Stay Connecticut Rentals, Vacation Rentals in Connecticut

Connecticut is a state rich in early American history. The region was first settled in the 1630s. It is nicknamed the "Constitution State" because the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut served as a model for the Constitution. The Fundamental Orders, written in 1639, were the first laws that acknowledged people as the true foundation of public authority. It gave voters the right to elect government officials and is sometimes considered to be the first written constitution. Also, delegates from Connecticut helped to establish the Great Compromise, or the Connecticut Compromise, at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The compromise decided how many representatives each state would elect to Congress.

Much of its past is on display at the Museum of Connecticut History, which is part of the Connecticut State Library in the state capital of Hartford. The 1910 State Library and Supreme Court Building include a Memorial Hall with displays including portraits of past Connecticut governors, as well as important documents. These include the 1662 Royal Charter that established the British colony of Connecticut, as well as the state’s 1818 and 1964 constitutions. The museum is also home to numerous permanent exhibits that trace the state’s history through colonial and early statehood days.

More information about the state’s culture and history can be learned at the Connecticut Historical Society, which is a non-profit educational center with a museum and library. Their research data includes more than 200,000 prints and photographs from its founding as a colony to the modern day, along with an impressive collection of 17th and 18th century furniture, clothing, tavern and trade signs and even the decorative arts. The library is actually one of four locations where important items are housed, along with similar facilities at the State Library, the University of Connecticut and Yale University. Combined these collections include millions of manuscripts and several hundred thousand volumes of books, making it one of the largest genealogical collections anywhere in the nation.

Connecticut has a generally temperate climate, with mild winters and warm summers. The January mean temperature is 27 degree F (–3 degree Celsius) and the July mean is 70 degree F (21 degree Celsius). Coastal areas have warmer winters and cooler summers than the interior. Norfolk, in the northwest, has a January mean temperature of 22 degree F (–6 degree Celsius) and a July mean of 66 degree F (19 degree Celsius), while Bridgeport, on the shore, has a mean of 30 degree F (–1 degree Celsius) in January and of 71 degree F (22 degree Celsius) in July. The highest recorded temperature in Connecticut was 106 degree F (41 degree Celsius) in Danbury on 15 July 1995; the lowest, –32 degree F (–36 degree Celsius) in Falls Village on 16 February 1943. The annual rainfall (1971–2000) was 46.2 in (117 cm), evenly distributed throughout the year. The state receives some 25 to 60 in (64 to 150 cm) of snow each year, with heaviest snowfall in the northwest. Weather annals reveal a remarkable range and variety of climatic phenomena. Severe droughts were experienced in 1749, 1762, 1929–33, the early 1940s, 1948–50, and 1956–57. The worst recent drought, which occurred in 1963–66, resulted in a severe forest-fire hazard, damage to crops, and rationing of water. Downtown Hartford was inundated by a flood in March 1936.

Hartford - The state capital. Bridgeport- The most populated city in the state. Danbury - Also known as Hat City, Danbury is home to Western Connecticut State University, Candlewood Lake, and many good restaurants. Greenwich - Ranked the 12th greatest place to live, Greenwich is a quaint town with a great view of Long Island. Mystic - This is one of the most common places to visit, due to the historic seaport and aquarium. New Haven - the state's "creative capital" and home to the greatest amount of pedestrian life, top-rated restaurants and tourist attractions. New London - Home to the coast guard academy, New London has a historic view of Long Island Sound. Norwalk - home to trendy SoNo with an active night life and The Maritime Aquarium. Waterbury - This is a small urban community with lots to do. Look for the Union Station Clock tower that overlooks the city.

There are many things to see in Connecticut. Yale University, founded in 1701 in New Haven, is the third oldest college in the country. One can step back into the 1800s at a New England whaling village in Mystic. In Bridgeport, there is a circus museum named after publicity genius P.T. Barnum. And since Connecticut has the largest income per capita, as well as one of the lowest unemployment rates, sight seers sometimes travel Greenwich looking at the jaw-dropping million-dollar mansions. West Hartford is the boyhood home of Noah Webster, creator of the first American dictionary. Eli Whitney developed interchangeable gun parts in Connecticut as well. His methods led to current high-speed industrial production. Visit Hartford and see where the Colt .45, made famous by the gunfighters of the Old West, was invented.

Air: North-central Connecticut and south-central Massachusetts are served by Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks CT, 12 miles (19 km) north of Hartford. For southeastern Connecticut, you may be better off flying into Providence's TF Green Airport. CT Transit scheduled city buses shuttle passengers between the Bradley Airport and the center of Hartford CT. Many other bus and limousine services can take you anywhere in New England.

Train: Three train services are available in Connecticut: Amtrak, Metro-North, and Shoreline East.

Amtrak: Amtrak runs trains daily from New York City to Boston along both the coastal route (via New Haven, Guilford, Old Saybrook, New London, Mystic, and Providence) and the inland route (via Hartford, Windsor Locks, and Springfield). About ten trains run every day.

Metro North: Besides the Amtrak trains, there are frequent and cheaper commuter trains operated on the New Haven Line by Metro-North Railroad. These trains depart New York City's Grand Central Terminal for New Haven hourly from about 7 am until after midnight on weekdays, with even more frequent runs during rush hours. Service on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays are almost as frequent, with trains at least every 2 hours. The trip by Metro-North to New Haven takes 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Bus: Peter Pan Bus company's Bonanza Bus division and Greyhound Lines operate daily buses between New York City, New Haven, Hartford, Providence, and many other New England.