Connecticut

If it were not for neighboring Massachusetts, the state of Connecticut probably would be the best known area of New England. Massachusetts has Nantucket, but Connecticut has New London and the Mystic Seaport. Massachusetts has cosmopolitan Boston, but Connecticut has Hartford. Massachusetts has Cape Cod, but Connecticut has Long Island Sound.

Being the southernmost of the New England states, Connecticut also has to compete with New York on its southwestern border. As such, one might think that the state's founding fathers would come up with something to set it apart from its neighbors, something with a little spice. In that regard, the unofficial nickname of Connecticut is the "Nutmeg State." Still, that does not really fit the stoic Yankee character of the region. The state's official nickname is the "Constitution State," yet another unofficial moniker is the "Land of Steady Habits."

Connecticut History

Like all of New England, Connecticut has a long and storied history. One local historian from the early 19th century laid claim to the state having the earliest written constitution (hence is nickname) but that is in dispute. While other parts of New England point proudly to their Colonial and Revolutionary history, Connecticut has them all beat. Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill boasts dinosaur tracks dating back some 300 million years. Beat that Boston.

The New London area also reeks of the maritime history of Connecticut. Home to the United States Coast Guard Academy, New London also is also one of the original whaling ports in the region. The Mystic Seaport displays a preserved whaling ship, much like the Pequod of "Moby-Dick" fame, and a collection of houses from a whaling village.

Modern Attractions

Just down the road from the Mystic Seaport is Mystic Pizza, the real-life pizza joint made famous in the movie "Mystic Pizza" starring Julia Roberts and Sean Penn. Just an old wooden building on a narrow town street, the establishment has become a tourist attraction just like Cheers bar in Boston.

Breaking from the stoic image of Connecticut Yankees is the largest casino in the world, Foxwoods Resort Casino, run by the Pequot Indian Nation, and the Mohegan Sun Casino, owned by the Mohegan tribe. Both are centrally located for patrons from both New York and Boston. Near the middle of the state, on the Connecticut River lies the state capital of Hartford. New Haven lays claim to Yale University, probably the second most famous college in America, next to Harvard.

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