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Guide to Hartford, USA - Connecticut
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HartfordHartford
At the outset, Hartford seemed destined for greatness. Established during the 17th Century in a colonial region (of what would be the US) nicknamed the "Constitution State," this city positioned itself to be the premier location for all important governmental operations on the nation's east coast, though in all fairness, at the time there was only an east coast colonial complex. Throughout the 19th century, Hartford dwindled amongst larger brethren (i.e.: New York City, Boston, Philadelphia), and was thus hardly useful as anything but a center for matters of trivial importance. Today, Hartford is better off, but retains that "left-over" imagery in its vacant lots and struggling business districts. You can indeed revel in the over-the-top appointments found in and upon the city's Capitol, develop a close relationship with literati at the Mark Twain House, and put your memorization of the color wheel to work at the Wadsworth Atheneum, but walk a few blocks outside Hartford's immaculately kept segments and you'll know its other, deeply contrasting (and somewhat disorienting) side. There's no doubt you can make the best of what you're given, but as far as sightseeing in Connecticut's capital is concerned, keeping an open mind seems key in a visit's success.
When to go:
With its geographic center just west of the winding Connecticut River, has a relatively straightforward layout, a trait which assuredly works in its favor. The stream brings a constant flow of air to the city's most traveled areas, and the state's general position in the northeastern US allows it mild summers and shoulder season. Avoid traveling to Hartford in winter if you fail to hold an amicable relationship with snow. Rarely running at an extraordinarily busy pace, anytime there is sun there exists a pleasant setting for a vacation or business trip.
Getting there and around:
Bradley International Airport is located 12 miles from downtown Hartford; even heavily congested roads are bearable at this distance. You can hire either a cab or limousine for trips to/from the city, or go the bargain route and travel by bus. Because most sites worth seeing within Hartford are closely positioned with one another, anything but public transportation is really unnecessary. Only for night travel are taxis recommended over buses.
Attractions:
Two writers whose homes have transitioned to walk-through museums over the years, Mark Twain (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) and Harriet Beecher Stowe, are both held to great esteem even today in Hartford. A visit to both museums a must for any book lover. Twain's home is considerably larger, and takes roughly an hour's time to view completely by guided tour.Touching upon a previously mentioned site, the Wadsworth Atheneum is Hartford's most celebrated art depot Its volumes of oil productions were dubbed the first art collection/museum in the country, and now after the number of pieces it holds has expanded greatly, you'll be able to spend a day in the presence of landscape pieces by the likes of Remington and Wyeth and abstract and visionary canvases done by artists such as de Kooning and Rauschenberg.
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