The hiking committee of the Sleeping Giant State Park Association has devised a series of guided hikes through this magnificent park throughout 2009. 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. With this much encouragement, why are you still sitting there?

Astroids Are Just the Opening Act
at Leitner Family Observatory

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Leitner Family Observatory and Planetarium at Yale University opened in early 2009 to the delight of star lovers and planet chasers in New England. Located at 355 Prospect Street, the observatory and planetarium is open to the general public on Tuesday nights (October-March at 6 p.m.; April-September at 8 p.m.). The shows will include a live presentation highlighting planets and constellations visible in the night sky, as projected onto the planetarium's 30-foot dome, followed by Passport to the Universe, a digitally projected tour through the solar system, galaxy and beyond. Shows will last approximately 35-40 minutes and, weather permitting; telescopes will be set up for observing afterwards. Phone: 203-285-8840.

Barns, Books, and Time for Browsing

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Old books, old maps, old postcards. People who can browse for hours among this type of treasure should beat a path to Whitlock's Book Barn on Sperry Road in Bethany. The business is, in fact, a barn and a former turkey house stuffed with many thousands of used books, maps, and prints. Much of the material comes from estate sales and people reducing their libraries. The business has been operating since 1948, receiving a steady stream of buyers and sellers of books, maps, and ephemera. Fans of maps will savor the selection of maps from the 1800s, including hundreds of maps by town and by county from 21 states. The collection includes maps by Mitchell, Colton, Tilden & Baker, and the Beers family. There also is a selection of international maps. The barns are open Tuesdays through Sundays. Phone: 203-393-1240.

Burger Was Born Here, at a Moment’s Notice

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Louis' Lunch on Crown Street in New Haven could be a holy shrine for many Americans: it is the place where the hamburger was invented. According to legend, one day in the year 1900 a man dashed into a small New Haven luncheonette and asked for a quick meal that he could eat on the run. Louis Lassen, the establishment's owner, hurriedly stuffed a broiled beef patty between two slices of bread and sent the customer on his way, so the story goes, with America's first hamburger. If you want to visit Louis' for the first time, yet not appear to be a novice, you may want to learn a little of Louis' Lingo, such as " two cheese works, a californian, a salad, and a birch" [two original hamburgers with cheese, tomato and onion, cooked medium rare and served on toast, a hot dog with cheese, relish and onion, an order of potato salad, and a birch beer.” Get it? Got it? Good! Phone: 203-562-5507

Cats and Dogs Need Vacation Mementos, Too

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You may be on vacation, but you still may be carrying thoughts of your furry companions back home. Stop by Paws on the Green on Water Street in Guilford for dog and cat luxuries. With the motto “Dogs are not our whole life but they make our lives whole” (we will allow the same sentiment for cats, too). Paws by the Green sells all-natural dog and cat food, a colorful selection of dog and cat bowls, a rainbow selection of ribbon collars and leads, pooch wear and comfy and tasteful beds, and much more. You can also commission a portrait for your pet. Phone: 203-458-7298

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 and its countless opportunities for swimming, boating or casting a few lines. 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, precious 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. The town's history is remarkably well-preserved: there are several open historic homes. 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, which has excellent facilities for swimming, camping and boating. There's a wonderful year-round nature center, too.

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

High-Tone Shopping in Outlet Form

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Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets with 70 upscale stores features an impressive collection of the finest designer labels and brands for you, your family and your home. Located on Killingworth Turnpike in the town of Clinton, an easy stop directly off of I-95, this is Connecticut's only upscale outlet center. A VIP Shopper Club offers exclusive savings, like 50 Plus Shopper Perks. Lots of individual in-store promotions are happening all the time. Seasonal entertainment for shoppers and even for the children. Phone: 860-664-0700

Paleontology Place

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The Yale Peabody Museum at Whitney Avenue and Sachem Street in New Haven was founded in 1866 under the direction of O.C. Marsh, the first professor of paleontology in North America. Marsh built many of the Peabody’s great collections, and today you can see some of his most famous finds — the dinosaurs he named Triceratops, Stegosaurus and Brontosaurus — in the museum’s Great Hall. 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: The Riddle of Human Origins, and explore the solar system in the new Hall of Minerals, Earth, and Space. Phone: 203-432-5050.

Shubert Is the Prologue 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 2009 shows are CSI: Live!, k.d. lang, John Prine, Girls Night: The Musical, and Dido & Aeneas. Phone: 203-624-1825

Trail of Art Museums Traverses Connecticut

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 former artists' boarding 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, organized by region, along with helpful suggestions for nearby places to visit and to dine.
The entire trail includes, in the Fairfield region, the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, the Bush-Holley Historic Site in Cos Cob/Greenwich, the Weir Farm National Historic Site in Wilton/Ridgefield, and the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk. In the Greater New Haven region: the Yale Center for British Art and the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven. In the Litchfield region, the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield and Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center in Waterbury. In the Mystic region, the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, the William Benton Museum of Art in Mansfield/Storrs, the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, and the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain. In the Hartford / Central region, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford.