Things to Do in Wallingford

The 27 holes that comprise Centennial Golf Club cover 340 woodland acres of pristine greenery, earning the Larry Nelson-designed course a difficult to achieve rating of Outstanding from Golf Digest. The nine-hole slates—dubbed the Fairways, the Lakes, and the Meadows—are characterized by frequent undulations and numerous encounters with intersecting waterways. Evergreens line the fairways on most holes, stretching out their needles to snag errant shots and raise golf balls as adopted pine cones in the family tree.

Centennial Golf Club's sprawling facilities include state-of-the-art instruction, practice facilities, and the Grille Room with indoor and outdoor dining spaces.

Course at a Glance:

• Three 9-hole, par 36 courses

• Maximum 18-hole length of 7,133 yards

• Maximum 18-hole course rating of 75.3

• Maximum 18-hole slope rating of 145

• Four sets of tees per hole

• Scorecard

Located amid Mashantucket's rolling hills in the middle of the Foxwoods Resort Casino, Comix treats laugh-seeking audiences to shows by the country's top touring performers. The club hosts national headliners, up-and-comers, and musical acts; its shows in the 1,400-seat Fox Theater give jokesters the chance to share their act with a larger but still intimate audience; and its shows in the 4,000-person MGM Grand Theater host such hilarity-generating superstars as Louis C.K., Jim Gaffigan, and Margaret Cho. Before shows, guests can take advantage of happy hour, perusing a menu of tasty appetizers and thirst-quenching drinks.

In the past 40 years, the Southern Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut have seldom stood without an echo of laughter or music. That's because Woodbury Ski Area keeps them pulsing with skiers and snowboarders during winter months and warm-weather revelers and concertgoers throughout the summer. Tubing slides run down the hills throughout the summer, along with zorb balls—inflatable spheres that carry passengers to the bottom in 45 seconds.

Woodbury Ski Area's president Rod Taylor, who competed as a member of the U.S. Ski Team, maintains the facility with the same drive he used to become the national downhill ski champion and record holder for clearing 222 feet in the Glendale Jump contest. While helping to keep adrenaline levels high, Rod ensures the facility hosts more laid-back cultural events with concerts on the Woodbury stage. Past shows have featured legends including The Wailers, Fela Kuti, and UB40, as well as Muddy Waters, The Band, Bonnie Raitt, and Earl Scruggs.

Sandy beaches, eye-catching architecture, and the Montauk Point Lighthouse await groups on Amagansett Beach & Bicycle Company's tours. On these excursions, skilled guides fuse the chance to view breathtaking sights with instruction on bikes and various watercrafts, including kayaks, standup paddleboards, and saddled leviathans. Back on land, staff members tune up gear and help customers scour through a sea of water- and land-based sports equipment. Everything from BMX bikes to tandem bikes take patrons on rolling adventures through the verdant Hither Hills. Although only a small portion of Amagansett Beach & Bicycle Company's business, watersport equipment such as wakeboards and tubes beckon customers to speed and bounce over harbor waters, while skateboards let adrenaline junkies stand motionless on moving treadmills.

Jim Scoggins first felt the rocking of a ship's deck in the 1950s on the rolling waters of Lake Champlain. Though he traveled south and found himself in healthcare administration for the next few decades, he never lost the passion for sailing—and eventually returned to New England to conquer more waves in the 1980s. With Sail the Sounds LLC established at three local ports, Captain Jim now uses his original sailing craft, an O'Day 39, as part of his training and charter fleet. He and his wife, Teresa, helm an ASA-certified training center, charter service, and cruising club to set guests out on the sparkling waters of Mystic River and Mystic Harbor. Captains pilot three Hunter yachts for chartered trips, as well as six Hunter 240 sailboats for captain rentals, sailing-club events, and classes teaching technique for keelboats, coastal navigation, and safely chartering parties of water-fearing cats.

A crack rings out from the jousting arena as armored knights clash in the pursuit of honor, while sword-swallowers thrill crowds with their death-defying art, jesters spin windy jokes, and townspeople in 15th-century garb roam the grounds tearing into turkey legs with their teeth. The Connecticut Renaissance Faire hosts these medieval-theme blowouts every year, including the Robin Hood Spring Festival and King Arthur’s Fall Harvest Faire. Under the themed umbrella of each gathering, actors caper about a constructed medieval village, engaging in Old English–flavored conversation and clapping games with fair-goers. In a tented marketplace, vendors sell beaded crafts, art, and tyrannical-king repellent alongside stands serving mead, beer, and other satisfying sundries. Although the shows and events vary at each fair, past spectacles have included archery displays, pub sing-alongs, and costume parades.