Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/52019
CONNECTICUT The story of the Amistad, the Cuban schooner where the famous 1839 slave revolt took place off the Connecticut coast, is preserved and retold through several his- torical sites in the state.At the former site of theNewHaven Jail,where the Africans aboard the slave ship awaited trial, stands the Amistad Memorial, created by African-American sculptor Ed Hamilton. New Haven also is the home berth of the Freedom Schooner Amistad, a recreation of the original ship that travels on educational mis- sions. The Old State House in Hartford was the site of the firstAmistad trial. Meeting attendees and other visitors can spend leisure time at one of Connecticut's coastal resorts, or perhaps see a show and try their luck at a casino. Along with the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, the Foxwoods Resort Casino, the MGM Grand at Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun Casino contain the state's largest meeting accommodations. DELAWARE From hanging out at Rehoboth Beach and otherAtlantic coastal retreats to kayaking in the Delaware Bay, the First State offers awide range of outdoor recreational attractions. Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, for example, is a popular spot for biking, swimming and hiking. The Dover International Speedway, Fort Delaware State Park and the statewide DelawareWine andAleTrail are also among the area'smain attractions. History buffs may want to visit Dover's First State Heritage Park or Wilmington's Kalmar Nyckel—a recreation of the ship on which Swedish settlers first came to the Delaware Valley in the 17th century — or tour one of the du Pont family's opulent estates in the scenic BrandywineValley. While finding bargains at Delaware's Wilmington – Delaware, tax-free retail outlets may not make visitors feel quite as rich as a du Pont, the shops are nevertheless one of the state's top tourist draws. MAINE Here's one for the "DidYouKnow?" files of a state not readily associated with Black history: The first African- American college graduate in the United States, John Brown Russworm, received his degree from Maine's Bowdoin College in 1826. Several notable Black heritage attractions make up Maine's Portland FreedomTrail—16 sites with links to with the Underground Railroad and the Abolitionist Movement, including the nation's third oldest African-American church still standing. 70 Black Meetings & Tourism November/December 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Mohegan Sun Hotel Exterior – Connecticut Portland – Maine Denis Jr. Tangney