by boat, by car, by foot- get to >> Mansfield & Storrs CT

By Amber Olesen

2007-11-27

Drive time

3 hrs., 15 mins./188.8 miles

Get on I-95 and head to NH. Cross into MA; keep right to take I-495 S via Exit 59 toward Worcester. Merge onto I-90 (Mass Pike) via Exit 22 towards Springfield/Albany. Merge onto I-84 W via Exit 9 toward US 20/ Sturbridge/ Hartford, crossing into CT. Merge onto CT-32 via Exit 70 toward Wilmington. Turn left onto Storrs Rd/ CT-é/ Tolland Turnpike. Continue to follow Storrs Rd. Turn right onto Mansfield Dr.

Touring tips

• In addition to excellent sports teams, UConn also hosts tours, museums, Boston POPs performances, lectures and more. Log onto http://events.uconn.edu and type in your visiting dates and you’ll get a full list of events, with times and specific locations, with a single click.
• If you like spooky, check out the old Mansfield Training School, an old mental institution closed due to “legal challenges.” Left to deteriorate, it remains an attraction for adventurous locals, police and photographers.

L ocated in Tolland County, CT lies the town of Mansfield. It swells with history and wide open spaces, including eight town parks and reserves, most notably Mansfield Hollow State Park. This park has a lake, boat launch and trail system in an impressive 1,700 acres. Mountain Dairy, which has been a large producer of milk for one family since 1871, calls Mansfield home.

Tucked inside Mansfiled is a community known as Storrs, home to the University of Connecticut, which includes 10 schools and colleges. “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance” ranks the university in the top 35 best value public colleges, meaning the students there will get a great education without a pile of debt.

Lovingly referred to as “UConn,” the school’s athletic teams have won eight NCAA Division 1 national championships, 32 Big East tournaments and 40 Big East season titles. If sports are your passion, you’ll want to make this trip to see the stellar men’s and women’s basketball teams and the hockey teams this winter. Year round, the Huskies are a significant source of campus life and pride.

If the arts and museums suit your fancy, Mansfield, and more specifically UConn, is home to many. The William Benton Museum of Art is on campus and offers a large collection of artwork created by the art department of the School of Fine Arts at the university. The Ballard Institute and Puppetry Museum, J. Robert Donnelly Husky Heritage Sports Museum and the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History are all part of the university’s large campus. Check out www.uconn.edu/culture for specific information about each exhibit and museum.

To experience all that Storrs and UConn have to offer, you’ll need a place to stay. The Fitch House Bed and Breakfast (860-456-0922), located on Rte. é, offers elegant charm, furnished with period antiques just minutes from the university. Or check out Jarnoval Bay Bed and Breakfast (860-455-1938). This B&B boasts serenity overlooking breathtaking grounds and views of Mansfield Hollow Reservoir.

When hunger strikes, check out Angellino’s Italian Restaurant (860-450-7071) in Mansfield Center. This place has received many rave reviews and is a hot spot to take the family or have date night. The Altnaveigh Inn and Restaurant (860-429-4490) is located in the historic Spring Hill district of Mansfield. Upscale and minutes from the school, Altnaveigh offers country charm, elegant dining and an extensive menu with fresh specials nightly. Call for reservations.

To find this 5.7 mile by 5.7 mile community called Storrs, just look for the signs for University of Connecticut. You won’t be disappointed by all it has to offer.