College days
Opening the door to Yale University in New England
Being able to say you’ve been to Yale University is a pretty impressive boast. Admittedly, my stake to this claim is restricted to one of its free tours one afternoon rather than a degree certificate, but I’ll keep that part of the story quiet.
While I expected the Ivy League university’s students to exude a somewhat elitist air, our tour guide Bryan is down-to-earth and highly knowledgeable company, telling us he chose to study there because it “immediately felt like home”.
He gives us a fascinating glimpse into historic and modern life at Yale, which is located in New Haven, can trace its roots back to the 1640s, and was founded in 1701. We hear about its focus on inclusivity, its legends and its traditions, which include rubbing the protruding foot of the bronze statue of Theodore Dwight Woolsey, the university’s president from 1846 to 1871, for good luck.
Yale is also home to the incredible Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, one of the largest facilities of its kind in the world. Its modern, graphic exterior is at odds with the rest of the university’s architecture and belies its breathtaking interior, an architectural marvel storing and displaying the likes of courtroom sketches of the Black Panthers from 1971 and its Walt Whitman Collection.
I had also imagined the leafy campus to be in a rural location but it’s actually in the thick of New Haven, which is described as ‘large enough to be interesting, yet small enough to be friendly’.
And in my view the university’s benefits of both urban amenities (including drool-worthy burger restaurant Shake Shack) and villagestyle community, plus convenient location for students to easily travel to either Boston or New York City, in many ways typify the appeal of Connecticut itself.
We try out the direct flights connecting Edinburgh to Bradley International Airport in the state’s capital of Hartford, which airline Norwegian launched last June along with routes serving New York City and Boston.
You could easily fly into one of the latter two cities, enjoy the best of their attractions for a few days and then head to Connecticut to enjoy some relative calm.
But the state has plenty to appeal in its own right, from renowned historical locations, world-class art and prestigious department stores to stunning scenery.
And while it may be geared up to travel around by car, we manage to navigate our way around via public transport, mainly by train. Some forward-planning may be required, but it’s definitely a feasible option.
The first hotel of our trip is The Simsbury Inn, about half an hour from the airport and which typifies the classic, wholesome New England elegance I had expected, with our room decorated in tasteful whites and greys.
Our somewhat packed schedule means there isn’t time to use the luxurious-looking indoor pool, but I do manage a swim at the top-floor pool of the 409-room Hartford Marriott Downtown, which overlooks the Connecticut River.
A great location for the start or end of a trip at only about 15 minutes from Bradley International Airport, it’s been recently refurbished and is a great example of a large, comfortable American hotel, with a huge lobby, while my room has views as far as the eye can see, two double beds and a giant TV.
Hartford is also home to one of the state’s most famous attractions, The Mark Twain House & Museum. Dubbed “Downton Abbey’s American cousin,” it served as home to the author born Samuel Clemens and his family between 1874 to 1891 after he fell for the area while visiting his publisher there.
We get a snapshot of the man behind the author as we make our way around the restored 25-room picturesque gothic property, seeing the dining room where he entertained and held court, the conservatory nicknamed “The Jungle” by his daughters, and the billiard room where he wrote his most important works, including
We see the dining room where Mark Twain entertained and held court
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Prince and The Pauper.
We find out more about the state’s Native American history with a visit to the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. It covers more than 300,000 square feet and brings to life the story of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation with a series of dioramas. “They made it through some very hard and unjust times,” our guide tells us.
However, the tour ends on a high note with their fortunes having flourished, owning and operating Foxwoods Resort Casino, the largest attraction of its type in the US.
We also learn about the benefits to the tribal nation of the whaling economy, with some ships all nativeamerican owned.
The trade is also a key feature of Mystic Seaport, dubbed ‘the museum of America and the sea’, and which brings maritime history to life.
We learn how whaling was like the Silicon Valley of its day and could create fortunes out of those setting out to sea. You can in fact walk the decks of the Charles W Morgan, the last of an American whaling fleet that numbered more than 2,700 vessels, and now America’s oldest commercial ship still afloat. It gives an insight into the cramped seafaring conditions, with expeditions often lasting several years.
The attraction’s stunning grounds cover 19 acres by the side of the Mystic River, and you could easily spend a whole day there. It includes a recreated 19th century New England coastal village, where you can see recipes from days of yore such as cider cake brought back to life and cooked over a fire, for example, and various boat trip options. As our guide says, “everyone loves floating on the water”.
I can certainly echo that sentiment, particularly after a trip on the deservedly popular Essex Steam Train & Riverboat. It combines several of my favourite things namely a constantly topped-up buffet, chocolate and wine pairings, sitting down, and heading out onto the water.
The only steam train and riverboat connection in the US, the relaxing two-and-a half-hour trip starts at 1892 Essex Station and travels through the lower Connecticut River Valley. Aboard the Becky Thatcher riverboat, we’re surrounded by groups of friends and families, and the queue immediately starts – and continues throughout the journey – for the samples of wine and chocolates provided by family business Fascia’s Chocolates, with pairings including raspberry truffle and Mythic Vineyard Malbec.
It’s then time to head back to Hartford, managing to squeeze in an essential visit to the huge Westfarms shopping mall, home to renowned department stores including Macy’s and Nordstrom.
Hartford is also home to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, whose collection includes works by artists including Dali and Magritte, although my personal favourite is by Giovanni Paolo Panini depicting countless paintings painstakingly rendered within a painting (but more interesting than it sounds). The large, tranquil museum also has the benefits of housing prestigious works but without the vast crowds of say, New York.
One of the museum’s walls displays a quote from Saint Augustine, stating: ‘The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.’
Connecticut, I have learnt, offers a rich chapter indeed. ■
Norwegian offers Scotland’s only direct flights to Hartford, Connecticut, with fares from £138 one-way in brand-new Boeing 737 aircraft three days a week. Hartford offers a
gateway to New England and is also within 2½ hours’ drive of Boston and New York City (www.norwegian.com/ uk, 0330 8280854 (option 1). Rooms start at $169/£128 at The Simsbury Inn, Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070 (www. simsburyinn.com, + 1 800 634 2719 or contact corporate sales manager Lynn A Mccormack, corpsales@simsburyinn.com, + 1 860-392-0312). Rooms start at $149/ £113 at the Hartford Marriott Downtown, 200 Columbus Blvd, Hartford Connecticut 06103-2807 (www.hartfordmarriott.com, +1-860-249-8000).