Things to Do in West Haven

The blue waters lap gently at the fleet of boats docked in the certified clean Three Belles Marina. After the crews arrive, the sailboats and motorboats are ready to set out on the nearby protected cove. When the sailors arrive, they can find a certified mechanic seven days a week and take a dip in a sunny swimming pool because Three Belles Marina strives to offer all-encompassing onsite services and amenities.

The inflatable playground at Kid Escape USA provides a safe environment where kids can romp to their hearts’ content. Five air-filled playthings in primary colors offer cushy surfaces for kids aged 2–12 to climb on, slide across, and use as springboards to the moon. Elsewhere in the 9,000-square-foot enclave, young ones can also partake in arcade games such as skee-ball, racing, and air hockey. Parents keep an eye on the action while seated at nearby tables, sharing snacks from the cafe or using the WiFi access to search the real-estate listings for bouncy castles.

During your tasting for two ($5 value per person), you'll sample five different red and whites from Osprey's superb selection. The award-winning grapen goodness is culled from lively vinifera vines creeping across the 90-acre grape growery. Spend time sipping in Osprey's comfortable tasting room and scouring the sky above the sun-bathed rows of green for soaring ospreys, who guard grapes from liquor-loving kobolds. The take-home bottle of 2006 reserve chardonnay ($15 value), a full-bodied sip that's ripe with aromas of tropical fruit, toasted oak, and vanilla, has a well-balanced acidity that pairs well with seafood and sea-smoothed stones. Check Osprey's Dominion's schedule of events to see when there's live music.

Though its name does hint at the long, sharp-scented ranks of Christmas trees, Mark's Tree Farm acts as a gateway to many more of nature's marvels. In tribute to the powers of Mother Earth, Mark grows the trees without the use of any chemicals. The expert stargazer also invites groups to follow his laser pointer and the aim of his telescope during astronomy tours on the farm's enclosed viewing space. Shrieks drift, bent by velocity, from 600 feet of zipline throughout the woodland canopy as guests whiz past verdant foliage at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour, the exact velocity of the prettiest sunbeams.

Among the whispering leaves, the sharp tang of evergreen boughs mixes with the aromas of hickory and apple wood in the cooling air. Mark lubricates all of his cutting tools, which slice chips and chunks for smoking meats with canola oil, rather than petroleum-based lubricants that can carry carcinogens. He also packages firewood in custom lengths to fit in different stoves and underwhelming time capsules.

Schooner Inc began in 1975 as a means to highlight the plight of the Long Island Sound and to help amplify the positive difference that the Clean Water Act was starting to make in US waters. Today, the company connects more than 8,000 people each year to the beauty and history of New Haven Harbor via public sails, summer camps, and educational programs.

For the last 23 years, the Quinnipiack—central Connecticut's only traditionally rigged tall ship—has hosted hands-on marine experiences for kids and adults. The New Haven mayor has officially decreed the schooner to be the city's flagship, as well as the ship Most Likely to Wear Couture Sails. The spacious boat was named to honor the Native Americans who inhabited the region and is helmed by an experienced and friendly crew.