Is anyone going to East Hartford this week? Has anyone been there for a Bearcat game before?

I'm making my first trip to Rentschler this Saturday. If anyone has any travel tips, tailgating suggestions etc., I'm all ears.

Thank you

Check with Subflea.

Wear a parka and bring your long johns

Tailgating is easy, lots of parking around the stadium. It was built on an old airfield, so there is a lot of land around it. The stadium itself is very sterile. When I went the UConn fans were not the friendliest folks, but with as bad as they are now, and as small as the crowd will likely be, it shouldn't be too bad.

If you have time, I recommend a trip south to Mohegan Sun or to Foxwoods. Both are about 45 minutes to and hour away.

I might go, but it will be a Friday morning decision.

I lived in Connecticut the past two years. UConn fans really don't care about football and they'd be the first ones to admit it to you. Sadly if they even got a fraction of the support for football that they get for UConn hoops they'd be out of the AAC by now. But that's for another thread.

Rentschler is nothing special, not a dump but very bare bones. While you're in the area either hit up Frank Pepe's or Joey Garlic's. Both have awesome pizza and Joey Garlic's has plenty of pasta dishes and other fantastic Italian fare. Don't know where you're staying but central Connecticut is relatively easy to get around. The Basketball Hall of Fame is in nearby Springfield, Mass. if you have time. If you've never been it's worth a trip but I'll warn you that it's a bit underwhelming. However, plenty of Cincinnati history in that place. I never went but I heard that Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods are a good time, if you're into gambling, Mohegan even has their own Frank Pepe's location on the premises.

(11-18-2014 09:22 AM)Jchuges7 Wrote:  I lived in Connecticut the past two years. UConn fans really don't care about football and they'd be the first ones to admit it to you. Sadly if they even got a fraction of the support for football that they get for UConn hoops they'd be out of the AAC by now. But that's for another thread.

Rentschler is nothing special, not a dump but very bare bones. While you're in the area either hit up Frank Pepe's or Joey Garlic's. Both have awesome pizza and Joey Garlic's has plenty of pasta dishes and other fantastic Italian fare. Don't know where you're staying but central Connecticut is relatively easy to get around. The Basketball Hall of Fame is in nearby Springfield, Mass. if you have time. If you've never been it's worth a trip but I'll warn you that it's a bit underwhelming. However, plenty of Cincinnati history in that place. I never went but I heard that Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods are a good time, if you're into gambling, Mohegan even has their own Frank Pepe's location on the premises.

Do you know if that is the same Pepe's in New Haven? If so, it may be the best pizza in the country.

(11-18-2014 10:03 AM)richardk Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 09:22 AM)Jchuges7 Wrote:  I lived in Connecticut the past two years. UConn fans really don't care about football and they'd be the first ones to admit it to you. Sadly if they even got a fraction of the support for football that they get for UConn hoops they'd be out of the AAC by now. But that's for another thread.

Rentschler is nothing special, not a dump but very bare bones. While you're in the area either hit up Frank Pepe's or Joey Garlic's. Both have awesome pizza and Joey Garlic's has plenty of pasta dishes and other fantastic Italian fare. Don't know where you're staying but central Connecticut is relatively easy to get around. The Basketball Hall of Fame is in nearby Springfield, Mass. if you have time. If you've never been it's worth a trip but I'll warn you that it's a bit underwhelming. However, plenty of Cincinnati history in that place. I never went but I heard that Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods are a good time, if you're into gambling, Mohegan even has their own Frank Pepe's location on the premises.

Do you know if that is the same Pepe's in New Haven? If so, it may be the best pizza in the country.

Pepe's now has several locations across the state. I've only been to the one in New Haven, but I've heard good things about the other locations. Hard to choose between them and Lombardi's in NYC for my favorite thin crust pizza.

I think the UConn stadium has the honor of being the furthest from main campus of all the FBS schools. 22 miles.

(11-18-2014 11:16 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  I think the UConn stadium has the honor of being the furthest from main campus of all the FBS schools. 22 miles.

Rose Bowl is 25 miles from UCLA.

(11-18-2014 11:55 AM)InspectorHound Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 11:16 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  I think the UConn stadium has the honor of being the furthest from main campus of all the FBS schools. 22 miles.

Rose Bowl is 25 miles from UCLA.

True, but the Rose Bowl was originally built for the 1932 Olympics.

(11-18-2014 11:55 AM)InspectorHound Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 11:16 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  I think the UConn stadium has the honor of being the furthest from main campus of all the FBS schools. 22 miles.

Rose Bowl is 25 miles from UCLA.

Driving distance or straight line?

No one describes distances in LA by miles...it is how long.

25 miles could take you 2 hours. It is not 25 miles it is described as two hours.

Weird stadium; but sub is correct, there is ample space around it to tailgate. It originally was to be the new home of the New England Patriots. But the folks in Foxboro stepped up, and the planned NFL stadium in Hartford got cut in half....maybe more.

The few UConn fans that did make it to the game were a bit nasty as we watched Chazz Anderson complete a couple of passes to the Huskies, as UC got smashed 40-16.

I've been to both Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. Mohegan is very nice especially if you enjoy amenities other than gambling. If you are a poker player, Foxwoods may be the holy grail. I believe that the basketball Bearcats will be playing at Mohegan in 2016.

The day before the game, I took a trip out to Storrs to see their campus. Watched Geno run practice, and had a bite at their student union. Surprised to see how much farmland surrounds UConn. The day after the game, I actually took a trip to Newport, RI to visit the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Mohegan Sun used to gave the greatest ad slogan ever..."Win Big Wampum."

(11-19-2014 07:21 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Mohegan Sun used to gave the greatest ad slogan ever..."Win Big Wampum."

Google TexanMark tailgate, he has solid writeups and folk from the boneyard contributed. Beset parking is across the street from the Rent at the aircraft club lot, I met a couple of you guys there back in 2008. Best places to visit - I'd hit up the casinos, Old Mystic/Mystic Seaport. I live in Boston now so haven't been a CT resident for 20+ years, but that's where I'd go if I was going to spend a couple of days. I'm biased but I love the UConn campus and the Dairy Bar has awesome homemade ice cream (former ag school, yes we have cows and farmland).

(11-18-2014 12:44 PM)mac6115cd Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 11:55 AM)InspectorHound Wrote:  

(11-18-2014 11:16 AM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:  I think the UConn stadium has the honor of being the furthest from main campus of all the FBS schools. 22 miles.

Rose Bowl is 25 miles from UCLA.

True, but the Rose Bowl was originally built for the 1932 Olympics.

No it wasn't. Neither the Rose Bowl nor the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum were built specifically for the Olympics. They were both built in the early - mid 1920's almost 7-9 years before the 1932 Olympics. Both were used for the Olympics though.

40 and Partly cloudy...for saturday..don't see snow beinbg a factor,,