R.J. Julia Booksellers at 768 Boston Post Road in Madison opened two decades ago as an independent bookstore whose mission was, and is, to be a place where words matter and where writers meet readers. The store hosts more than 200 events a year. Authors from all over the country visit the store to inspire, educate, and entertain. A knowledgeable staff, opinionated book selections with shelf-talker tags help book lovers find books that are just right for them. Open daily, Phone: 203-245-3959.

A Farmers Market With Plenty of Spirit

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The Wallingford Gardeners Market at South Colony Street at Hall Avenue in Wallingford is a spirited place with lots of bustle and locavore conviction. At this market, you can be sure your dollars go toward good fresh food, grown and harvested with care by local farmers and boutique gardeners. And, as usual, you buy direct from the producer; no middlemen; no long distance trucking costs. The market features fresh produce, flowers, herbs, fresh breads, eggs, local crafts, gift baskets, paintings and prints, quilts and aprons, and more. Hours, Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon, July17-September 25, 2010.

All You Need Now Is a Shove Off the Sofa

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The hiking committee of the Sleeping Giant State Park Association has devised a series of guided hikes through this magnificent park throughout 2010. Themes of the hikes are identified, such as Winter Tree Identification Hike, Spring Hikers' Hike (warning: strenuous!), History-of-the-Giant Hike, Spring Earth Day Ceremony and Hike, Spring Wildflower Hike, Early Bird Watchers' Hike, First Annual Beginners' Hike, Geology-of-the-Giant Hike, Fall Foliage Hike, and Holiday Hike and Social. The public is welcome to all hikes. The entrance to Sleeping Giant State Park is opposite Quinnipiac University on Mount Carmel Avenue about one-half mile east of Whitney Avenue (Route 10) in northern Hamden.

And They're Off!

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NASCAR auto racing is on the ticket from early April to late October at the Stafford Motor Speedway -- Home of the SK Modifieds – at 55 West Street in Stafford Springs. Races take place every Friday on the paved, semi-banked, half-mile oval track. The speedway opened in 1870 at the Stafford Springs Agricultural Park, hosting horse racing. At the end of World War II, automobile racing took the place of the trotters and pacers of the pre-war period. Racing action – and special events – continue through autumn. Phone: 860-684-2783.

Art Museum Trail Focuses on Yale
in the New Haven Region

Here is a project that can keep you busy year-round: explore the 15 world-class museums and historic sites that comprise the Connecticut Art Trail. The trail meanders among historic sites, bucolic farms, art studios and artists' houses to grand and modern art museums in vibrant downtowns. Discover diverse, quality collections rich in history and heritage, including European masterpieces, American Impressionism, ancient art and contemporary culture. The trail includes a feature called Trail Getaways that presents recommended itineraries along with helpful suggestions for nearby places to visit and dine. In the Greater New Haven region the trail includes the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven.

Corn Maze Celebrates Women’s Basketball

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The four-acre craftily carved cornfield maze at Lyman Orchards at routes 147 and 157 in Middlefield offers entertainment for all ages. If you’ve followed the UCONN Women's basketball team over recent years, you'll love following the pathways through through Lyman Orchard’s “corny tribute to their a-MAZE-ing success.” Also, specially trained corn cops are on duty at all times, ensuring that rules are followed and helping with directions. Open September 4 - October 31, 2010; Wednesday - Friday, 3 - 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Cost: adults, $9; children 12 and under, $5. Phone: 860-349-6015.

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Shubert Is the Threshold to Broadway Hits

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Opened in 1914, the Shubert Theater on College Street in New Haven earned the title Birthplace of the Nation's Greatest Hits, by staging more than 300 shows that later opened in New York. Best known for its Broadway presentations, the Shubert also hosts artists of ballet, opera, classical music, jazz, big bands and popular solo artists. From Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the Moscow Festival Ballet, the Schubert covers the arts around the globe. Among the 2010 shows are "A Chorus Line," Capitol Steps, "Hair," "Cheaper to Keepo Her," and more. Phone: 203-624-1825

Tea. Savvy??

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Tea is a beverage, a mood, and a lifestyle (just ask the Chinese or the British). Savvy Tea Gourmet on Durham Road in Madison is a tea room that does not simply serve tea; it serves tea living. This small restaurant serves 250 loose leaf teas along with a menu of delicious tea-compatible dishes: soups, cheeses served with dried fruits and crusty breads, sandwiches, desserts. Formal high tea is presented every other weekend and tea tastings are held weekly. For the discerning palate, this opportunity to visit a real tea room is too good to pass up. Phone: 203-318-8664.

You Bring Lunch; They'll Supply the Wine

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For the folks at Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford, producing first-rate wines is clearly a labor of love. Joe and Lucy Gouveia planted their first vines just ten years ago and to today visitors can sample wines made from the eight different types of grapes that thrive there. Set on top of a hill overlooking the vineyard, the Winery Building boasts a large stone fireplace, panoramic views of local pastures, woodlands and spectacular sunsets. Guests are even invited to bring their own picnic lunch to enjoy as they sip on Gouveia’s award-winning Stone House Red, Whirlwind Rose, or Oaked Chardonnay. Open Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. For information call 203-265-5526.

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Drive New Haven’s Charmed Shoreline

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Set aside a day to drive part of the shoreline of Greater New Haven. This strip of land along Route 1 contains historic homes, stylish restaurants, nature preserves -- all within a few miles of the Long Island Sound. Start on Route 1 in Branford's elegant downtown. Walk around the Green or veer off onto the many hiking or bird watching trails. The scenic Route 146 takes you into Stony Creek, a tiny former fishing village. The Thimble Islands are visible from Stony Creek's harbor. Next up, Guilford has a truly grand town Green, a lengthy, well-shaded block that's lined with charming storefronts. Madison's quiet, walkable downtown includes the much-loved R.J. Julia Booksellers and many other small shops. Outside of town is Hammonasset Beach State Park, Connecticut's largest shoreline park.

Educational Walk

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For the sake of architecture, history, of the love of academia, a walking tour of Yale University on elm Street in the city of New Haven will inspire and enlighten. Visitors on the tour will hear about Yale's rich 300-year history and see the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, which is home to a preeminent collection of rare materials, including a Gutenberg Bible. Guided tours, self-guided tours, and even an MP3 tour are offered. Phone: 203-432-2300

Fair Trade Art Makes Great Gifts

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Browsing beautiful handmade artwork from all parts of the world is a fun way to find a special gift. Ten Thousand Villages store at 1054 Chapel Street in New Haven presents fair-trade folk art, ceramics, textiles, baskets, jewelry, wall hangings, pillows, rugs, mirrors, vases, incense, candleholders, and furniture by artists in developing world. Each product reflects the traditions of its maker. Enjoy the international music, smell the gourmet coffee, and taste rich chocolate. Your fair trade purchase helps improve the lives of thousands of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Phone: 203-776-0854.

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Inside the Mind of an Inventor

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The Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop at 915 Whitney Avenue in Hamden honors the inventor of the cotton gin. The museum is an experimental learning workshop for students, teachers, and families. Visitors may take part in experiments that are the roots of design and invention. The museum includes a historic site based on a manufacturing village that Eli Whitney designed. It now includes a covered bridge, a forge, a barn, an armory, a water lab, a factory model, and a gun collection. A fascinating walk through the fundamentals of invention. Open daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day and Wednesdays through Sundays the rest of the year. Phone: 203-777-1833.

Paleontology Place

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The Yale Peabody Museum at Whitney Avenue and Sachem Street in New Haven contains some of the most famous finds of O.C. Marsh, the first professor of paleontology in North America, including the dinosaurs he named Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Brontosaurus. The museum is also home to Rudolph F. Zallinger’s murals The Age of Reptiles and The Age of Mammals. You can step into the world’s cultures in the Hall of Native American Cultures and Daily Life in Ancient Egypt, learn the story of human evolution in Fossil Fragments, and explore the solar system in the new Hall of Minerals, Earth, and Space. Phone: 203-432-5050.