Connecticut, that’s where!

Connecticut is also where the first hamburger was put together in 1895, and it’s home of the very first color television set.

Even the oldest U.S. newspaper, The Hartford Courant, is still published in Connecticut today.

That’s a lot of history for such a small state!

Skylar Bareford, a seventh-grader in Stonington, Conn., invited me to visit her home school. Because stones and my own cooking always seem to go together, I decided I’d feel right at home in a town called Stonington. After all, that is what this tour is about: eating!

Stonington is an interesting place, not to mention scenic. It’s right by the ocean and even has its own lighthouse! I visited the lighthouse and saw actual cannonballs from the Revolutionary War. (They looked a lot like my corn fritters.)

The beach setting is perfect for Skylar’s father, David, who is an artist and enjoys taking photographs. He gave us a tour of his art studio and showed us a photograph of a 10-foot mosaic that Skylar made on the beach out of seashells. It was of a whale, and it was pretty incredible.

But what about the food?

Glad you asked. Skylar’s mom, Lila, cooked up delicious fish chowder loaded with all kinds of fish: flounder, haddock, shrimp, scallops, salmon and clams. This was fresh fish because they were caught locally.

Along with the chowder, we also had salad and rolls. Then Skylar topped off the meal with a pumpkin spice truffle she had made.

I asked her how she liked being home schooled. “It’s a lot of fun,” she says. Friends usually ask if she gets to wear her pajamas to school, but she lets them know that even though her school is at home, she still has to abide by normal school rules. Class starts at 8 a.m., and she still has to dress for it.

Skylar’s school day consists of computer work for half the time and bookwork for the other half. Her favorite sport is softball, and she’d like to play professional softball someday. She’d also like to be a history teacher.

Skylar and her mom are taking French at a local adult school, and they go on field trips whenever possible. Besides school, Skylar is active in Awana Bible Club, and she loves to go sledding in the winter months (if it snows) and spends the summer months enjoying the beach. She’s also been taking karate for seven years and has a black belt.

The capital of Connecticut is Hartford. Just in case you visit, you should know that one of the laws they still have in Hartford is that you may not, no matter what the reason, cross the street walking on your hands. I guess that’s because it’s too hard to wave for a taxi with your feet.

I enjoyed my visit to Stonington, Conn. The lunch was yummy, and Skylar and her family were terrific hosts. Before leaving, I gave the cafeteria director (Skylar’s mom) a gift certificate for dinner at Skipper’s Dock Restaurant, and Skylar was given a gift pack, including a Border’s gift certificate.

If you ever get the chance to visit the east coast, visit Stonington. I think you’ll like it.

Next month, Massachusetts!