Mystic Seaport Museum
Connecticut might be a small state, but it has the largest maritime museum in the country. The Mystic Seaport Museum, in Mystic, is a recreated 19th-century seafaring village celebrating the lives and livelihoods of sailors. Exhibitions range from the craft of woodcarving to popular navigation techniques of the 1800s. Historic boats are available to ride with a captain, and some to pilot yourself, bringing the full experience together.
Gillette Castle State Park
Perched high above the Connecticut River in the city of East Haddam, Gillette Castle State Park offers mesmerizing geologic formations, hiking trails, and a Medieval-style castle. Smooth shale formations and jagged quartz and metamorphic outcroppings might be the first thing to catch your eye upon entering, but the storied stone-and-oak castle, designed by a famed actor and playwright, will warrant a closer look.
Elizabeth Park Rose Garden
Rose-studded archways, perennial-lined paths, and ivy-enshrouded gazebos wind through 100 acres in this formal garden in Hartford. A large hand-dug pond with a stone bridge is a picturesque setting for soaking it all in. The garden’s cafe serves gourmet hot dogs, ice cream, and other snacks during the summer season.