Best in 1 to 3 Days

Best in 1 to 3 Days

Begin a day in the Litchfield Hills in New Preston and then head for Lake Waramaug. In West Cornwall, near Cornwall, have a look at the state's largest covered bridge. Turning south, spend a couple of hours in Litchfield, where you can have lunch and tour historic houses before continuing south via Bethlehem to Woodbury to visit the town's churches and antiques shops.

If You Have 2 Days

Old Saybrook, once a lively shipbuilding and fishing town, is a picture-perfect example of the Connecticut shoreline. Start your day here with some shopping on Main Street or a stroll along the coastline. Next, head across the Connecticut River to Old Lyme, home to the Florence Griswold Museum, where members of the Old Lyme Impressionist Art Colony once lived and painted en plein air. Continue up the coast, stopping if you like in Groton to see the world's first nuclear-powered submarine and the Submarine Force Museum. On your way to Mystic, stop in Noank for a late lunch or early dinner of lobster-in-the-rough seated at a picnic table at the edge of Noank Harbor. End your day in Mystic, where you'll find a wide assortment of hotels, inns, and restaurants to choose from. You won't have far to travel on Day 2: in Mystic, a visit to the highly esteemed Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration can easily fill your day. Afterward, if you have the stamina, head inland to Ledyard and try your luck at Foxwoods Resort Casino's 6,400-plus slot machine.

If You Have 3 Days

Greenwich, a wealthy community with grand homes and great restaurants, is a good starting point for a several-day tour that begins near New York. From here head to Stamford, where you can visit the Stamford Museum and Nature Center or hit the mall. East along the coast is Norwalk, whose SoNo commercial district and Maritime Aquarium are popular attractions. Have dinner in Westport, and end your first day in Ridgefield. After touring Ridgefield the next morning, head for the Litchfield Hills, driving north via Cornwall to Norfolk. Then it's south to Litchfield and New Preston, where you may want to conclude your day. If not, travel a little farther south to charming Washington. Begin Day 3 in Woodbury and then head to New Haven.