Clearly, from the gist of this blog, most of my travel is with kids in tow. It’s often balancing the wants and needs of all three of my boys, finding something that will appeal to all. This can be tricky since there is a seven-year difference between the youngest and the oldest. Sometimes, though, I’ll take one of them for a special adventure alone. Growing up as an only child, this was the only kind of travel I knew. Whether the trip was catered to me or I was along for the ride, my sole opinion was taken into consideration. For this trip, I took my middle child to Connecticut for a visit to Dinosaur State Park with a stop at Daybreak Coffee Roasters beforehand.
Daybreak Coffee Roasters
Fueling up at Daybreak Coffee Roasters in Glastonbury was the perfect way to begin this trip. An iced latte for me and a cookie for Tommy. Daybreak is located in the heart of Glastonbury. The shop is long with freshly roasted beans galore. There’s plenty of seating. Enjoy a latte or other preferred coffee drink with plenty of pastries to choose from for a bite. Tried and true, Daybreak’s been grinding here since 1989, so they’re certainly not the new kid on the block.
Dinosaur State Park
One of the gems of Connecticut’s excellent state park system is Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill. It’s in a random spot, the middle of an industrial park, and although there are walking trails, the highlights are inside! During the construction of a new building in the mid-20th century, dinosaur footprints were discovered! After digging further, a tract of footprints was found.
A domed structure was built around the footprints, and a small museum followed. The museum features a few exhibits about dinosaurs native to what is now Connecticut. There’s also a cool display of dinos along the wall. The center of the attraction is the rock embedded with footprints, mainly of an Eubrontes dinosaur, along with others. This kind of dinosaur resembles the velociraptors of Jurassic Park. Lights overhead highlight the paths that various dinosaurs trod over this land ages ago, leaving footprints behind.
And More
Of course, there’s a gift shop on the way out, and of course, my son wanted something. There’s a playroom with dinosaur books and other hands-on items. Dinosaur State Park costs a modest fee to enter the museum, but the grounds are free to walk around. In addition, my son panned for gems with a kit bought at the gift shop. Running water helped him sift through a pack of dirt to find unique rocks. As a hands-on kid, he loved it.
For my dino-loving kid, Dinosaur State Park made for an enjoyable afternoon. It’s not a huge museum so about an hour in total should suffice. Fueling me with a coffee added a fun extra stop to our adventure.
