1. Mansfield Hollow State Park
City: Mansfield, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 928-6121
Description: This 2,300-acre park surrounds the 550-acre reservoir created by the damming of the Natchaug River in 1952. You can find sports fields, picnic areas, fire pits, horseshoe pits, and more open daily year-round. No swimming is allowed, although powerboats are, at a slower speed than you might be used to, though (there’s a boat launch on Bassett Bridge Road near where it crosses the lake). There is good bass fishing here, and you might also catch brown trout or large northern pike. As far as hiking, this is where the blue-blazed Nipmuck Trail begins its northward track toward the border. The yellow and red trails are multiuse, so you can bicycle them with impunity. The dam itself is certainly worth a look as well.
2. Mansfield Drive-In Theatre
City: Mansfield, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 423-4441
Address: 228 Stafford Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: One of two drive-ins remaining in the state (the other is in Litchfield County), the Mansfield offers double features, with the first usually a family film and the second perhaps a comedy or action-adventure. These are first-run movies, out at the same time as “normal” theaters, so you can see the latest gems from Hollywood. Unlike most other drive-ins, though, this one has 3 big screens to watch films on. There’s a full-service snack bar, much better than most indoor movie theater options, and an excellent idea since you’re sitting through 2 late films. On Sun from Mar to Nov a flea market runs here, the largest one in eastern Connecticut, with 200 or more dealers selling hundreds of thousands of items.