u2019 New England, without having to travel far from home. From tall ships and tattoos at Mystic Seaport, to a chance to tickle your taste buds at Mohegan Sun, to a culture vulture\u2019s treat in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":22995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[324,315,4,316],"tags":[68,27,280,261,483,125,1643,133,282],"class_list":{"0":"post-22545","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-connecticut-destination","8":"category-day-trips","9":"category-events","10":"category-weekend-getaways","11":"tag-aquarium","12":"tag-boat","13":"tag-cultural-getaway","14":"tag-education","15":"tag-family-friendly","16":"tag-food","17":"tag-mystic","18":"tag-outdoors","19":"tag-romantic"},"acf":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":22995,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/5847002730_c62b25376b-300x199.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}