Randy Fiveash the director of the
joins the FOX 61 Morning Extra to talk about traveling to different hot spots in the state.
He shares trip ideas, travel deals and activities around all the unique experiences that residents can take advantage of this winter.
CT Tourism will be at the Ski, Sun and Travel Expo on November 8.
The annual FOX 61, Hartford Courant Ski, Sun, and Travel Expo is set for Sunday, November 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, Connecticut.
The expo is your one stop shop for ski, cruise, and vacation deals — even trip giveaways!
FOX 61’s Jimmy Altman and Sarah Cody are hosting the event. You see them each week checking out some of New England’s best attractions on DayTrippers.
Outdoor and Indoor Adventure
- Indoor aerial adventure park – Soar Indoors (Manchester) offers zip lining, swinging logs, wobbly rope bridges and more.
- Skiing and Snowboarding – Check out Ski Sundown (New Hartford), Woodbury Ski Area (Woodbury), and Mohawk Mountain (Cornwall) in Connecticut for snowboarding, skiing, tubing, lodging and activities in the snow.
- Outdoor Skating – Foxwoods Resort Casino (Mashantucket) offers an outdoor skating rink and winter patio. You can skate with Santa or relax by an outdoor fire pit with a cup of hot cocoa.
- Snowshoeing & Cross-Country Skiing (Easton, Newtown, Redding, Weston, Farmington) – Centennial Watershed State Forest and Winding Trails Cross Country Ski Center have wonderful trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
- Horse drawn sleigh rides –Allegra Farm (East Haddam) offers beautiful winter views, while gliding over the snow under warm blankets while drinking hot apple cider.
- Ice Fishing – Lake Waramaug (New Preston), Bantam Lake (Morris), Tyler Lake (Goshen), and Coventry Lake (Coventry) are a few of Connecticut’s popular ice fishing spots.
- Bird Watching – You can see bald eagles during the winter at several locations in Connecticut, including the Shepaug Dam in Southbury. The observation area opens Dec. 19 and offers viewing on certain days until early March.
- Hike, Bike & Dine – Get up into the Litchfield Hills with a drive to Washington, where you can hike along the river at Steep Rock Preserve, bike through the back roads or around Lake Waramaug, and then find a cozy spot indoors or out at the nearby GW Tavern or Oliva Café.
Arts, Museums and Theaters
- Explore the renovated Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art (Hartford) – America’s oldest public art museum, which has grown to hold approximately 50,000 works of art that span 5,000 years.
- Watching a Play – Goodspeed Opera House (East Haddam) will be presenting “A Wonderful Life,” a tuneful re-imagining of the classic film, where a would-be angel swoops to the rescue of desperate banker George Bailey on Christmas Eve (through November 29).
- Visit the Mashantucket Pequot Museum (Mashantucket) – The largest Native American museum in the world, featuring life-size exhibits, films and touch-screen computer programs that explore Native American history and the natural history of New England, from the Ice Age to the present.
- Yale Center British for Art (New Haven) – View the largest collection of British art outside of the UK, including paintings, sculptures‚ drawings‚ prints‚ rare books and manuscripts. Admission is always free and open to the public.
- Visit the New Britain Youth Museum for a number of educational activities and displays, including a puppet theater, construction toys and games, and the Dinosaur Room.
- Attending the UBS Parade Spectacular (Stamford) – On November 22, experience one of the largest helium balloon parades in the country, filled with everyone’s favorite giant balloon characters, award winning marching bands and fabulous floats.
- Mark Twain House & Museum (Hartford) – Go back in time at the 1874 Mark Twain House, which was the author’s residence for 17 years and is where he penned some of his most famous works including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
Connecticut Trail Explorations
- Wine Tastings along the Connecticut Wine Trail – Connecticut is one of the fastest growing wine regions in the U.S. and is an incredible destination for those looking to discover delicious wine
- Sampling sweet treats on the Connecticut Chocolate Trail –Connecticut has more than a dozen world-renowned chocolatiers and local chocolate artisans.
- Go antiquing in Woodbury – Part of the Connecticut Antiques Trail, you can spend an afternoon browsing through specialty shops and boutiques along Woodbury’s Main Street, known as an antiques browser’s paradise.
Shopping and Entertainment
- Shopping – You can find deluxe shopping at Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets (Clinton). Browse over 70 brand name outlet stores including, Banana Republic, Juicy Couture, Polo Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade New York and Talbots.
- Try your luck at the casino – Mohegan Sun (Uncasville) – A terrific get-away-from-it-all destination, with over 300 tables of gaming options, fine dining, shopping, spas, nightly entertainment and first-class overnight accommodations.
Rest and Relaxation
- Spa Day – Spend the day at the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa (Old Saybrook) with a full-service spa experience located right where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound.
- The Bee & Thistle Inn (Old Lyme) on the Lieutenant River has been acclaimed “Most Romantic” over the years.
- Griswold Inn (Essex) which is one of the oldest continuously operating inns in the country, first opening its doors in 1776.