Connecticut is a place with multiple identities. It has a New York City suburb feel in the South, which transitions to a true New England the farther north one travels. New Haven, home to prestigious Ivy League institution Yale, also has a lot of great culture and food. The museums and theatah are serious stuff. Italian immigrants formed their own speech dialects and styles of pizza here. Hartford, traditionally a hotbed of the insurance industry, has many Latin American and Caribbean residents. You can visit the Mark Twain House, or learn about recycling at the Trash Museum. Convenient spots to hit the ocean include Hammonasset Beach State Park, with its great bird-watching, and Mystic Seaport, which has renowned maritime and submarine museums.

It’s no surprise you can find the bounty of the sea in places like New London, but you can also get organic veal cheeks and serious Ethiopian cuisine in New Haven. These days, you can find Tibetan and raw restaurants in Middletown, the home of liberal Wesleyan University. Hartford has a particularly high number of Jamaican restaurants, which are great places to get some flavorful rice and veggies. Follow your hearty, healthy soup with a lovely pastry at a fully vegetarian restaurant in New Haven where it’s all organic!