New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Rediscover CT!
With most COVID-19 restrictions finally being lifted, now is the perfect time to rediscover all that Connecticut has to offer. The Nutmeg State features a variety of parks, museums, and attractions, many of which were closed last summer and are now open in full swing. There is something for everyone to enjoy across the state, whether that means exploring one of Connecticut’s many parks, beaches, museums, and more.
Calf Pasture’s Beach in Norwalk, for example, offers myriad activities for children and adults alike. Sports enthusiasts can indulge in a game of baseball/softball, volleyball, basketball, fishing off the Captain William Clark fishing pier, and sand sports, and even take a spin at the skate park. The beach’s splash pad and playground, plus paved paths for walking, tricycles, and small bikes, can provide hours of fun for young children, and if you are looking for a relaxing day in the sun, you can lay back and take in the 3/4 mile of scenic coastline with its tremendous views. Pack your own picnic and have breakfast, lunch, or dinner under the sun (or under one of the beach’s many shade trees) or purchase snacks, mac & cheese, New England clam chowder, burgers, hotdogs, grilled cheese, salads, seafood (including lobster rolls, clams, oysters, and salmon burgers), beverages, and ice cream from Ripka’s Beach Café, a casual beachside restaurant located steps away from the sand.
Across the state, visitors to Ocean Beach Park in New London can spend the day building sandcastles in its “sugar-sand” or walk along the boardwalk and explore the nature trail that overlooks the back side of the park, a beautiful estuary called Alewife Cove. Younger children can enjoy the amusement park by riding the classic carousel and the little bumble-bee-painted flyers while big kids (and adults!) can ride old-time favorites, The Scrambler and The Octopus. Then, the whole family can head to the arcade or try their hand at a game of miniature golf. Ocean Beach Park also includes a 50-meter Olympic-sized swimming pool, triple waterslides, and a spray park. A day at the beach is not complete without a visit to the Sandbar Café and the Boardwalk Creamery for a sweet treat.
You also might set your sights on one of Connecticut’s biggest attractions, the Mystic Aquarium. PostCOVID-19, Mystic Aquarium has resumed many of its operations and is developing new experiences for guests. Guests can experience thousands of species ranging from giant beluga whales to the small comb jellies. Children (and adults) can interact with many of the animals including cownose rays, smooth dogfish, and portly spider crabs. Most recently, The Foxwoods Marine Theater resumed showing the California Sea Lion Presentation, during which audiences can learn more about marine mammals.
New for this summer, the Mystic Aquarium recently reimagined its Jurassic Giants exhibit, which now includes animatronic dinosaurs, two 4D theaters, frogs, and reptiles. As guests walk by towering Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus-rex, activities and games are around every corner for all to dive deeper into these ancient creatures. Activities include two 4D films: “Dino Island 4D” and
“We are back in full strength and have a full agenda this summer for parents and children.
“Dino Racers.” Additionally, guests will get up close with modern reptiles such as the Argentinian black and white tegu with Scales and Tails! The exhibit wraps up with frogs, including a variety of amphibians like poison dart frogs, mossy frogs, yellow-spotted salamanders, and more.
Connecticut is also filled with historic and interactive museums that are now mostly open and operating at full capacity. One museum you will want to add to your list is The New England Air Museum. Located in Windsor Locks, it is the largest aviation museum in the northeast, with over 100 aircraft in its collection, plus engines, spacesuits, and so much more.
“There is always something new at the New England Air Museum,” said Ron Katz, director of Advancement & External Affairs. “New aircraft are being restored and moved onto display, new exhibits are always being designed, and we are making a major move this year to add more exciting technology all over the museum.”
Visitors here can interact with augmented reality and digital kiosks, accessing videos on their own phones through QR codes and learning to fly on flight simulators. This summer, the museum launched Soar into Summer Fun 2021, which will run through August 22. Daily activities include computerized flight simulators, open cockpit experiences, build-and-fly challenges, and flight science demonstrations. Each week will feature a new theme, such as helicopters, jets, propellers, rockets, and more. Also, mark your calendars for the Museum’s Space Expo on August 21.
Then head over to West Hartford and check out The Children’s Museum. The museum’s interactive exhibit, Amazing Amphibians, allows visitors to dive into the diverse world of frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders and ride the “Treetop Glider,” a 15-foot zip line where kids of all ages can emulate the black-webbed tree frog of Southeast Asia going from tree-to-tree. On Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer, live butterfly releases are back and the public is invited.
The Butterfly House also exhibits a garden and landscape that acts as a natural environment for butterflies.
“We also have the early learning lab that we are refurbishing and reopening later in June for the younger cohort, ages 3 to 7,” said Mike Werle, executive director. “Everything we do involves hands-on activities for the children.” Throughout the museum, children can engage in interactive labs, visit a live wildlife sanctuary, and watch state-of-the art digital science dome planetarium shows and movies. When in town, be sure to also visit nearby Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton with its environmental exhibits, nature programs, and bird watching.
“We are back in full strength and have a full agenda this summer for parents and children,” adds Werle. “During COVID-19, we had limited attendance, but now we are at nearly full attendance, and we have plenty of activities for all to enjoy.”