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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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A Day Trip to the Coventry Farmers Market

September 21, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin 2 Comments

Coventry Farmers Market - 08

I posted my pictures from A Walk Through the Coventry Farmers Market last month, and today I’m posting the day trip. I could go on and on about how bright and vibrant the market is, but I’m going to let the fruits and veggies of the Coventry Farmers Market speak for themselves. Day trip itinerary is below.

Pictures from A Day Trip to the Coventry Farmers Market

Coventry Farmers Market - 04

Coventry Farmers Market - 10

Coventry Farmers Market - 03

Coventry Farmers Market - 05

Coventry Farmers Market - 14

Itinerary: A Day Trip to the Coventry Farmers Market

Here’s the trick with a day trip that involves a farmers market: if you plan to shop, you need to be prepared to store the food properly (if the market is not the last stop on your itinerary). I am no food storage expert, but I think it’s logical to keep fruits, veggies, meats, and dairy as icy as possible if you’re going somewhere else after the market. Same goes for a picnic. If you’re buying lunch or a snack at the market, eat it shortly after the purchase, or store it cold until you’re ready to eat.Lucky for everyone, Coventry has great spots to take a picnic lunch after the market. You can either stay and eat on the grounds of the Nathan Hale Homestead, or, head to a local vineyard.

Coventry Farmers Market
Nathan Hale Homestead
2299 South Street
Coventry, CT

Cassidy Hill Vineyard
454 Cassidy Hill Road
Coventry, Ct. 06238

Once the eating and shopping is done (or before, the market doesn’t open until 11 a.m. on Sundays), hit up some antique stores on the town’s main drag. You can read more about Coventry’s “downtown” antiquing in A Day Trip to Coventry, Connecticut.

Coventry is part of Tolland County. More things to see, eat and visit in Tolland County, Connecticut.1

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, Coventry, day trip, farmers markets, good for groups, kid-friendly, shopping, Tolland County

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Connecticut Day Trips is a blog about travel and life in Connecticut, written and photographed by a native who moved away, moved back, and learned to love it: About/Contact

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Saturday Farmers Market in Washington Depot CT

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

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 […]

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