One of the most underrated aspects of Hartford is its prime travel location. Conveniently equidistant from Boston and New York City with a train station, bus station, and airport mere minutes away from campus, why wouldn’t you take advantage of the travel opportunities? Here are my recommendations for places to visit on your free weekends:
Boston:
Bus tickets to Boston go for as little as $9 on Greyhound. Just a quick two hour trip with free wifi and you’ll find yourself in one of America’s most historic cities. Stop by Mike’s pastries for some of the best cannolis in the country. Venture over to the North End and then get your tourist on and head to Quincy Market. If you’re there in the spring, I highly recommend a game at Fenway to see Dustin Pedroia kill it!
New York City:
Bus tickets down to NYC can be as little as $10 on Greyhound. Start your day at Sarabeth’s for hands down the best smoked salmon scrambled eggs ever. Do some shopping on Fifth Avenue or do some exploring in Central Park. The MoMA is an excellent spot to view fine art in the city as well!
Mystic, Connecticut:
When the temperatures are warm and the sun is out, I highly recommend a trip to Mystic. How can you resist a cute, preppy waterside town with dozens of excellent restaurants and great photo spots?
Portland, Maine:
Portland is a little city with a lot going on. Go to the Holy Donut for some delicious potato-based and gluten free donuts- they’re actually incredible! The Old Port is a great spot for nightlife and there’s plenty of shopping to be done in the day. If you go during baseball season, go to a Portland Sea Dogs game and for $20 you can sit in the first row! Go up to Freeport to visit the flagship L.L. Bean store that is open 24/7 365 days of the year at 3am- because why not?
Washington, D.C.:
Believe it or not, flights to the nation’s capital are dirt-cheap. You can catch a flight to Reagan National Airport anywhere from $50-$100 round trip (no lies). Hang out on M Street in Georgetown for the best shopping, food, and drinks in the city. Go visit the monuments, the White House, and the Capitol building. All the Smithsonian museums are free, so stop by the Air & Space Museum or the National Art Gallery for the afternoon.