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Connecticut Day Trips

Traveling the globe from my home base in beatuful Connecticut

Saturday Farmers Market in Washington Depot CT

Washington, Connecticut: The Town That Inspired Gilmore Girls [Itinerary]

December 31, 2019 By Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Some days, you just gotta get in your car and drive to a new town and see the sights. Washington, Connecticut is a really good town to drive to. It’s got a rustic-chic vibe with its mix of locals and weekenders from New York City. There are rolling hills, sprawling farms, and very nice restaurants to eat and drink in.

Washington Connecticut Day Trip

Bryan Memorial Town Hall in Washington CT

You can park your car at the Hickory Stick bookshop and spend an hour or two wandering it’s little “downtown” area. There’s the bookshop, Marty’s Cafe for coffee, some clothing stores and on Saturdays in the spring, summer and fall, a small farmers market.

Washington is famously the setting for the TV show show “Gilmore Girls” and while it doesn’t exactly resemble Stars Hollow, it does have all the trappings of small town life: lots of community activities, a folksy vibe, and tons to do (see my list below). As I say in my Gilmore Girls Guide to Connecticut (coming soon!), Washington is way more rural and outdoorsy than Stars Hollow.

Saturday Farmers Market in Washington Depot CT

The point of traveling to a town like Washington is to just be there, to soak up the small-town atmosphere.

Park at the Byran Memorial Town Hall. There’s a farmers market on Saturday mornings in the spring, summer and fall where you can stock up on local produce. Then hit Marty’s Cafe for a coffee before browsing the Hickory Stick Bookshop. There are other small retailers to dip into as well.

The day I visited I spent about an hour checking out the scene in town before wandering down route 47 towards the intersections of Kirby Road, Whykeham Road, and Parsanoge Lane.

There’ll you’ll find another little town center but this one looks like time forgot it. The buildings are still well kept and blindingly white, but there’s one lonely store and what looks to be an old town square.

I parked my car on a side street ear the intersection, grabbed my camera and roamed the area. There you’ll find the The First Congregational Church, the Gunn Memorial Library and the Gunn Historical Museum.  I didn’t see many people, but there was a fairly regular flow of vintage cars out for a weekend drive.

From there I continued North on Route 47 (enter Hopkins Vineyard into your GPS or Google Maps app) and enjoyed some of the most beautiful scenery Connecticut has to offer: rolling hills, gentleman’s farms and finally, a view of Lake Waramaug on the approach to Warren and the winery.

This would be a beautiful day trip year-round.

PLACES TO VISIT IN WASHINGTON, CONNECTICUT:

Averill Hill Farm
250 Calhoun St.
Washington, CT 06794

For apple picking, pumpkin picking, pizza, apple cider and apple cider doughnuts.

Hollister House Garden
300 Nettleton Hollow Rd
Washington, CT 06793

The Institute For American Indian Studies
Curtis Rd
Washington, CT 06793

Mayflower Spa
118 Woodbury Rd (Route 47)
Washington, CT 06793

I am DYING to try this place. I plan to organize a day trip there with my girlfriends this winter

Gunn Historical Museum
5 Wykeham Rd
Washington, CT 06793

Hidden Valley Preserve
198 Bee Brook Rd
Washington Depot, CT 06794

PLACES TO EAT IN WASHINGTON, CONNECTICUT

The White Horse Country Pub
258 New Milford Turnpike
New Preston, CT 06777

British Pub Food in the Litchfield Hills.

GW Tavern
20 Bee Brook Rd
Washington Depot, CT 06794

The Pantry
5 Titus Rd
Washington Depot, CT 06794

Norimaki
4 Green Hill Rd
Washington, CT 06793

A local Favorite.

Marty’s Cafe
4 Green Hill Rd #1
Washington Depot, CT 06793

The Washington Pizza House
13 River Rd
Washington Depot, CT 06794

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Connecticut

Where can you find cider wine between Farmington and Litchfield?

October 14, 2014 by Elizabeth Larkin 2 Comments

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I received this question and can’t think of what this place could be… any ideas?

Hi. I visited Connecticut in 2012 and happened on a small roadside shop on the route to Litchfield from Farmington. I cannot for my soul recall the name of the place, but it had the best cider wine I ever had! It was not a huge farm or orchard, just a small family run store. Any ideas what it is? I don’t know the route name either, but it even may have been further out as I went on up into Cornwall bridge too. Thanks for any help!! Anna Walker

SOLVED: Hogan’s Cider Mill in Burlington

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: Farmington, Farmington Valley, Hartford County, Litchfield County, Litchfield Hills, questions

Horse Listeners Orchard in Ashford

October 12, 2014 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Horse Listeners Orchard Ashford, CT

Horse Listeners Orchard Ashford, CT

Horse Listeners Orchard Ashford, CT

Horse Listeners Orchard Ashford, CT

Horse Listeners Orchard Ashford, CT

Horse Listeners Orchard Ashford, CT

The apple cider doughnuts at Horse Listeners Orchard aren’t actually made at Horse Listeners Orchard; they’re from The Milkhouse Bakery in Sterling, but that hardly matters when it’s sunny and beautiful and crisp out. Horse Listeners has all the must-have trappings of a pick-your-own farm: wagons to pull your kids in, cider and doughnuts for sale, and pumpkins and apples to pick. Plus, there are horses just wandering around the orchard eating apples.

They also have their own apple sauce, apple butter and a host of salsas and pickled veggies made from their own produce. This makes it a great place to stock up on hostess gifts for the holidays.

Horse Listeners Orchard
317 Bebbington Road
Ashford, CT 06278
(860) 429-5336

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: apple cider doughnuts, apple orchards, Ashford, Eastern Connecticut, kid-friendly, pick your own, Quiet Corner, romantic, UConn Area, Windham County

Pretty sure this will be peak weekend in the Quiet Corner…

October 10, 2014 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

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So I recommend you do this day trip. Yes, it’s supposed to rain on Saturday, but we are supposedly hardy New Englanders so put your duck boots on and get out there!

PS: Here are some other fall fabulous things to do.

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: Quiet Corner, Windham County

Day trip to the country fair in Woodstock

August 31, 2014 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Woodstock Fair

Rides

Woodstock Fair

Blue ribbon winning sunflower

Woodstock Fair
Woodstock Fair

Heavy machinery

Woodstock Fair

Crowds

Woodstock Fair

Carney food

Piglets (that’s a video)

What more could you want?

Woodstock Agricultural Fair
281 Connecticut 169
Woodstock, CT 06281

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks, Travel Tagged With: day trip, Eastern Connecticut, Quiet Corner, Windham County, Woodstock

Still plenty of summer left

August 30, 2014 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: Connecticut, Life Tagged With: Eastern Connecticut, labor day, Pomfret, Quiet Corner, summer in connecticut, Windham County

Springtime in Chester, Connecticut

June 5, 2014 by Elizabeth Larkin 1 Comment

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Filed Under: Connecticut, Life, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, Chester, CT Shoreline, Eastern Connecticut, flowers, Middlesex County, quainty quaintness

Lunch at the River Tavern in Chester

May 24, 2014 by Elizabeth Larkin 1 Comment

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Chester is one of those towns that you can show up, park your car anywhere, and not really have a plan. Just get out and walk. I spent a lovely spring day here and did have a plan: it was to wander and explore, but most importantly it was to eventually end up at the River Tavern for lunch. So we walked through Chester which has a quaint little downtown right on the Connecticut River, and then we got cracking at the River Tavern with guacamole with homemade tortilla chips, a rare burger, steamed mussels and a vegetable frittata accompanied by some glasses of processo and a delicious dark-n-stormy. I can’t wait to see what they do here for dinner.

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River Tavern
23 Main St, Chester, CT 06412

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks Tagged With: Chester, CT Shoreline, Eastern Connecticut, good for groups, lunch, Middlesex County, romantic

25 Things to Do in Connecticut this Fall

October 15, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

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Here are 25 things to do in Connecticut this fall: [Read more…] about 25 Things to Do in Connecticut this Fall

Filed Under: Connecticut Tagged With: lists, travel tips

An October Walk Through Sharpe Hill Vineyard

October 9, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin 1 Comment

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Is it cheating if you go to a winery and don’t drink? It that blasphemy? I’m pretty sure my friends from college have just dis-owned me.   [Read more…] about An October Walk Through Sharpe Hill Vineyard

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, ct wine trail, Eastern Connecticut, Pomfret, Quiet Corner, romantic, Windham County

Day Trip to the Connecticut Shoreline + A Birthday Surprise

August 6, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin 1 Comment

Harkness Memorial State Park

July 13th was my mom’s birthday. Numbers don’t matter, but let’s just say her AARP membership is now fully legit. My brother Brian and I thought long and hard about the best way to mark this occasion and there was only one answer: Brian would secretly fly up from Texas for the weekend and we would surprise her, video tape it, and then put it on a blog. That’s what modern 30-somethings do to their 60-something parents right? [Read more…] about Day Trip to the Connecticut Shoreline + A Birthday Surprise

Filed Under: Connecticut, Life, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, Clinton, CT Shoreline, ct wine trail, day trip, Eastern Connecticut, girls day out, good for groups, kid-friendly, New London County, outdoorsy, parks + recreation

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