Central Connecticut Drive, Ferry, Train, Castle AND a Show!

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A two-day drive through south-central Connecticut can fill a late summer or fall foliage weekend.

Use this itinerary as a guide to create two separate day trips, or find lodging along the Connecticut shore and make the trip into a loop for a full weekend.  

Speaking of the shore, here are two phrases for blending in with the locals:

• Refer to Southern Connecticut as the "shore" rather than the "coast" or the "beach"
• When you order a long sandwich that people in other parts refer to as a submarine, ask for a "grinder"

Advance Planning

See if the Goodspeed Opera House has tickets available for an afternoon matinee or evening performance.

Day 1

Driving south along Route 17 in Glastonbury you will pass the Old Cider Mill and several farm stands worth a stop.  If you need a great coffee fix try So. G Coffee Roasters before heading to the Rocky Hill Glastonbury ferry.  

Take the ferry across the Connecticut River.  The cost is $5 per car on weekdays and $6 on weekends. 

The ferry itself is a large, car-holding raft which is pushed across the river by a tug boat.  Watching the captain maneuver the ferry away from one landing and onto the other is impressive.

From the Rocky Hill ferry landing, drive a short ways to Dinosaur State Park.  Displayed under a giant dome are hundreds of actual dinosaur tracks unearthed in the 1960s and preserved.  The accompanying exhibit is fascinating for all ages— you may learn how a track can be identified as a swimming track or why tracks and fossilized bones are highly unlikely to be co-located.  In addition there are nature trails and picnic tables if you want to bring along a picnic lunch.

Continue south to The Goodspeed Opera house. If you chose not to picnic at Dinosaur State Park, enjoy lunch on the deck at the Gelston House next to the Goodspeed before your matinee.

Day 2

Continue your exploration of multiple forms of transportation with a train/ferry combination trip encompassing Gillett's castle and the Essex Steam Train.  You can start with a tour of the castle at Gillette Castle State Park where you will learn about William Gillette, an actor, who created the phrase, “Elementary, my dear Watson”.   Then follow your State Park visit with a steam engine ride on the Essex Steam Train.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to get in a short hike , try the Essex Train Gillette Castle Connection.  Passengers take a train, walk to a ferry landing, ride the ferry and hike up the hill to Gillette Castle and tour before heading back and reversing the process.  Check their website for details on timing as the connection is only offered twice a day during the summer and into early fall.

Additional Stops

Two great additions on either end of this trip are a visit to Mystic Seaport on the Connecticut shore and Applefest in Glastonbury, which is held annually in mid-October.  The festival this year is October 17-19, 2014. 

Ponies on the Beach and More

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This itinerary is ideal for families who enjoy camping, but can easily be modified for hotel stays as well. From crowded Rehoboth beach to the quiet beaches of Assateague Island, there is ocean front for everyone.







Advance Planning:

• If you are not camping, book a hotel within an hours drive of Assateague National Seashore. The Residence Inn in Salisbury, MD is clean, comfortable and less than an hour’s drive to the entrance. Campgrounds are first come, first serve; plan to arrive early.
• Campground reservations can be made at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware. If you are not camping, there are many alternatives for lodging in both Rehoboth and Lewes which are on either side of the state park.

Day 1 (as many days as you like!): Assateague National Seashore, MD and Rehoboth, DE
Followed by a drive up route 1 to Cape Henlopen

Arrive (or wake up) in Assateague early to see the wild ponies sleeping on the beach. On your way into the National Seashore stop at the visitor’s center where you can pick up a brochure and trail guides for the 3 nature trails. Or print out the trail guides beforehand http://www.nps.gov/asis/planyourvisit/brochures.htm .
The trails are short and worth walking both for the chance to see the wild ponies as well as for the enjoyment of seeing different ecosystems. Be sure to watch the ponies from a distance—they are wild animals!

After taking a walk or two and driving along the paved roads, park at one of the beach entrances and enjoy the sand and surf.

From Assateague National Seashore, drive north through Ocean City, MD toward Rehoboth. For a lunch stop try McCabe’s Gourmet Market in Bethany, DE which is right on your drive north (although on the left side of the road).

Stop in Rehoboth Beach and head for the boardwalk. There is metered parking along Rehoboth Ave and with a little parking karma you can find a spot. The meters all take credit cards so you won't need to fish for quarters or leave when your change runs out.  Take a walk along the boardwalk, enjoy the people watching, browse in the shops and enjoy candy at Dolle's or an ice cream cone.  While some ice cream stands boast far more flavors, for truly outstanding homemade ice cream try Archie’s which is especially good if you like fresh fruit in homemade vanilla ice cream—perfection!

Day 2: Cape Henlopen State Park, DE
If your family likes ferry rides take the round trip Cape May ferry from Lewes to Cape May, NJ. Children fares are $7 round trip and adult fares are $14 round trip.

But you don’t need to go anywhere to have a great family stay in Cape Henlopen. There are beautiful beaches, kayak rentals, a long pier for fishing and excellent sunset views, a Frolf (Frisbee golf) course, lots of biking trails, a bird nesting area which is roped off, but often staffed by volunteers who will share their binoculars, and much more.


Tips: The main swimming beach rents umbrellas and chairs, so don’t worry if you forgot to pack yours. But do pack your lunch in bring it in from Lewes or Rehoboth as the concession food isn’t too special.

A No-Admission-Just-Walking Day in Minneapolis

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So you’re driving around the country (more on that in future blogs) and you find your family in Minneapolis for a day.

No Advance Planning Needed!

Morning:
Talking a morning walk may not be the first activity most families would choose on vacation, but walking through the habitrail-like skyways above Minneapolis is fun for all ages. Sure, they’re warm and dry, but they also have coffee and snack bars all along the way, stores for shopping once the stores open, lots of windows to look out over the city and many twists, turns and forks. Enter near the Target Store on Nicollet or the Hilton on Marquette between 10th and 11th. Wander through, stop for coffee, juice, muffins and see who can navigate the family all the way to 1st street.

If you have a good snack in hand (make your purchase before you get too close to the Mississippi as food options decline quickly closer to the river) then all in tow may have enough energy to make their way to the Stone Arch Bridge where you can read the notices on the West Side Milling District and the waterworks that powered the mills. Returning to the west bank of the Mississippi, head to the Guthrie Theater where you can take a self-guided tour with a free iPod download. Look down on the Stone Arch Bridge and see if you can trace the walk you’ve taken.

For lunch try Allie’s Deli and Catering at 527 Marquette for tasty sandwiches made to order to recharge after your walk.

Afternoon:
In the afternoon head over to the sculpture garden across from the Walker Art Center. Not only does it have the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture (which all visitors to Minneapolis should see), but it’s a great place to wander at whatever pace your kids prefer. We like finding sculptures to imitate. George Segal’s Walking Man is a pretty straightforward sculpture to imitate. Other more modern pieces require more creativity to mimic. Spend time viewing a piece of art. Then have each family member try to replicate the artistic presentation of the selected sculpture.

By the end of this Minneapolis walk, you’ll be ready to sit down and put your feet up!