Sometimes simpler is better. Take this Getaway, for instance, which never strays very far from Connecticut’s I-95 corridor but delivers big thrills for one and all. A couple of world-class aquariums and a zoo – what more do kids need to be entertained and educated?
The exhibits and big tanks at the Maritime Aquarium in South Norwalk house sharks, sea turtles, harbor seals, river otters and jellyfish. There’s a shark and ray touch tank and even a family of lovable meerkats. The IMAX Theatre (the real thing, not a mall wannabe) features striking nature-themed movies of all kinds.
Just a handful of exits up I-95, you’ll find hundreds of animals at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport. Among them are Siberian tigers, bison, monkeys, wolves, alligators, bears and snakes – lots of snakes. There’s a walk-through aviary, a New England farmyard and a rainforest building, among other features.
Back on I-95 for the run up to Mystic (as a slower but possibly more interesting alternative, you can take U.S. Route 1) where Mystic Aquarium is your destination. Here you’ll find sharks in the big tanks, enormously endearing African penguins, beluga whales and a 4-D Theater. And then there’s Exploration Wild, a stirring, newly opened tour of the world’s most captivating habitats – Rainforest, Arctic, Wetlands, Desert and Open Ocean.