It’s not yet summer, but it seems like we’ve been experiencing a different season every day, so we’re just going to roll with it.

To recap, too often when people request advice online about what to do, see, or eat in a particular city that they are visiting, the responses are way off the mark. A one-visit-only bucket list should include activities that say something about the character of a place.

Day One

Get outdoors! We get sunlight for about three minutes in Connecticut, so don’t waste that inside of a convention room.

Start by grabbing breakfast where outside seating is offered, such as Story & Soil or Blue State Coffee. Or, take your snacks and wander.

With those newly acquired calories, take a bike ride along the Connecticut River (or walk, but it’ll take much longer). Rental bikes are due to land in Hartford soon. Begin at Charter Oak Landing and ride north. As long as the river isn’t flooded, this is a fairly easy ride if you are not in shape; with flooding, it becomes an adventure, but there are ways to get off the path, ride on city streets, take the I-91 pedestrian bridge, and get back to the park. It’s possible to ride a bicycle along the top of the dike, and with some maneuvering, ride on Windsor streets for about five minutes before zipping across Windsor Avenue into Keney Park. Look for goats on the north side just inside the entrance. They are here as part of the Keney Park Sustainability Project. When the park road branches, follow it to the right to visit the patio at the Tavern at Keney Park. Or, keep going along until the road empties onto Tower Avenue. Obviously, take a look at a map to see how the exact route can look, but it’s simple to go from here to the other part of Keney Park, being sure to stop off to visit the horses at Vine and Rockville Streets. Exit on Westbourne Parkway, pick up Scarborough Street and get a glimpse of the art-filled yard that’s the first residential building on the left. Follow this until it intersects with Capitol Avenue, and take that toward downtown, stopping off for lunch and people-watching at Fire & Spice.

If that’s too much, try a looping ride from Charter Oak Landing, across the bike lane on the Charter Oak Bridge, up along the East Hartford side of the river, across the Founders Bridge, and back down the path.

Hartford has been doing a better job of activating outdoor spaces in recent years. From May 29 through September 28, Pratt Street opens to pedestrians, 11 am – 2 pm on Mondays through Thursdays, and 11 am – 9 pm on Fridays. The roadway is converted to a patio space during this time. Live music is scheduled for Thursdays during lunch; on Fridays, a range of activities from gardening workshops to dancing is planned from 5-7 pm. The Open Streets concept is not unique to Hartford, but no other towns in Greater Hartford appear to be doing this, at least not with any frequency.

There will be free concerts on Constitution Plaza from 12-1 pm on Wednesdays during June, July, and August, and if you’re looking for food trucks, you can usually find a few at nearby State House Square during lunchtime on weekdays.

Free activities are also planned for the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza. There’s Riverbarre — a ballet-inspired workout — on Monday evenings from June 4 through August 27. Tuesday nights offer a bootcamp-style fitness workout, from June 5 through August 28. There are free yoga classes on Wednesdays, June 6 through August 29. Starting June 7, the Riverfront hosts Thursday Nights on the Plaza, an outdoor happy hour. There is a food truck festival here in mid-July, and in August, the Riverfront is where to find the Taste of Caribbean & Jerk Festival and the Dragon Boat & Asian Festival.

Hungry? Lots of places to eat outside. Coyote Flaco on New Britain Avenue has decent margaritas. Chango Rosa at the train station downtown provides a view of Bushnell Park. Salute, also in downtown, has been welcoming to pets on the patio. If you want to hang more with the locals, Red Rock Tavern on Capitol Avenue is a fine spot for that. Or, in downtown, grab pizza and a beer at a picnic table outside of The Blind Pig, and check out the gardens on site.

Day Two

Cedar Hill Cemetery invites people to (respectfully) wander about, and provides walking tours for a small fee. This on the southern edge of Hartford, near First & Last Bakery.

If you’re in Hartford on a Monday night in July or early August, stop by Bushnell Park for free jazz in the park. . . even if you hate jazz. It’s a chance to picnic with half of Hartford’s residents. If you’re here on a Thursday, take a free, quick tour of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch. While there, pop over to the Bushnell Park carousel for some of the cheapest ($1) and most wholesome entertainment to be found around these here parts.

Elizabeth Park in the West End is nice all year-round, but the rose gardens for which it is known come into bloom in June. You can’t miss the main Rose Garden; while there, cross the park road to look at the Heritage Rose Garden. On Wednesday evenings (June 27 – August 8) there are free concerts in the park and picnicking is permitted.

On some Thursdays, the Butler-McCook House & Garden hosts its Cultural Cocktail Hour, a low-key free event with music on the back patio. Bring a blanket and enjoy a picnic in the garden. You can learn a little about Hartford inside the house.

The Wadsworth Atheneum hosts the Under the Stars Film Series in July and August, screening classics like Roman Holiday and Lawrence of Arabia in its outdoor courtyard. There is live music before the films, and if it rains, they just move the event indoors rather than cancel.

 

What would you recommend to someone who might only ever stop in Hartford this one time?