About Town: Hartford

text size

This week, the PGA TOUR makes its first of two season stops in New England for the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands, near Hartford, Conn. We're in a pretty small state, but there will be no lack of entertainment this week -- that's if you can handle any activity after the down-to-the-wire finish at the 109th U.S. Open Championship.

SOMETHING TO SNACK ON

Julia Roberts likes it: Just under an hour's drive from Cromwell, Conn., (the location of TPC River Highlands), you'll stumble across the little town of Mystic, Conn. Yes, the very same Mystic that Mystic Pizza -- the small-town pizzeria and 1988 Hollywood hit -- calls home. If it's good enough for everyone's favorite pretty woman, then it's worth the drive.

Other options
• For any BBQ or Blues lover out there, Black-Eyed Sally is a must-hit restaurant in Hartford. Live music and good food -- what else could you ask for?
• There's a lot of fine Italian dining in these parts -- especially so close to New York -- so put Vito's by the Park on your list this week and add a little alfredo to your life.
• Like you could really come to New England and not eat seafood? Max's Oyster Bar in West Hartford has some of the best seafood in the region, so get fishy.

Covatta/Getty Images

Last year's Hall of Fame inductees: Broadcaster Dick Vitale, former coach Cathy Rush, head coach Pat Riley of the Miami Heat and former NBA players Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and Adrian Dantley.

GET BUSY

Olde Mistick Village
Mark Twain House
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
Basketball Hall of Fame

SOMETHING TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT

There should be something to keep you occupied when you're not at the golf course this week, no matter what you're into. Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Olde Mistick Village: If you're headed to Mystic for the pizza, you might as well stop in for some history, too. If New England's famous for anything, it's famous for being old, and you can certainly experience that here. Olde Mistick Village takes you back to early America -- the 1700s, when Tiger Woods was merely a prophecy. Get a taste for the colonial times in the picturesque shops and restaurants scattered about this charming little haven.

• Mark Twain House: One of America's greatest literary pioneers called Hartford home, and today that very home is an extensive museum that pays homage to Twain's life, work and legacy. Get a feel for the place where Tom and Huck were born.

• Harriet Beecher Stowe Center: You can't go to Uncle Tom's Cabin, but you can visit the home of the writer who created it. Another famous author to hang her hat in Hartford, Stowe's groundbreaking novel will forever be intertwined with the American anti-slavery movement. Learn more about Stowe and her work right here in Hartford.

• Basketball Hall of Fame: It's not technically in Connecticut, but only a 30 minute drive from Hartford, the hall of fame sits just across the state line in Springfield, Mass. If you're a basketball fan -- college or professional -- then this is your No. 1 stop. Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, John Stockton, and C. Vivian Stringer have been named as the Enshrinement Class of 2009. See what else you can learn (or test your knowledge with) in this hardwood-lovers heaven.

STICKING AROUND?

• Hit the sand trap: You've no doubt heard about how wonderful the New England coast is, so set aside some time to see it for yourself this week at Connecticut's Ocean Beach Park. A boardwalk, a swimming pool, waterslides, a deck bar and lounge and -- of course -- beaches will keep you busy, or you can just work on your tan and ignore the rest. Your choice.

• Have some cheese with your wine: The Connecticut Wine Trail comprises 16 vineyards divided into two sections, both of which take a good day to explore. Not only will you get to sample the good old grown-up grape juice, you'll also drive through some of the most scenic and historic towns in Connecticut.