This past weekend, I took a roadtrip to the state of Connecticut. Hartford, the state’s capital is known for its museums, dining, and historical sites. Prior to my visit there, I made a quick stop to the neighboring town of Manchester. This is most definitely a “must-do” for vegans!

The town can proudly boast of a vegan chocolate shop called Divine Treasures(Divine Treasures)! I stopped in for a box of vegan chocolates. It consisted of decadent caramels and nuts, and creamy,sweet dark chocolates and truffles. The shop offers a huge variety of vegan chocolate treats! In addition, they sell vegan ice cream in a cone or a cup with wonderful toppings. I devoured a cup of chocolate ice cream with caramel and chocolate sauces! My sweet tooth and cravings were fully satisified with this healthy and delicious treat! I had the opportunity to chat with the owner and the nutritionist onsite. They put loving care into providing delicious, nutritious, and healthy low-fat ingredients into their treats! I highly recommend this place for any visitors heading into the Hartford area.

My next stop was downtown Hartford. The capital’s downtown area consists of the city hall, Old State House, State Capitol, and Wadsworth Athaneum (featuring American and European art) art museum.

The Wadsworth Athaneum is an expansive art museum founded in 1842 by the affluent Daniel Wadsworth and built on his property. Five connecting buildings house the vast collection of works, as well as the Connecticut Historical Society and Natural History Society.

The Old State House site was originally the location of a meetinghouse started by colonial leader Thomas Hooker and his group in 1636. They left Massachusetts due to disagreements with their Puritan beliefs. Mr. Hooker is the founder of Connecticut. A statue of him resides in the courtyard of the Old State House. In 1780, George Washington meets with French troops commander Comte de Rochambeau and his French armies in Meeting House Square. This is where they planned their operations on how to conquer the British troops at the Battle of Yorktown.

The exquisite State Capitol of Connecticut is located in Hartford. The General Assembly, House of Representatives, State Senate and Governor’s office resides in the elegant building that can rival many a palace. It is worth a visit, if only to admire its exterior beauty and intricate carvings and statues on its facade.

Hartford’s city Hall is also a beautiful structure, worth of admiration. The lobby offers a nice art gallery for public view.

The following spot on my itinerary is probably Hartford’s most popular tourist site. The Mark Twain house(Mark Twain House) is the former residence of the historic author. He authored “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “Tom Sawyer” while living here. Visitors can learn about his life and legacy by touring the home with a guide.

I also paid a visit to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Hartford home. The author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” spent the last 23 years of her life here. She was a very religious woman and extremely anti-slavery.

The desk upon which she penned “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” is on display in the home.

Dinner time had arrived. While Connecticut does not boast of many vegan dining establishments, there is one located in Hartford. It is a Jamaican/Carribean/Cajun restaurant called “Fire and Spice“(Fire and Spice). The buffet style selection allows diners to choose a couple of items or as many as five. The entrees and sides are quite varied and ever-changing selections. I opted for the five item plate of kale, Cajun tempeh, Jerk Tofu, Yellow rice with pidgeon peas, and Ital veggie stew. Everything was incredibly delicious! For dessert, I selected a bundt cake with frosting. It was amazingly good too! The dessert case displays several kinds of cake, pies, and cupcakes. The desserts appear to be quite healthy too, as they are made with various grains and flours, not just traditional white flour. My day was complete with historic sightseeing, great vegan meals, and sweet desserts!

The following day I headed to the oceanside town of Mystic Seaport(Mystic Seaport). It is known for its idyllic waterfront filled with boats, steamships, and cruise vessels. Its famed tugboat displays proudly at the Seaport’s entrance. Tourists may take a dinner or lunch cruise on a steamship or other cruise vessel. Vegan vegetable items are offered for dining guests. The Mystic Museum and shops lie closeby. The 19th century Mystic Village consists of many old-time shops and tree-lined, quaint streets where shipmakers, craftsmen, and costumed entertainers and musicians remind one of days gone by from another era. Several elegant homes from the region’s shipping magnate family can be seen surrounding the village. I enjoyed my time in the village and on the steamship cruise!

Downtown Mystic offers wonderful views of the seaport from atop the bridge on Main Street.

The quaint Main Street area is a shopper’s dream with its little boutiques.

On my way back home, I drove about half an hour northwest of Mystic to the city of Norwich. It was the closest destination where I could find a vegan meal! The town actually has one vegetarian restaurant downtown called “Kong Foo”(85 Main Street). They serve Asian cuisine. Most of the menu items either are vegan or can be made vegan. Since several items contain egg or dairy, you need to exercise caution and mention to your waitstaff that you are vegan. I ordered a wonton soup for my appetizer. For my main meal, I dined on General Tso spicy chicken with broccoli and vegetable fried rice. Everything tasted great! The consistency and flavor were very pleasing to my palate. My dessert was a mango pudding for which the waitress kindly omitted the cream. It was a refreshing cool treat after my spicy, filling meal!

I really enjoyed my weekend getaway roadtrip to the quaint New England state of Connecticut. The historic sites were educational, the waterfront was calming to the spirit, and the vegan dining was pleasing!

Update July 2015: I recently re-visited Mystic. Much to my delight, a restaurant called Pizzetta (Pizzetta) offers vegan panini sandwiches and vegan pizza with many vegan “faux meat” toppings. I selected the dairy-free buffalo “chicken” pizza with vegan chicken, hot sauce, daiya, and onions. It was really delicious with a flavorful and spicy sauce.

Update August 2015: I recently enjoyed lunch at Black Bamboo Restaurant (Black Bamboo Restaurant )in Hartford. The casual, vegan-friendly restaurant offers a veggie menu section. My wonderful meal was a General Tso’s chicken (vegan) in a spicy sauce, accompanied by broccoli, mixed veggies, and brown rice. The nice portion, seitan faux “chicken” was incredibly delicious.

For dinner I dined at Backstage Pizza (Backstage Pizza ) also in Hartford. Their vegan-friendly pizza options were plentiful. I selected the vegan faux “pepperoni” and pineapple pizza with soy cheese and peppers. My dinner choice was really tasty.