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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 Barns | Hill-Stead Museum

June 4, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

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Not only does the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington have a museum, sunken garden, hiking trails and a farmer’s market. It also has a barn you can rent out for parties. And it has a green door. More barns.

Filed Under: Connecticut Tagged With: Farmington, Farmington Valley, Greater Hartford, Hartford County

Day Trip | Stonington Borough

May 9, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin 3 Comments

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It’s finally warm enough to post this day trip which I took late last summer with Johnna. Stonignton is one of my favorite places in Connecticut, and it’s tied with Essex as the place I most highly recommend travelers from Long Island visit.

[Read more…] about Day Trip | Stonington Borough

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks, Travel Tagged With: CT Shoreline, day trip, Eastern Connecticut, historic districts, Mystic Area, New London County, Stonington

A Walk to Grow HIll Cemetery in Pomfret

May 2, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin 2 Comments

Untitled [Read more…] about A Walk to Grow HIll Cemetery in Pomfret

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, cemeteries, Eastern Connecticut, Pomfret, Quiet Corner, Windham County

Home in Hartford | Weekend Morning in the West End

April 28, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Sunday Morning in the West End-01.JPG [Read more…] about Home in Hartford | Weekend Morning in the West End

Filed Under: Connecticut, Life Tagged With: Hartford, Hartford County, Hartford West End, homestyle

Hiking and Pancakes | Hill-Stead Museum Trails

April 25, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

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I knew the trails at the Hill-Stead would be beautiful because everything at this museum is so freaking charming.  Imagine you are visiting a country house–really a stately manner–and you decide to go for a long walk around the grounds.  That’s what hiking the Hill-Stead trails feels like.

Putting it simply: if you like Downton Abbey, this is the hike for you.  [Read more…] about Hiking and Pancakes | Hill-Stead Museum Trails

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, barns, Farmington, Farmington Valley, favorite places, going solo, good for groups, Greater Hartford, kid-friendly, outdoorsy, pet-friendly, quainty quaintness

Spring in the Hill-Stead’s Sunken Garden

April 22, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin 5 Comments

Untitled [Read more…] about Spring in the Hill-Stead’s Sunken Garden

Filed Under: Connecticut Tagged With: Farmington, Farmington Valley, Greater Hartford, Hartford County, kid-friendly, signs of spring

Hiking and Pancakes | Penwood State Park and Mo’s Midtown

April 18, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin 1 Comment

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Penwood State Park in Bloomfield is where you end up if you’re looking for the Heublein Tower Trail but accidentally pull into the parking lot across the street.  I imagine this happens to a lot of people — you’re driving, you’re not quite sure where the entrance to the trail is, you spot a parking lot with people in assorted hiking clothes milling around, so you just naturally assume you’re in the right place.  This is what my friend Ellen and I did.  [Read more…] about Hiking and Pancakes | Penwood State Park and Mo’s Midtown

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, Bloomfield, breakfast, going solo, Greater Hartford, Hartford County, hiking, hiking and pancakes, kid-friendly, outdoorsy, pet-friendly

Checking in with Spring

April 15, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Untitled [Read more…] about Checking in with Spring

Filed Under: Connecticut Tagged With: Pomfret, Quiet Corner, signs of spring

Day Trip | Historic District of Simsbury, Connecticut

April 10, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin 1 Comment

2012-06 A Day Trip in Simsbury, CT - 06

2012-06 A Day Trip in Simsbury, CT - 21

Growing up, Simsbury High School was my high school’s bitter, bitter rivals, second only to our crosstown, bitter, bitter, bitter rival, Hall High School.  To this day, when I meet someone and they mention they went to Simsbury H.S. I give them an icy stare and an “Oh” while silently judging them. So it pains me to admit how much good stuff to see, how many great things to eat, and how many fun things to do there are in Simsbury.  [Read more…] about Day Trip | Historic District of Simsbury, Connecticut

Filed Under: Connecticut Tagged With: a good walk, day trip, Greater Hartford, Hartford County, historic districts, kid-friendly, outdoorsy, Simsbury

A Lunch at Republic in Bloomfield

April 1, 2013 by Elizabeth Larkin 5 Comments

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Last Friday was a rare day off for me, and I was planning to organize my closets.   I tend to treat days off as an opportunity to catch up on all the things I need to do around my apartment rather than a “day off,” which I badly needed. [Read more…] about A Lunch at Republic in Bloomfield

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks Tagged With: Bloomfield, Farmington Valley, lunch

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