Date: Fri 15-Aug-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Connecticut-day-trips

Full Text:

Connecticut Getaways: A Vacatiopn In The Neighborhood

BY SHANNON HICKS

So summer is winding down, and there is little time left to plan any long

vacations. But what to do on days when you find you can have a day or two away

from the office, or even if you're a student and have a day off from your

summer job before heading back to school.

Connecticut's State Office of Tourism expected the summer of 1997 to be a very

successful season. All indications to date show CSOT was right; Connecticut

has had a very busy summer.

A $2.1 million marketing campaign centered around a "niche" strategy has been

in motion all summer. The campaign emphasizes four major areas of interest

that motivate people to take vacation getaways, and also to remind Connecticut

residents of the places already right around them, but maybe haven't thought

of.

The niches include Relaxing Getaways, Family Fun, Cultural Heritage Tourism

and Active Adventures. Any event can be planned around for a vacation, or a

day-long getaway for families and friends.

The name Connecticut comes from an Algonquin word for "beside the long tidal

river." It isn't surprising, then, that some of the state's favorite

play-places are situated on or near water. In summer, most people think of

water as the quickest way to cool off. So following that vein, the following

are some suggestions for a cool day trip or two.

In Middlebury, Quassy Amusement Park has more than 30 rides and games to

choose from, including children's rides and an arcade room. A 20-acre, family

owned playground for all ages, Quassy also has swimming and paddle-boat

rentals. Admission into the park is free (you pay for individual rides), but

parking is $3 per car. The park is on Route 64 in Middlebury; call

800/FOR-PARK for details. Quassy is open through the end of August 11 am to 9

pm daily, and then weekends in September and October.

Lake Compounce , "America's first family theme park," has been transformed by

Kennywood Entertainment Company into a unique regional theme park. A $35

million rejuvenation has integrated the Bristol park's natural beauty and rich

heritage with a blend of traditional and contemproary rides, live shows and

attractions.

Among the 20 new rides and attractions are The Zoomerang roller coaster;

Thunder River, a white water raft ride; The Top Spin, a "thrill" ride; a

750-foot high mountain sky ride; and a new Circus World Children's Area. There

is also a new Lakeside Antique Trolley and a classic Glockenspeil.

The park still maintains its 1911 carousel and a wooden roller coaster, and

its regular rides. In addition to the new Thunder River, the park still has

water slides and lots of swimming available. There are special events and live

entertainment, too.

Located just off Route 229 in Bristol, Lake Compounce is at 822 Lake Avenue

(turn left at the McDonald's on Route 229). Call the park, 860/583-3631, for

hours and ticket prices.

The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk , which is right on the waters of Long Island

Sound, explores the marine life and maritime culture of the picturesque Sound,

with interactive and changing exhibits, and educational programs. The Aquarium

is home to some sharks, seals, jellyfish, river otters and 125 other marine

species.

The latest exhibit to open is called "Masters of the Night: The True Story of

Bats." A special hands-on exhibit, "Masters of the Night" enables vistors to

actually see like bats, echolocate like bats, hang like bats, and even watch

live bats in order to discover their amazing abilities and ecological

benefits.

Visitors to "Masters of the Night" enter the exhibit through a creepy Gothic

doorway complete with spooky organ music and gargoyles, finding themselves

with a bat's-eye view of the interior of a re-created cave. Displays explain

such bat behaviors as roosting, hibernation and caring for their young, while

a light and sound show simulates a mass exit at dusk.

Displays in a rain forest setting focus on bats' ecological benefits, and the

hands-on displays explain why the fascinating creatures deverse mankind's

respect and need our help (because habitat destruction placing some species in

jeopardy of extinction).

The Maritime Aquarium is also home to the state's only IMAX movie theatre

(which is showing Grand Canyon through the end of the month, Deep Sea

Treasures until September 8, and Chronos until September 30). The Aquarium is

at 10 North Water Street; call 852-0700.

Several new long-term projects have taken off at Mystic Seaport this year. A

$30 million, three-year project, the American Maritime Education and Research

Center will convert 150,000-square feet in the seaport's old Rossi Mill ito

conservation, preservationand exhibition space.

This fall will see the laying of the keel to begin construction of a historic

reproduction schooner, the Amistad . Outfitted as a floating classroom and

museum, the 72-foot schooner will travel from port to port, bringing to life

the lessons of freedom, courage and human rights inherent in the Amistad

Incident of 1839.

Additionally, themes of "America and the Sea" will be brought online through

Mystic Seaport's website through the development of powerful software that

will make the museum's vast collections available to students, scholars and

interested explorers around the world. Companion films, books and a television

series are also in development.

But what's happening now at Mystic? The world-famous indoor and outdoor

maritime museum tells the story of America and the sea circa the 19th Century.

Visitors can board historic ships, visit period homes and watch working

craftspeople. There are boat rides, a boat livery, horse and carriage rides, a

ship yard, collections of maritimne art and artifacts, and changing exhibits.

The Seaport, and its adjoining Aquarium, are both at I-95 Exit 90 - you can't

miss these sites, they're just off the highway! The only day Mystic is closed

is Christmas.

Staying Cool Indoors

For those interested in combining some time off with interesting learning

experiences, Connecticut is a "lacework of preserved early American and

Colonial structures and sites," says the Department of Economic Development.

One of the 13 original colonies, the state is strategically located between

Boston and New York City.

Connecticut came to prominence during the 19th Century, creating a legacy of

Victorian architecture, military firearms, Industrial Revolution

manufacturing, literature and theatre, and American Impressionist art.

Today, world-class theatre, music and art museums contribute to its

well-stocked treasure trove for seekers of cultural pursuits.

Interested in American Impressionist art? The Connecticut Impressionist Art

Trail encompasses 11 sites throughout the state that comprise a legacy to the

state's important role in American Impressionist art. The trail includes such

sites as The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Yale Art Museum in New Haven, Hartford

Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Co., Llyman Art Museum, New London;

William Benton Museum of Art, Storrs; and Hill-Stead Museum, Farmington.

Not officially on the "Trail" but just as interesting, the Bush-Holley House

in Greenwich was home to America's first Impressionist art colony; Florence

Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, was the famed home of the Lyme Art Colony and

includes works by Metcalf, Wiggins, Ebert and Chadwick; and the New Britain

Museum of Art holds works by Hassam, Chase, Metcalf, Weir, Twachtman, Cassatt,

Wiggins, Benson, and others.

Wilton's Weir Farm National Historic Site is home to J. Alden Weir Farm, which

was subject matter for Weir and others' works. A self-guided "Painting Sites

Trail" at Weir Farm compares landscapes with some of their resulting

paintings.

There is also the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, which offers a look at works

by Robinson, Hassam, Twachtman, Metcalf, Cassatt and Weir. The nation's oldest

art museum, the Atheneum has 50,000 works spanning 5,000 years including the

aforementioned Impressionist masters' works but also ancient bronzes,

Renaissance and Baroque paintings, decorative arts, Hudson River School

masters, African-American art and contemporary art.

For other specific time periods of artists and their works, the Lyman Allyn

Art Museum in New London offers collection sof Colonial, Federal and American

Impressionism. The New Britain Museum of American Art has a collection of

paintings dating from 1740 to the present which also includes a number of

American Impressionist masterpieces.

A trail of numerous sites across the state associated with the heritage and

movement towrds freedom of Connecticut's African-American citizens, The

African-American Freedom Trail was begun last year.

Included on the trail are buildings reportedly part of The Underground

Railroad, sites associated with the Amistad case of 1839-1842, and gravesites,

monuments, homes and other structures that represent the concept of freedom.

Major sites on the Trail include the Amistad Memorial in New Haven; Harriet

Beecher Stowe Center, Hartford; Joshua Hempsted House, New London; Mystic

Seaport Museum; and Prudence Crandall House in Canterbury, the first school in

New England for African-American women.

Another major site on the Trail is the aforementioned Wadsworth Atheneum,

which houses the Amistad Foundation's African-American Collection - over 6,000

art objects, posters, broadsidesx, photos, books and memorabilia, all

supporting the contributions of African-Americans to American culture.

Additionally, The Fleet Gallery of African-American Art, at the Wadsworth,

illuminates the role of African-American artists in American art and culture.

Of course, this is just a sampling of the museums - and activities - to be

found in Connecticut. For more information, contact each of the

above-mentioned sites, or call 800/CT-BOUND for a copy of the Connecticut

Vacation Guide . The Guide is a free offering by the Department of Economic

Development/Tourism Division. It offers details on these and thousands of

other suggestions for summer (and year-round) fun within the borders of

Connecticut.