This Epic Road Trip Leads To 7 Iconic Landmarks In Eastern Connecticut
By Lisa Sammons|Published February 28, 2022
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Lisa Sammons
Author
Lisa loves animals and has dogs, rats, cats, guinea pigs, and snakes. She is passionate about animal rescue and live music - traveling across the country to see a favorite band is a pretty regular occurrence! Being out hiking in the woods enjoying the scenery with her beloved dogs is another favorite hobby, and also checking out the Pokemon Go scene in whatever city she happens to be in at any given time (coffee and dog leash in hand). You can reach Lisa at lsammons@onlyinyourstate.com
We recently published an road trip in Connecticut that took you to seven iconic landmarks in the Nutmeg State. Due to the nature of road trips and people having limited time to drive and enjoy attractions, we had to limit ourselves to a portion of the state. Our previous trip focused on primarily the western half of Connecticut, but we wanted to make sure we covered all the great attractions in eastern Connecticut, too! If you’re looking for things to do in the eastern part of Connecticut, look no further. We’ve got a great road trip planned for you!
Thanks to Connecticut's small size, you won't have to spend too much time in the car on this trip! You can see all seven of these landmarks in eastern Connecticut in just under three hours, though of course you'll want to add plenty of time to account for exploring each destination.
You'll start your trip at Dinosaur State Park, an absolute must-see for anyone who loves dinosaurs in Connecticut. This park has great trails and a fantastic arboretum filled with many tree species. But the most notable thing here is the collection of dinosaur tracks.
Hidden under a giant geodesic dome, the tracks here are one of the largest collections in the country. They were thought to be made by Dilophosaurus, most famous as the species that spits venom in the original "Jurassic Park" film. The film actually got much wrong about the dinosaur, which was in reality much larger and likely did not shoot venom. This 80-acre park has so much to explore.
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Gillette Castle State Park: 67 River Rd, East Haddam, CT 06423
Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam, CT 06423, USA
Gillette Castle is one of the most famous of the many castles in Connecticut. The spectacular building was originally the home of actor William Gillette, most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. It's now a 122-acre state park.
Not only is this one of the prettiest state parks in Connecticut, but it also has some interesting spooky stories behind it! It is said that the devil would play his fiddle atop the park's 60-foot Chapman Falls.
Mystic is such a fantastic small town in Connecticut, and one of the state's best historic attractions is the Mystic Seaport Museum. They've got a great historic village on site that will make you feel like you stepped back in time a few hundred years. There are some fascinating exhibits here about the maritime history of the state.
Mystic Aquarium has some neat animals you can't see many other places. They have the only Beluga whales in New England, African penguins, and a ray and shark touch pool. You can find out more information about all the exhibits here on the aquarium's website.
Natchaug State Forest spans through six towns. It covers more than 13,000 acres and you can find plenty of trails to explore here. It's the largest forest in the state and even contains one of the most haunted hikes in Connecticut.
How many of these attractions in eastern Connecticut have you visited? Did we miss out on any that you feel like visitors must see? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments!
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