Travel review: Connecticut, New England, USA

As it is small, compared to many other states, you don't have to clock up too many miles visiting its many sights.

The are 216 miles of scenic shoreline, dotted with beaches, lighthouses and charming waterfront towns as well as hundreds of miles of hiking trails.

It is also home to renowned museums and cultural sights and offers an array of opportunities for sports, boating, fishing and camping. There are also glitzy casinos and shopping along with traditional and gourmet restaurants meaning the state has plenty to suit all interests.

In autumn, leaf peeping is a popular activity because the state has the longest fall foliage season, famous for spectacular colour with a greater mix of reds and oranges. After a fantastic fortnight exploring some of New England four years ago, I jumped at the chance to visit Connecticut for the first time.

It is a state that, for me, had always been just out of reach on previous trips to America.

The state capital Hartford has recently been connected directly with Europe thanks to Aer Lingus launching a new four times weekly service from Dublin.

For my trip I was invited to join the airline's inaugural flight to Bradley International Airport. It was such a milestone for the airport, which has not had an international service for five years, that there was great fanfare as we touched down after a very comfortable seven-hour flight.

A band played and the crowds cheered as we all walked off the plane – can't say that's ever happened to me before.

I had travelled in business class and was allocated one of the much coveted 'throne seats', which are standalone seats giving you complete privacy. All of the seats lie-flat so you can catch up on sleep too.

After a tasty meal at Ted's Montana Grill and a relaxing night's stay at the Hartford Marriott Downtown hotel, we were ready to start our Connecticut adventure.

The Mark Twain House and Museum can be found in the city. This is the home where the author and his family lived from 1874 to 1891 and where he wrote the likes of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Our guide Kimberley was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the the writer's gothic-style house. Our tour included seeing where he spent time with his daughters and the desk where he wrote with his back to the window so he wouldn't be distracted. It was a great insight into the man behind these much-loved books.

Next door you can also visit the home of Twain's friend and fellow author Harriet Beecher Stowe, a social activist best known for her anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. It's currently undergoing a major restoration project so we weren't able to visit but this is due to be completed in summer 2017.

Next we set off for New Haven home to Yale University which was founded in 1701.

Downtown is a pleasant mix of modern and old and a walking tour of university is a must to immerse yourself in its history and architecture.

They run seven days a week and are free to join from the visitor centre. Among the highlights is the Reinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, which is a stunning building and also the largest in the world devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts.

There is also the statue of Theodore Dwight Woolsey who presided over Yale in the mid-19th century. Now students rub the toe of his shoe for good luck. Of course all of our group had to give it a go. We also met Handsome Dan – the university's Bulldog mascot.

Just off campus is the Yale Center for British Art, which houses the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the UK. Works on view include masterpieces by Thomas Gainsborough, J M W Turner and John Constable as well as artists from Europe and America who lived and worked in Britain. Other nearby attractions include the Knights of Columbus Museum and a visitor centre devoted to Pez sweets.

Around 50 miles away from New Haven is the village of Mystic which has been made famous thanks to the 1988 Julia Roberts film Mystic Pizza.

Droves of movie fans still flock to Mystic to have their photograph taken outside the now famous restaurant which inspired the film and also to sample a slice of pizza. It has a pretty downtown with lots of independent and family-run shops and businesses to browse and explore. The village is also home to Mystic Seaport, which is described as The Museum of America and the Sea. It's an open-air site covering 19 acres on the Mystic River and its attractions include a recreated 19th-century coastal village and a working shipyard.

A stroll through the historic village transports visitors back to the mid-1800s where they can experience first-hand from staff historians, storytellers, musicians, and craftspeople just what life was like to earn a living from the sea.

Visitors could easily spend a day exploring the vast site with plenty to entertain young and old.

A short distance away is the town of Groton and the Submarine Force Museum where you can climb aboard USS Nautilus and see what life is like for a submariner. It's not for anyone afraid of tight spaces and you do have to remember to duck as you move around the vessel but I found it fascinating.

Exploring a submarine is not something you get to experience very often and admission is also free so I definitely recommend this excursion.

Another attraction well worth a visit is the Pequot Museum which brings to life the story of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.

Among the many exhibits is the fantastic recreated 16th-century Pequot village, which allows visitors to walk among the trees, wigwams, and people who are cooking, talking, weaving, and working while hearing natural sounds and smelling the aromas of the woodlands and campfires. It's certainly an experience for all the senses and really helps you to imagine what life was like at this time.

The museum and its associated research centre is located near the tribe's Foxwoods Resort Casino which features huge gaming halls in six casinos, hotels, shops, restaurants, spas, an 18-hole golf course and theatres as well as the Tanger Outlet shopping centre.

Connecticut is not short of casinos with a 34-story casino, hotel and entertainment complex Mohegan Sun, another popular choice with residents and tourists alike.

It also offers a 55-ft indoor waterfall, casual and upscale dining, indoor and outdoor pools, a solarium, a spa, shops and an 18-hole golf course.

But if you are looking for more traditional accommodation then there's Saybrook Point Inn & Spa located in Old Saybrook which is between the Connecticut River and the Long Island Sound, which promises peace and tranquillity.

There also the chance to sample some traditional New England fare including the state's famed lobster rolls at its restaurant Fresh Salt.

Guests can choose from an array of accommodation including rooms in the main inn, the separate guesthouses and the lighthouse suite.

It's just one of the many hotels to be found across the state as well as an abundance of B&Bs, motels, resorts, campgrounds, holiday homes and cottages to suit all tastes and budgets.

As Connecticut is conveniently located between New York City and Boston it's also be an ideal base to visit these major cities.

But it has plenty to offer visitors just by itself so it's definitely worth taking some time to explore this wonderful state.

Aer Lingus flies four times weekly to Hartford Connecticut. Fly from Birmingham via Dublin and pre-clear US immigration while you transfer at Dublin. Available to book on aerlingus.com from £200 each way including all taxes and charges.

For more trip ideas visit www.CTvisit.com which features more than 4,000 places to visit, stay and eat in Connecticut, as well as hundreds of articles, suggested itineraries and travel deals. Heather stayed at the Marriott Hartford Downtown www.marriott.co.uk and Mohegan Sun www.mohegansun.com.

By Heather Large