Fall (September to October): Peak leaf-peeping season—fiery maples, cooler nights, pumpkin spice everywhere. This is Connecticut at its most iconic.
Late Spring to Early Summer (May to June): Flowers bloom, coastlines warm up, and crowds are lighter than midsummer.
Summer (July to August): Beach season along the Long Island Sound, small-town festivals, and all the coastal charm. Expect more visitors and higher prices.
Winter (December to February): Quiet and cozy. Ideal for fireside cafés, snowy strolls, and small-town charm (if you don’t mind bundling up).
If you’re picking one season to highlight—make it fall. Connecticut’s autumn colors and crisp air make for incredible photos and the perfect long-weekend vibe.
Explore Mystic: Visit the seaside town that feels straight out of a movie, complete with boats, cobblestone streets, and a pizza legend or two.
Visit Gillette Castle State Park: A quirky, medieval-looking castle tucked into the hills of East Haddam—part history, part fairytale.
Stroll Litchfield County: Home to charming town greens, antique shops, and the kind of small-town energy that makes you want to linger.
Wander Yale University and New Haven: Museums, architecture, and a surprising foodie scene make it worth the stop.
Relax Along the Shoreline: The Long Island Sound beaches give off relaxed coastal energy without the chaos of Cape Cod.
Hike and Explore Inland Trails: Connecticut’s countryside is full of lush trails and scenic overlooks perfect for a half-day escape.
Eat Local: From New Haven-style pizza to cozy farm-to-table restaurants, Connecticut’s food scene holds its own.
By Plane: Fly into Bradley International Airport near Hartford—it’s the main hub for Connecticut.
By Car: The easiest way to explore. Connecticut sits conveniently between New York and Boston, making it ideal for a road trip.
By Train or Bus: Amtrak and regional rail lines connect major towns like New Haven, Hartford, and Stamford. Great if you want to skip driving.
Because the state is compact, travel times are short—perfect for long weekends or mini getaways.
Pack Layers: New England weather can change from warm to chilly in a blink.
Plan for Seasonal Events: Fall festivals, summer concerts, and winter holiday lights add extra magic.
Book Lodging Early: Especially in autumn when leaf-peeping crowds roll in.
Try Local Eats: Don’t miss New Haven pizza or local cider doughnuts.
Budget for Tolls: If driving, bring a card or E-ZPass for highways.
Stay Central: Connecticut is small enough to base in one town and take easy day trips.
Give It Time: Plan at least three to four nights to explore coast, countryside, and city life.
Rent a Car: The best option for exploring both coastal towns and inland trails at your own pace.
Public Transportation: Available in major cities like New Haven and Hartford, but limited in rural areas.
Rideshare Options: Uber and Lyft work well in urban centers, less so in smaller towns.
Bike or Walk: Many towns are pedestrian-friendly with scenic trails and parks.
If you want the freedom to stop at every adorable café or covered bridge, rent a car and take the scenic route.
Let’s talk about when to actually book that Dubai trip you’ve been pinning for two years. I get asked this constantly, so here’s the honest breakdown: October through April is your window. Anything outside that and you’re basically touring in a sauna!
October and November give you warm days and cooler nights, which is basically the sweet spot for wandering around without melting. December through February is peak season: gorgeous weather. March and April are the quiet insider pick, right before summer heat shows up and ruins everyone’s plans.
Saving this for later? That’s what it’s here for. Full breakdown linked in bio.
If you’re chasing energy, beaches, nightlife, and nonstop luxury, Dubai takes the crown. If you’re craving culture, iconic architecture, and meaningful landmarks at a slower pace, Abu Dhabi shines.🤍
My advice? Base yourself in Dubai and do Abu Dhabi as a day trip! The perfect balance of excitement and culture in the UAE.
Want the full breakdown? Check out my Dubai and Abu Dhabi guide for tips, itineraries, and must-sees!
I do not like seafood. 🐟 So when I booked a tasting menu at a restaurant built around aquarium walls at Atlantis The Palm, I was nervous.
Ossiano sits underwater fish gliding past the whole meal, moody lighting, the kind of room that makes you lower your voice without meaning to. It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. You’re paying for the entire experience.
Here’s the honest part: they have a vegetarian tasting menu, and I assumed it would be an afterthought. It ended up in my top five meals of all time. Course after course, the same care and precision as the seafood-forward menu everyone comes for. They even swapped in a steak for the main and it still felt cohesive with everything around it.
By course four you’re full. They bring out three more breads anyway. I ate all of it. No regrets.
Small detail that stuck with me my dress was black, so they swapped my napkin from white to black without me asking. That’s the kind of thing that tells you everything about a place.
Full breakdown of the menu, the vegetarian option, and what to expect linked in bio.
Dubai is all skyline until you drive an hour into the dunes and it goes completely silent. Bab Al Shams was that shift for us: slower, quieter, more intentional than anything we did in the city.
If you want nightlife or walkable everything, this isn’t your stop. But if you want a night that feels like a reset, it delivers, polished service, food I’m still thinking about, and a setting that never tries too hard.
Full review (and whether it’s worth adding to your Dubai itinerary) is linked in bio. 🏜️
I flew @emirates economy to Dubai fully expecting to just survive the flight. We booked seats by the exit row — @bradplummer1 got the legroom (he’s 6’7”), I got a normal seat right next to him, and it saved us money over booking two extra-legroom seats. Smart trick if you’re traveling with someone who needs the extra space and you don’t.
The food alone earned this post. Warm chicken, a Waldorf salad that actually tasted fresh, real butter on the roll, and a breakfast spread that put most airport brunches to shame. Add in the twinkling-star cabin lighting once dinner wrapped, and it felt less like a flight and more like the trip had already started.
Not everything was perfect — the wifi didn’t work for me at all, so if you’re planning to get work done in the air, download what you need beforehand. But that was the only miss in an otherwise excellent long haul.
If you’ve got Emirates lounge access in Dubai, use it. Showers, buffets, quiet corners to nap it makes the layover feel like a reset instead of a slog.
Full review seats, food, lounge, and the wifi situation is on the blog. Link in bio. ✈️
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
