Things to Do in Cromwell

Since 1968, the NHL-regulation ice surface at Veterans Memorial Skating Rink has hosted skaters for a bevy of blade-footed endeavors that range from recreational public-skate sessions to speed-skating lessons. For year-round open skating, participants can bring their own skates or don a pair of comfortable Riedell Soft rentals before carving figure 8s and chiaroscuro sketches of Wayne Gretzky into the ice surface. Other ice offerings include hockey and figure-skating lessons, and after skating sessions, a battery-powered Zamboni and electric edger smooth the ice's surface with minimal impact on the environment.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society Connecticut Chapter supports the families of those living with the challenging autoimmune disease and spreads state-wide awareness via grassroots and national initiatives. Among its main goals, the Connecticut chapter is instrumental in bringing essential services directly to the state's more than 6,000 MS sufferers. A national nonprofit organization, members are also involved in public policy advocacy for the funding of promising scientific research into the causes and potential treatments of the disease, and for legislation beneficial to those affected by MS. The untiring Connecticut chapter members keep busy year-round by organizing annual fundraising events such as sponsored luncheons, banquets, and the annual MS Golf Classic. Once a year, the chapter holds a gala that honors a Citizen of the Year for humanitarian efforts and draws sponsorship revenue with high-profile entertainment such as Neil Diamond, who will perform at the 2012 Gala on June 16.

Banner Country Club's 18-hole public course rolls across 6,015 yards of Connecticut countryside, challenging golfers of all stripes with diverse, player-friendly terrain. The course's emerald corridors roam through a combination of open pastures and tree-lined areas, letting golfers unsheathe muscular drivers on forgiving holes before forcing them to whisper words of confidence to timid long irons when aiming through arboreal alleys. The picturesque par 72 invites aces to hunt birdies across its relatively short layout, while offering a training ground for club-toting cadets still trying to perfect their swing or wield modified canes as golf clubs.

Course at a Glance:

18-hole, par 72 course

Length of 6,015 yards

Course rating of 68.9

Slope rating of 118

A full quarter mile of outdoor track snakes across the grass, sending racers on an adrenaline-fueled grudge match of hairpin turns, pedal-pushing straightaways, and close finishes. A speedy fleet of go-karts sends drivers flying down the track in vehicles such as the swift 9-horsepower Interceptor, or the two-seater Tornado, which allows children to ride alongside their parents to learn proper three-point turn technique. An on-track scoreboard displays racers’ lap times with accuracy up to a 1,000th of a second, and printed results enshrine automotive achievements and bragging rights for display. Inside, a beeping, blinking arcade pits gamers head-to-head in pro-racing simulators, bouts of Guitar Hero, or rousing tournaments of air hockey.

At City Steam Brewery Cafe, the owners concoct some of the area’s finest beers, scoring “best of” awards from Hartford magazine and Connecticut Magazine. They also brew potent batches of laughter inside their 200-seat comedy show-room theater. Ensconced in the historic Brown Thomson and Co. building, which was the state’s largest department store in 1877, Brew Ha Ha once was known as the Last Laugh Comedy Club, where fledgling unknowns such as Ray Romano and Kevin James vied for laughs in the smoky rathskeller of a restaurant.

Reborn in 1997 under a new moniker, the standup speakeasy keeps its calendar packed with nationally touring comics and local joke slingers. During shows, guests can toast with mugs of handcrafted beer and make edible sculptures of their favorite comedian using menu’s custom burgers, pizzas, and omelets.

Lush tree cover, rolling hills, and lakes dot the landscape surrounding the Connecticut River that GrandView CampResort & Cottages calls home. With this nearly untouched terrain as the backdrop, guests camp along 22.5 acres of wooded hills in their own tent or a deluxe cottage that can accommodate a family of five. Nearby, they can take in whizzing views of the countryside from the 300-foot zipline or take their time while strolling their way through the onsite golf course. When not lounging by the pool or playing horseshoes next to horses playing humanshoes, guests venture to one of more than 20 nearby attractions such as Gillette Castle State Park or the historical Mystic Seaport. Back at the campsite, kids keep their hands busy with scheduled kids' crafts and their faces sticky during pie-eating contests.:m]]