Connecticut Off The Beaten Path Travel Articles

Connecticut

Foxwoods: Fantastic Food and Fun

Gordon Ramsey’s Hells Kitchen and Iron Chef Marimoto bring their culinary wizardry to Foxwoods Casino and Resort, here is our live report.

Glorious Autumn in Washington, Connecticut

Washington, Connecticut offers wonderful scenery of fall foliage and a peek into small-town life in historic New England.

Connecticut: Nine Free Outdoor Travel Destinations

Visit Connecticut for some of the best free, outdoor destinations for all your autumnal adventures.

The Madison Beach Hotel on the Connecticut Shore

The Madison Beach Hotel is a small luxury hotel on Long Island Sound in the small town of Madison, Connecticut. Hotel info and local attractions.

The Inn at Mystic: Seaside New England Charm

Mystic Connecticut offers charm and history in a beautiful seaside setting. The Inn at Mystic is the perfect location to stay in this New England town.

Biking the Western New England Greenway

The Western New England Greenway is a multi-state bike trail that starts in New York and ends in Montreal. Highlights of the towns the trail crosses through.

The Elm City: New and Improved New Haven

New Haven Connecticut. Visiting a city famous for Yale with great art and cuisine. Louis Lunch. Sally’s pizza. Pepe’s pizza.

Retro Connecticut: A Long Weekend in the Good Old Days

Retro Connecticut: A long weekend in the good old days with ice cream sodas at Carson’s, a drive in movie theater in Mansfield, and other olden things.

Connecticut’s Quiet Corner: Lots to See and Do

Connecticut’s quiet corner where can be pampered at a spa, take a ride in a hot air balloon, tour a local vineyard, visit an alpaca farm, Northeastern CT.

SHOW NOTES

In this episode, we head to Lower Manhattan to explore the layers of history hidden beneath the skyscrapers of Wall Street. Longtime GoNOMAD contributor Susmita Sengupta, a New Yorker with a sharp eye for the city’s past, takes us on a walking journey through the Financial District — revealing the colonial streets, early American landmarks, and sacred spaces that shaped the beginnings of the United States.

We begin at the New York Stock Exchange, but instead of watching the crowds, Susmita leads us to the Federal Hall National Memorial, the “Birthplace of American Government,” where George Washington took the oath of office in 1789. The Doric columns, the bronze Washington statue, and the preserved balcony inside all bring the early republic vividly to life.

Just steps away stands Trinity Church Wall Street, a Gothic masterpiece and the oldest public building still in use in Manhattan. Inside, its stained glass windows glow above the grave of Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s most influential Founding Fathers.

We continue to St. Paul’s Chapel, the Georgian-era sanctuary where Washington prayed after his inauguration, before wandering toward Stone Street, a cobblestone lane dating back to the Dutch colonial era — built by enslaved Africans and now lined with lively restaurants.

Susmita then guides us to Fraunces Tavern Museum, a Revolutionary War landmark where patriots gathered and history unfolded. Across the street, she discovers the preserved remains of 17th‑century New Amsterdam, including the 1667 foundations of the Lovelace Tavern, visible beneath glass panels in the sidewalk.

The journey concludes at the powerful and moving African Burial Ground National Monument, the largest colonial-era burial site for enslaved and free Africans in North America. Rediscovered in 1991, it now stands as a solemn memorial and educational center honoring more than 400 individuals whose labor helped build New York City.

This episode is a thoughtful walk through the origins of the city — a reminder that beneath the financial capital of the world lies a deep, complex, and essential American story.

Written by GoNOMAD contributor Susmita Sengupta.

Connecticut

SHOW NOTES

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