Are you interested in learning about the state in general? Here is a great place to start looking at all of the information the Census Bureau has to offer.

Once in Connecticut, you will need to find your way around. Here is a link to a pretty good road map of the state featuring the major highways and roads. Here is another map showing Connecticut in relation to its neighbors New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

As a child, one of our family's favorite things to do was applepicking. Here is a list of farms in the New Haven area, where you can not only pick apples, but strawberries, raspberries, vegetables, and more. In addition, some of these farms offer hay rides, petting zoos other activities that the whole family will enjoy.

New Haven, "birthplace of the first hamburger and home of the first football game" has been the host of many major sporting events such as World Cup Exhibition Soccer in 1993 and 1994 and the Special Olympics World Games in 1995. Check out the upcoming events!

Did you know that "the first pizza in the United States was eaten at Pepe's Pizza in New Haven in 1900?" You will find other interesting facts about the city of New Haven here. New Haven is also the home of the famous Yale University.

One cannot travel to New England without having had the lobster and the clam chowder. Every year, during the Columbus Day weekend, Mystic Seaport holds its famous Chowderfest. You can't leave Connecticut without it!

There is no other place in the country like Connecticut in the Fall. Here is a link that will show you exactly where to go to view the foliage. "Experts" selected these places as the best in the state. Generally, the peak time is around Columbus day - the weekend of October 6.

If you happen to miss the fall foliage, it is not too late to experience a white Christmas as only New Englanders can do it. To hear the "sleigh bells ringing and children singing" go for a sleigh ride!

History

"Learn about the history of African Americans in Connecticut" buy following the Connecticut Freedom Trail . It includes parts of the Underground Railroad .

New Haven, CT was also the site of the historic Amistad trial. Singbe Pieh along with a group of other captured Africans, gained control of the slave ship Amistad and landed in Connecticut. After many trials, he and the other Africans won their freedom in court. Now the mission of the Amistad is "to teach the lessons of history, cooperation leadership inherent in the Amistad incident and its legacy..." A reproduction of the ship is wintering at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT. To learn more about the Amistad case, click here.

If you would like to know something about the military history of the state, here is a link to a bibliography compiled by the US Army Center of Military History. It lists both manuscripts and published sources available for study.

Museums

The US Coast Guard maintains a "small and selective [museum] that spans the two hundred year history of America's premier maritime service" in New London, CT. If you call in advance, you can receive lessons on knot tying, compass reading and Coast Guard history!

In addition to the US Coast Guard Museum, Connecticut has many historic lighthouses . Click on the link to see the list of stations in the state. Links from this site will also give you a brief history of the light stations in Connecticut.

In keeping with the military theme, if aviation is your hobby, you can visit the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT . It features "vintage and modern aircraft as well as aviation memorabilia."

Lodging

Everyone is concerned about safety when traveling. A particular concern for most people is fire safety. The United States Fire Administration has a list of hotels and motels in the country that adhere to the safety guidelines for public accommodations set by the Hotel and Motel Fire Safety Act of 1990.

If you like to camp, try the "beautiful Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley" in Putnam, CT. In 1994, it was designated a "National Heritage Corridor." It consists of 850 square miles of small town, villages, farmland and forests.