THINGS TO DO

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Make sure you purchase the Metro-North One-Day Getaway combination package to the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium and IMAX Theater from Grand Central Station. Once you’re off the train, walk in the direction of the train, past the police depot and down the hill. Make a right at the bottom. Make the first left on Main St. and you’ll go under the railroad trestle. Washington St. is on your right. If arriving during the summer, take the FREE Sono Getaround Bus there. Buses meet the trains at the train station.

Walk down to the foot of Washington St. and you’ll see the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium and IMAX Theater on your left. The Aquarium is impressive and they offer live feedings of the animals. They also offer study cruises and plenty of volunteer opportunities. The IMAX Theater rotates its shows every couple of months so you’ll want to visit again and again.

Next to the aquarium, you can sign up to take a cruise to the beautiful, deserted Sheffield Island. Pack a lunch and picnic on the beach and tour the lighthouse. Spend the afternoon walking around the island. On a clear day, you can see New York City above the horizon.

If you are a land-lover, meander along the multitude of shops and art galleries on Washington Street. Check out the Perry Matto Gallery or interesting shops like Sassafras, Shacojazz, and Saga. On Main Street check out the AB-CD Music Store and the Norwalk Museum.

Take a free tour of the local brewery and restaurant, with lunch at The Brewhouse - (203-866-1339). Call ahead to make a reservation and ask for Manager, Bob Montanari. Across the street, check out the Pelissier Gallery, an iron and glass forge.

Pamper your self with a facial or massage at the William Hines Salon on Main St. or the Hair Shop on Washington St., or spend the day with the kids making pottery at Come Out and Clay.

If you are on foot, and staying at the Four Points Sheraton, they will shuttle you free of charge to anywhere within a 5 mile radius -- Calf Pasture Beach is a bit of a hike from the train station, but if you are up for it you can swim, relax on the beach and rent kayaks. By car, visit Grand Slam, a recreational center with batting cages and a golf driving range or AMF Rip Van Winkle Bowling Lanes. Also, if you are going by car, visit the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion Museum and the novel Stew Leonard's - The "Worlds Largest Dairy Store" on Westport Avenue.

LODGING

Unfortunately, most of the lodgings in Norwalk are 3-5 miles from SoNo. We recommend the Four Points Sheraton at $110/ night because it will shuttle you free of charge to anywhere within a 5-mile radius (including picking you up from the train station). It also has a restaurant and room/service on site.

We stayed up the road at the Courtyard Marriott at $109/per night. They do not have a shuttle however, they do have a jacuzzi and a swimming pool, which might be worth the extra taxi fare. They also have a restaurant on site and a Taco Bell next door.

If you are going by car, you might want to also try The Silvermine Tavern Bed and Breakfast, at $110 /per night. Other choices include the Double Tree Hotel at $89/night and the Norwalk Inn and Conference Center at $154/night.

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DINING

Don’t miss The Brewhouse on Marshall St. - good grub, good beer and a brewery tour with the purchase of your meal. Call ahead and ask for manager, Bob Montanari.

If the Rattle Snake Grill was a snake it would bite you. Located on the corner of Washington and Main St. For finer dining, try Ocean Drive, Porterhouse Steak Restaurant or Pasta Nostra on Washington St. For great seafood and romantic dining, try the SoNo Seaport Seafood Restaurant on Water St., overlooking the harbor.

We had delicious shrimp pizza at Match - a wood burning oven and bar.

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NIGHTLIFE

There are plenty of nightclubs, music venues and dancing clubs from which to choose. Party it up at Match, Amberjack’s Grill, Liquid, The Loft, and Shenanigan’s on Washington St. Symmetry, and the Velvet Lounge Dance Club on Main St. and the Wall Street Cafe and The Roxy on Wall St.

If all else fails, catch a movie at the Crown SoNo Regent Movie Theater on Main St.

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TRANSPORTATION

TRAIN:

Take the train to South Norwalk station. Metro-North Railroad (1800 METRO-INFO)

To exit the station, walk down the driveway and turn right onto Monroe St. Proceed to the light and turn left onto South Main St. At the next light, make a right onto Washington St. and proceed to the next light where you see the Maritime Aquarium on the left.

Schedule: Hourly departures from Grand Central Station.

Travel time: 1 hour

CAR:

From I-95 northbound. Exits 14 -16 in Connecticut. For Aquarium take Exit 14, continue straight at two stop signs. Right at first light onto West Avenue. Bear left at third light onto North Main Street. Left at first light onto Ann Street.

Travel time: 45 minutes

CAR RENTAL:

Rent a car from Hertz-Rent-a-Car or Enterprise. Enterprise will pick you up from the train station during business days and Saturdays. They have a special weekend rate of $19.99 per day. The only catch is they aren’t open on Sunday for you to return it. Don’t worry though, they are very accommodating for special circumstances.

LOCAL BUS:

In offpeak times, during the day, the Norwalk Transit District local bus WHEELS takes you in and around Norwalk.

TAXI:

If you get stuck, call Norwalk Taxi at 203-855-1764. A ride to the Four Points Sheraton from downtown is 5-10 minutes and $6.00 -$8.00.

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TRAVEL TIPS

Packing extras: bathing suit, sunglasses, sunscreen, bike.

LINKS

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MAP

For a detailed map of Norwalk, please click here.