Category: Blog worthy day trips

Fun Things to do in Connecticut – Part III

There’s lots to do in the state of Connecticut during the Summer, especially when the weather is cooperating.  It is truly ‘hotter than July’ so there is really no need to travel anywhere, we have sun filled days and long nights right here in CT (smile).

Here is a short list of annual events that occur in the Summer months and involve food, fun, music, festivities, entertainment and more!  The good news is that most are free to attend and some even offer free parking.

 

A Taste of Mystic (New London County)

This annual event takes place at the Olde Mistick Village (OMV) around the second weekend in June (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) and involves food and drinks, live bands, loads of entertainment, merchant specials and more!

 

 

Admission is free (parking is also free).  To participate in The Taste you buy sleeves of tickets for $1.00 each to be exchanged for food and drinks from the vendors.

 

Joyce Reskinoff the owner of Olde Mistick Village being interviewed by News 8’s own Co-Chief Meteorologist Joe Furey

 

And the OMV Merchants offer money-saving specials as well!  Here’s a PSA: Be sure to support these Connecticut based small businesses.

 

Garden Specialties
UNA
Bestemors Imports
Franklins
Smiths Boutique
Kitch
Sticky Situations
Munsons Chocolates

 

New Haven Music on the Green (New Haven County)

In New Haven the unofficial start to Summer kicks off with Music on the Green!

 

Ryan Kristofer and Teresa DuFour of CT Style along with Jo Jo Pastors and her gf on the New Haven Green

 

In Summers past we have been entertained (in our VIP seats) by such notable acts as Ronnie Spector,  Debbie Gibson, Taylor Dayne, KC and the Sunshine Band and En Vogue, just to name a few.

 

And this year we had the pleasure of seeing Lisa Lisa on Saturday 7/20/19 and Morris Day on Saturday 7/29/19!

Morris Day is 61 years young – a real talent for sure!

 

The Hamden Free Summer Concert Series (New Haven County)

Beginning late June on Friday nights at 6pm at the Hamden Town Center Park, live bands play to diverse crowds made up of singles, couples, families, dogs and more!  This free annual outdoor event truly features something for everyone.  There’s no VIP but at the same time there is truly not a bad seat in the house.  And if you come hungry you can feast off of the nearby food trucks or better yet, pack your own picnic complete with adult beverages.  Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and make a space on the lawn as happy people jam to the music.

 

Plenty of room at the free Hamden Summer Concert Series at the Hamden town green. Long lines at the ethnically diverse food trucks

This year (2019) on Week 4 The Wailers, featuring Julian Junior Marvin, delighted the Friday night crowd.

 

Awesome performance!

 

The Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz (Hartford County)

Jazz is alive and well outdoors at the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz at Bushnell Park in Hartford!  This free annual event takes place over an entire weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) in mid July.   There are food and retail clothing vendors and folks completely covering the Bushnell park lawn with their blankets, lawn chairs, coolers and sun umbrellas.  Big screen TVs on both sides of the stage ensure that everyone gets a decent view.  It’s a thing!

 

 

The line-up of jazz musicians is awesome and the party lasts all day long and well into the night.

 

Having a blast in Hartford – jazz is everywhere – love the energy here!

Although this is a free event donations are gladly accepted…

 

New London Sailfest (New London County)

This coastal city comes alive during the Summer with its signature event, the New London Sailfest!

July is the month and the entire mid-month weekend (Friday/Saturday/Sunday) offers something for all family members.

 

 

From tall ships to face painting to patriotic costumes and more, there is truly something for everyone.

Speaking of which, there are amusement park rides, face painting, delicious food options plus sailboat and people watching.

 

The food, the rides, the atmosphere, the fireworks at night…

 

So that’s my short list of fun things to do during Summers in Connecticut – Staycate and enjoy!

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL

 

 

Ready Fore Golf

So glad I finally got off my duff last summer and signed up for golf lessons for women (smile).

Here’s what happened:  I was leafing through the Hamden/North Haven Adult Ed catalog when I happened upon a course listing in the Enrichment Class section called Golf Fore Women 101.   It felt serendipitous as I have been talking about taking golf lessons for what felt like ages so I promptly called to register for the Saturday morning 5-week session.

Then I called my girlfriend and broadcast industry colleague Ginger, who, like me, owned her own set of golf clubs but still did not know how to play.  Ginger was grateful that I thought of her and I felt lucky to know her (smile).

 

Me and Ginger on Day 1 of our lessons and the women we met in Golf 101

 

The reason why I felt so lucky was because I actually bought my own starter set of golf clubs 11 years ago but for some reason or another, nothing ever seemed to come together for me in terms of taking golf lessons or being consistent about actually wanting to play.  Here’s the rundown:

 

2007

I purchased my own set of “lady” golf clubs for $105 dollars (down to the shoes, hat, gloves, pink golf balls, etc.) and although I initially had good intentions, this set sat in my garage year after year collecting dust…

 

My starter set of lady golf clubs

 

2011/2012/2013/2014

Since by now I still had not learned how to play, I spent multiple years volunteering as a “Beverage Cart Driver” at our News 8 annual golf tournament where we invited our clients out for a day of golf.

 

2015

I finally took two private lessons (a gift from my bf) at Lyman Golf Center in Middlefield, CT with John Wilson, who came highly recommended from a former News 8 co-worker and female golfer.

 

Lyman Golf Center – this is  3 years ago…

 

After my two lessons with John,  I wrote a blog post about my experience in The View from Lajeune:  Check out my blog post:  Taking fun seriously…my very first golf lesson

 

2016/2017

At the annual Travelers Tournament in Cromwell, CT (one of my fav live golfing events and spectator sports)

 

At the annual Traveler Tournament in Cromwell, CT. Always a good time. Turns out my cousin Bear from Rhode Island was working there that week

2018

By now I was so desperate I even fake caddied for my boyfriend last Summer while he enjoyed ‘the game’ (smile).

 

And it was right after this fake caddy moment when I happened upon the Enrichment course listing in the Hamden/North Haven Adult Ed catalog…

 

Golf Fore Women 101

The Saturday morning Fall classes I registered for ran from September 15 – October 13 (10am -11am) and consisted of about ten women.  Our first session was mostly in the classroom where we talked about ourselves and what brought us there and then learned about Golf from a theoretical perspective.

My Saturday morning classmates – I’m gonna miss these ladies

 

Let me tell you, there is a lot to learn here.  Golf  is truly a game of and for life… Throughout our introductory 5-week course Marissa Kulig Crow, our LPGA Coach and Club Professional, very patiently taught us the following:

 

  • Essentials – equipment selection and appropriate golf attire
  • Golf Clubs
  • Golf  Course Layout
  • Golf Terms
  • Golf Scores
  • Forms of Golf Games
  • Golf Shots
  • Networking
  • Stretching and Yoga
  • Golf Etiquette 101

 

Lesson 1 –  The Driving Range

 

Here we are lined up and on our way to the driving range

Lesson 2 – The Full Swing

 

The full swing – one of my favorite golf swings

Lesson 3 – Chipping/Pitching/Sand

 

Chipping Pitching Sand Wedge was probably one of the most difficult lessons we took – here is me and Mary Ann – one of my favs

 

Lesson 4 –  On the Putting Green

 

Today’s practice will be on the putting green – the short game – where a lot of golfers struggle

Lesson 5 – The Apple 9 Golf course 

It felt so funny because today’s lesson #5  (final lesson of Golf Fore Women 101) was actually golfing on the Apple 9 Golf course.  We played 3 holes during our last lesson.  It was so fun!  I am looking forward to next Summer and Fall so I can take Golf Fore Women 201 and 301 and work on perfecting my game!

 

Me and my girls – enjoying our last day of Golf Fore Women 101!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

Lucky 7

There’s something about the number 7 that is lucky for me.  Here are a few reasons why:

  • I am one of 7 children
  • My birthdate 2-14, with the single digits added together, equals 7
  • My actual birthday 14, divided by my birth month, 2 equals 7
  • My first name Lajeune has exactly 7 letters in it
  • The first letter of my first name L and all of the letters in my last name Hollis equal 7
  • And finally, the city I was born in Newport (RI) has 7 letters in it

Speaking of the number 7:  7 years ago, after experiencing excruciating stomach pains, I finally got a colonoscopy and was subseqently informed by my Gastrointestinal doctor that I had colon cancer – Check out my blog post:  A Place of Desert…(almost) 4 years cancer free.

At my pre-surgery consultation I told my soon-to-be Yale New Haven Healthcare surgeon, Dr. Schlessel, that I had already planned a trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina the following month (July) to spend some quality time with my niece, great niece and 3 great nephews from New Jersey.   I also told Dr. Schlessel I had already rented the condo, the mini -van and even bought additional car insurance…

Incidentally, while this was all happening, I was getting some serious opposition from different people in my life who collectively felt that I was crazy to take the trip.  They all pretty much said the same thing: ‘you have Cancer, what if something happens to you on that long road trip?!?’  I listened to everything these folks had to say and then asked my surgeon for his honest advice.  He said (and I’ll  never forget it)  “Go!  And when you return we head straight to surgery!”  Here is a what I remember of that fateful trip:

The mini van

You should not take a long road trip involving children without the use of a mini-van (smile).  I rented a Chrsyler Town Car Mini-Van for our 10 day vacation…I left New Haven, CT very early on a Friday morning in mid-July and approximately 2 1/2 hours later, picked up my niece, great niece and 3 great nephews from their home in New Jersey.

 

The Chrysler minivan was equipped with all of the amenities for the kiddos (smile)

 

After about 4 or 5 food/gas/bathroom-break stops along the way (each time resulting in a driving-duty swap with my niece Keedah) we made it (18 hours later!) to Hilton Head, South Carolina.  Miraculously my stomach did not bother me at all the entire time and my energy level felt pretty normal…

 

Hilton Head, South Carolina

My first thought was:  Hilton Head is lovely.  This was my first time here and I was so impressed with the look of the town as well as the good vibes I felt in the air.   The endless sunshine didn’t hurt either…But first things first, our ‘home away from home’ for the next 10 days:

 

The condo complex

We had a mini-nightmare when we arrived after 12 Midnight on Hilton Head Island. Our GPS took us to the wrong condominium complex!   Apparently there are a ton of condominium complexes in Hilton Head plus the roundabouts throw the GPS’s off.   Long story short, we almost  thought we would be sleeping in our mini van the first night as my key would not work to what we thought was our unit.  Thank God the realtor was up and returned my frantic call.  He quickly re-directed us to the right complex and we were happy, tired campers.   Whew, that was close (smile).

 

This is the condo complex which we called Home for the next 10 days – as it turns out, Hilton Head is chock full of condominium complexes hence the confusion at the very beginning of our trip

 

The grounds of our condo complex
The natural pond

 

The pool at the complex – thank God my sister Dana raised her children and grandchildren to be strong swimmers (smile)

 

We spent the first morning in town doing some heavy duty grocery shopping at at the Piggly Wiggly.  Incidentally, I never worked so hard in my life while on vacation,  I was the Driver, the Hostess, the Cook, the Waitress, the Bottle Washer and the Dirty Clothes Washer and Dryer (smile).

 

The kiddos at dinnertime – never a dull moment (smile)  Here they are fighting over who gets control of the remote tonight.
Here I am in my bedroom at the condo around 7pm where I would start losing energy and therefore get ready for bed…

 

The outdoor pool at the condo complex

It sure was nice to have a pool at the complex for those few occasions when we did not feel like packing up the car and heading to the beach…

 

Rambunctious Rasoul
Ready for the world Rashidah
Kuddle bug Kenyon

 

Coligny Beach Park

I was so impressed with the South Carolina beaches (they truly are beautiful).  However, one of the nearby beaches – Coligny Beach –  stood out!   The sun, the sand, the surf  was unbeatable!  And all of that Vitamin D was good for my illness…

 

Me contemplating life I suppose…
Me soaking up the South Carolina sun
Kenyon building a sand castle
Kenyon, Rasoul, Ahmad and Aunt Keedah
Kenyon, Rasoul and Ahmad
Rashidah, Rasoul, Kenyon and Aunt Keedah with Rasould

 

My niece Dimitrica drove down from North Carolina to spend 4 days with us – we all had a blast

 

Savannah, GA

We decided to spend Day 5  of our 10th vacation day in this beautiful, cultural city which was less than an hour away.

I had heard nothing but good things about Savannah and I liked what I had  watched on The Travel Channel.   So it was a no-brainer to take a Day-cation there, especially since we were so close to the border.

Keedah and I drove the mini-van and once we arrived, the first thing we did was head to the free ferry to explore the 4 corners of the city…but not before feeding the meter…

 

Parking is no joke! We lucked out and found a good space close to everything!

 

Our free ferry boat

 

Dimitrica checking out the shops
Rashidah, Ahmad, Kenyon and Rasoul
Ahmad playing as usual
The kiddos around the wishing well

 

Rasoul inhaling his ice cream
Ahmad playing it cool as per usual

 

After our ferry ride we did some sightseeing and explored some African American historical exhibits, ate lunch and then headed back to Hilton Head.

 

Back in Hilton Head, SC

We spent the remaining days of our vacation  ‘Beaching’ at Coligny or ‘Pooling’ at the condo complex.  We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner in most days and truly enjoyed the lovely weather.  I was starting to feel tired earlier in the day now so I was glad it was nearing time to head back.

And driving back was much easier as well because this time we left on a Saturday night (approximately 12Midnight to be exact) and drove straight through the night with only one or two stops – getting back in record time the following Sunday.

Can’t say I’ve driven so far since that time but it was most definitely an adventure to remember (smile).

And, as a bonus, I was not only tanned but refreshed.   And as my surgeon would have noted, ‘ready for surgery.’

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

Vacay in CT

Have you ever heard the saying, It’s hotter than July?   Well, that’s how most of us feel right now in Connecticut.

 

 

It’s Hot, Hot, Hot!   And we no longer have the the luxury of complaining about the slow start to Summer because the 3 H’s –  Hazy, Hot and Humid – have officially arrived!

 

 

Another thing:  it’s About That Time Of The Year to think about where to vacate – so here’s the good news – you don’t have to hop on a train, a bus or a plane – you can simply gas up your ride and go!   With these super high temps, your vacation destination can be found right here in Connecticut!

 

 

The following are some suggested “StayCations” for you and your family in some (but not all) of Connecticut’s counties:

 

New London County

Beat the heat at Ocean Beach Park in New London, CT.  Ocean Beach Park has a spectacular beach, a boardwalk, activities, a pool, a Spray Park, a cafe and event space.  Parking can get pricey especially on the weekends but if you pile up your car and stay all day, it will be worth your while.

 

New Haven County

Lighthouse Park in New Haven, CT is always an affordable option for good, clean, family fun.  Nice beach area, picnic area, Spray Park, concessions, and that famous Carousel (smile).  There are parking fees but they are pretty reasonable.

 

Middlesex County:

Go to Lyman Orchards in Middlefield , CT and Pick Your Own Fruit – great family fun.  And visit the Corn Maze while you are there – it is always appropriately themed…And catch the hayrides, visit their bakery and try the kettle corn – you’ll be back for more!

 

Right after Golf Fore Women, me and my girlfriend Ginger made a day of it

 

Hartford County:

Why not catch a minor league baseball game at Dunkin Donuts Park in Hartford, CT.    The Hartford Yard Goats season runs from June through September and tickets start at just $10.00.  Perfect for singles, couples and families.

 

Fairfield County:

Have the time of your life on a day trip to Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, CT.  It’s priced right and a great way to enjoy the day with the kiddos.

 

Lions and Tigers and Bears…oh my!

 

So remember it’s Summertime so there’s no need to go away on vacation.  Your Summer Staycation Vacation starts right here in Sunny Connecticut!

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

TVFL

 

Virginia is for Bloggers!

We were looking to for a quick getaway from Connecticut this upcoming Memorial day weekend (2018) and Williamsburg, Virginia fit the bill.

 

I lied (smile) here’s what really happened:  just under 2 years ago we attended the Travelers GHO Tournament in Cromwell, CT where my partner James purchased an unlimited golf resort vacation package in Williamsburg, Virginia for us

and we looked up and discovered time was running out…

so we finally just got around to using it (double smile).

 

We flew out of Bradley International Airport on a Sunday morning with another couple we invited – James’s golfing buddy Bill and his gf Kathy.

 

Since we flew (and it was not a direct flight) we departed from Hartford, CT to Charlotte, NC then caught our connecting flight an hour later from Charlotte, NC to Newport News, VA.   From there we rented an Kia Sedona SUV and drove the 40 or so odd miles to Williamsburg, VA.

As I mentioned,  we departed on our 4 day mini-vacation on the last Sunday in May so that it would include the actual Memorial Day Monday holiday and we would use up less of our “vacation” days.

 

By the way, our golf resort vacation package included 4 days/3 nights of unlimited golf, a large town house with 2 full bedrooms, 2 full baths (the master bedroom had an ensuite bathroom with a shower and jacuzzi tub), wall to wall carpeting, a sunroom, open-design kitchen, dining area, living room, wet bar and a BBQ grill outside in the grilling area.   The Kings Creek Plantation resort vacation package had all of the amenities you would expect:  outdoor Adult swimming pools, outdoor Children’s swimming pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, sauna, indoor heated swimming pool for the family, tennis court, basketball court, take-out restaurant, fitness center, WiFi, golf package, Business Center, Aquatic Center and Trading Company.

The Townes

The Townes, where we were stayed,  were described as such: “…luxury town home living, your home away from home.”   They did not disappoint…

 

Unlimited Golf

 

As luck would have it, Memorial Day Monday turned out (weather wise) to be a perfect golf day for James and Bill.

 

 

You have to squint but here James and Bill are on the beautiful greens –  The Colonial Heritage Golf Club in Williamsburg, Virginia

 

Dining Out (in and around) Williamsburg, VA

As it turned out, it was mostly rainy and/or unbearably humid all 4 days we were there (I’m thinking even Connecticut had better weather (smile).   So our dining choices were utmost on our mind…

 

Yummy Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap and Golden Fries at Ocean and Ale Restaurant

 

 

Delicious wine at Second Street, An American Bistro

 

 

Delicious salmon and green beans
Fat Tuna Grill and Oyster House lives right up to its name (smile)

 

Cocktails and apps in the bar area of Opus 9 Steakhouse

 

Historic Colonial Williamsburg

The hardest part about going to historic Colonial Williamsburg downtown is finding a place to park.  However, once you are situated, everything is within walking distance, including the stunning and beautiful campus of William & Mary, the second oldest institution of higher education in the country.

 

The campus of William and Mary

 

Tour of Colonial Williamsburg

Interesting town
beautiful little cape
carriage house?

 

Felt like I was back in time
Cobblestoned streets and all
perfectly landscaped and easy to navigate

 

Hampton Roads Vineyard & Winery

I was curious to see what the Williamsburg, VA’s wine trail was all about so we chose this particular vineyard and winery partially based on the fact that we had to catch the James River Ferry to get here!

 

Hampton Roads Vineyard and Winery – a picturesque winery – to get here we had to catch the James River Ferry

 

Wine Tasting – 8 tastings (half glasses) for 5 dollars!  To say we were tipsy when we left would be putting it mildly (smile).

 

Loved the layout of the shop on the vineyard. Lots of interesting souvenirs to buy

 

Shopping for Souvenirs

While the men golfed on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning, Kathy and I went shopping for souvenirs.

R.P. Wallace & Sons General Store (our first stop) just so happens to be Williamsburg’s oldest gift shop.

 

Kathy and I could have spent hours in this gift shop! There was so much to see and buy!

So we blinked and it was Wednesday!

The 4 days flew by as much of our time was spent on travel.   However, what I discovered was that Williamsburg, VA  is still the perfect place to decompress and unwind.   That’s because of its historical character, beautiful topography and back-in-time feel.  In my mind, it is most definitely a must see!

 

Sincerely,

 

TVFL