Oh, to be a 7-year-old again—or so I thought on a recent blue-sky, late-summer weekday when visiting Lavender Pond Farm in Killingworth. One such munchkin, in the company of his family, couldn’t be more thrilled to be there, especially when …
Outer Space

For a stark experience of nature, super-wide views of the Long Island Sound and the chance to take a deep, relaxing breath, there’s an answer off the coast of Branford: Outer Island.
Named for its location, this outermost member…
North East

July 4th falls on a Tuesday this year, raising the tantalizing possibility of a five-day weekend. Such fortune, if you can get it, raises the problem of what to do with all that leisure time. …
Merry Time

There’s a bar I’ve really fallen for. She’s beautiful, confident and an expert in her field. Though Michelin guides tend to give me a terrible case of the eye rolls, I’ve always secretly appreciated their 3-star standard: “exceptional cuisine, worth …
Paper Chase

The Jumping Frog, named for Mark Twain’s breakout short story and just a hop away from the Mark Twain House in Hartford, is a bookstore worth making the 45-minute leap up I-91. …
Chester Bump

I try not to fall too hard for tourist towns. Even the good ones can leave me feeling a little used or hoodwinked, with that slightly sour “…and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” aftertaste. I try…
Northern West

At the intersection of two interstates, with its skyscrapers and gold-domed capitol, Hartford gets most of the day-to-day attention. But…
Mystical Quest

You’ve probably heard of Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport, Mystic Pizza.
You probably haven’t heard of Young Buns. …