Southwest Region

Home to venerable Yale University (1701), New Haven New Haven is situated on an arm of Long Island Sound. It boasts top-drawer theaters and art galleries; its museums house fossil prehistory and Egyptian history, among other topics. For lovers of rare originals, there is the Beinecke Rare Book/Manuscript Library on the Yale campus. A Gutenberg Bible, original Audubon bird prints and changing exhibits are displayed here. A Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center and even the lightning ball game Milford Jai-Alai, both in Milford, are part of the greater New Haven area.

Coastal Fairfield County boasts theater, music and dance at Stamford, a Beardsley Zoo at Bridgeport and an The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk at Norwalk, children's museums, historic mansions and lighthouses. Approachable by ferry from South Norwalk, Sheffield Island Sheffield Island offers picnic grounds and a tour of an Sheffield Island Lighthouse. The WPA Murals at City Hall, Norwalk, are one of the largest collections of the federal art project in the country. Extensive canvasses recall local scenes from the Depression and World War II eras.

The Housatonic Valley is characterized by contemporary art and performing arts, a railroad legacy, colonial taverns and wine tastings. For something unusual, visit the Second Company Governor's Horse Guard in Newtown. This is one of the last active cavalry militia units in the United States. The McLaughlin Vineyards at Sandy Hook thrive on a 160-acre estate. In addition to wine-tastings, maple sugaring, picnic grounds, trails and jazz evenings are included.