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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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CT Shoreline

The Lobster Pound in Guilford

May 10, 2017 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Conneticut Lobster Roll Trail

The Lobster Pound in Guilford in situated in a unique spot. It’s on a small dock over the water that overlooks marshes and jusssst a little further out is the Long Island Sound. The day we visited, they were setting up for a shower. How New England-y to have your shower on the water at a lobster shack? The rolls were lemony and buttery. Win and win.

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The Lobster Pound in Guilford
505 Old Whitfield St
Guilford, CT 06437

PS: See my toasty, buttery guide to the entire Connecticut Lobster Roll Trail.

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks Tagged With: CT Shoreline, Eastern Connecticut, good for groups, Guilford, Middlesex County, road food, summer

Halloween in Essex

October 26, 2016 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Halloween in Essex, Connecticut

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Just checking out Halloween in the most quaint town ever.

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, CT Shoreline, Eastern Connecticut, Essex, Middlesex County, quainty quaintness, streetscapes

The Scarecrows of Essex

October 10, 2016 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Scarecrows of Essex Connecticut

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I think these scarecrows in Essex are pretty creepy but I guess the quaintest town ever has to toughen up it’s reputation a little bit. If you go for a stroll in Essex this month and next, you can view the scarecrows up close and personal.

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged With: CT Shoreline, Essex, halloween, Middlesex County

A Weekend at the Saybrook Point Inn in Charming Old Saybrook

August 23, 2016 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Tall Tales and Three Stories at the Saybrook Point Inn and Marina

“Coast Connecticut is my spiritual home!”

That’s what my friend Michelle said when I asked if she wanted to spend a weekend with me at the Saybrook Point Inn and Spa.

Saybrook Point Inn and Spa
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View from Tall Tales at the Saybrook Point Inn and Spa
Saybrook Point Inn and Spa 1
Tall Tales and Three Stories at the Saybrook Point Inn and Marina

I have always been a snob about Connecticut’s shoreline. Since my parents are New Yorkers who spent their childhoods on the beaches of the south shore of Long Island where big waves rule, I turn my nose up at the Long Island Sound. No waves? No thank you.

But here’s the thing I’ve slowly realized over the past decade: No waves means less tourists and less tourists means that coastal Connecticut is still quaint and relaxed. There is no “scene” you don’t have to worry about keeping up with your neighbors. Your lack of flamingo pool float is just fine. All you have to do on the Connecticut shoreline is show up and enjoy yourself.

View form the Marina at Saybrook Point Inn and Spa

Michelle and several of my other friends figured this out years ago when our group of friends from college began spending weekends at Essex’s Griswold Inn. We’d have a huge group dinner and then spend the night singing along with the band in the Gris’s tap room. No one was dressed up. Parking was relatively easy to find. The town looked like a sophisticated Stars Hollow-by-the-Sound.

Coastal Connecticut is sophisticated without being, well, The Hamptons.

So when the Saybrook Point Inn in Old Saybrook offered me the chance to spend a few days at their seaside resort, I jumped.

Who wouldn’t want to spend a relaxing long weekend in one of Connecticut’s most glamorous-slash-charming towns? The summer home and later year-round home of Katharine Hepburn, this little Connecticut Shoreline gem has enough to keep you busy for a week or more. We only had two days but Michelle and I made the most of them. We rode bikes along the beach, ate delicious seafood, strolled Main Street, stalked the Hepburn House and spent a few hours simply watching boats bob up and down in the Marina at the Saybrook Point Inn and Spa.

SAYBROOK POINT INN AND SPA

The Saybook Point Inn and Spa sits right on a marina where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound. This means that from most guest rooms, the pool, the Marina Bar and the restaurant called Fresh Salt, guests have an unobstructed view of boats going to and from Long Island Sound or up the Connecticut River, or just bobbing in the water.

It’s truly a spectacular setting.

The Inn offers three choices for guests: you can stay in the hotel right on the marina, or in the guest houses across the street called Three Stories and Tall Tales. Both Three Stories and Tall tales have water views.

We stayed in Tall Tales, an Italianate revival recently renovated for looks and comfort.

The Masard Roof of Tall Tales at Saybrook Point Inn and Spac
Tall Tales Guest Room at the Saybrook Point Inn
Room at Tall Tales in the Saybrook Point Inn and Spa in Old Saybrook
Tale Tails at the Saybrook Point Inn and Spa in Old Saybrook CT
Inside a guest room at Three Stories at the Saybrook Point Inn and Spa

The guest house has three floors with six guest rooms total, and the first floor has a seating area and a kitchen so guests can share. Each morning I went down to the common seating area to enjoy a cup of coffee and a pastry while reading a book.

Have you ever wondered what the inside of Martha’s Stuarts Hamptons house looks like? I imagine it looks quite a lot like Tall Tales. It’s light and airy but refined and sophisticated all at the same time. You just feel really taken care of.

The Courtyward at the Tree Stories at Saybrook Point Inn and Spa

Next door is Three Stories with a light pink exterior but a more traditional interior. Three Stories features the same setup as Tale Talls: guest rooms with a shared space on the first floor for coffee and contemplation, but has another floor dedicated to lounging as well with a billiards room with buttery leather couches and fireplaces. Three Stories feels a little more like an old Ivy League Club.

The final guest room option? Saybrook Point Inn also has an option to stay inside a lighthouse on their marina. For reals.

THE SPA AT SAYBROOK POINT INN

In keeping with the “you are being taken care of” theme, the spa at the Inn is super chill and relaxing. I opted for the facial, and then spent a good 30 minutes sipping cucumber water in the spa’s waiting area.

There’s an indoor pool, an outdoor pool (heated so you can use it year-round), and a giant hot tub. There’s also a fitness center and sauna. We opted for the outdoor pool as this was August and had some cocktails and a split a perfectly cooked cheeseburger on a pretzel bun.

DINING AT FRESH SALT, THE POOL AND THE MARINA BAR

Outdoor seating at Fresh Salt at Saybrook Point Inn
Lobster Roll and Saybrook Point Inn

The restaurant at the Saybrook Point Inn is named Fresh Salt as a tribute to the Connecticut River and the Long Island Sound. On our first night, we had a long, boozy dinner of calamari, cod, filet mignon, edamame mashed potatoes, a bottle of cabernet, and Baked Alaska. I’ve always wanted to order Baked Alaska and Fresh Salt’s did not disappoint. It was a rare sugary treat for me.

The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, and you can order off a smaller menu from the pool or the Marina Bar which is right on the water.

Fresh Salt’s interior restaurant is reminiscent of the Griswold Inn in Essex with a fireplace, stone walls, and a beautiful bar. Outdoors you get the marina vibe with great views and my favorite part: a fire pit-in-a-bar that they called the Fire Bar.

On our second night, we opted to sit outside and split a buttery Connecticut-style lobster roll with sweet potatoes fries while overlooking the marina. It was delicious.

WHAT TO DO AT THE SAYBROOK POINT INN AND SPA

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Yacht at the Saybrook Point Inn and Marina
Cocktails at the pool at the Saybrook Point Inn
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Cheeseburger on a pretzel bun at the Old Saybrook Inn and Spa
Downton Old Saybrook
Go bike riding at the Saybrook Point Inn and Spa
Main Street in Old Saybrook Connecticut
Church in Old Saybrook CT

There’s the spa, tons of quiet places to read a book, and you have the gorgeous shoreline to explore. On our final day we took a long bike ride around the waterfront of Old Saybrook. The Inn provides bikes, and because of the great location, you can bike across a causeway that leads into the Fenwick neighborhood (home of Katharine Hepburn) and a chichi golf and beach club. We took our bikes past the golf course and rode along the seawall a far as we could before heading back.

The Saybrook Point would be the perfect setting for a girls weekend, a romantic getaway, or a family reunion or event.

This is a sponsored post. Thank you to the Saybrook Point Inn for hosting me.

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: chilling the eff out, CT Shoreline, dinner, Eastern Connecticut, girls day out, lunch, Middlesex County, Mystic Area, Old Saybrook, Preppy Connecticut, quainty quaintness, romantic

A Day Trip to Chester, Connecticut aka Where to Go When You Come Down with a Case of the Connecticuts

August 3, 2016 by Elizabeth Larkin 2 Comments

A day trip to Chester, CT

Every single damn day when I log onto Facebook, I see a string of comments about how people are fed up with Connecticut’s high taxes.  [Read more…] about A Day Trip to Chester, Connecticut aka Where to Go When You Come Down with a Case of the Connecticuts

Filed Under: Connecticut Tagged With: a good walk, Chester, CT Shoreline, Eastern Connecticut, girls day out, good for groups, Middlesex County, romantic

Lobster Shack in Branford

July 20, 2016 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Lobster Shack in Branford

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If it seems I’ve gone a little lobster roll crazy this summer, don’t worry: I have more stuff in the works coming later this summer. But for now, who doesn’t want to eat, talk about and look at pictures of lobster rolls?

Branford’s Lobster Shack is right across an inlet from Stony Creek Brewery so you can enjoy some beers on the deck and then head over to get a roll after the lunch rush and before the dinner rush when the line dies down.

Branford Lobster Shack
7 Indian Neck Ave
Branford, CT 06405

Stony Creek Brewery
5 Indian Neck Ave
Branford, CT 06405

Want to read more about lobster rolls? Check out my complete guide to the Connecticut Lobster Roll Trail.

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks Tagged With: chilling the eff out, ct lobster trail, CT Shoreline, good for groups, New Haven County, outdoorsy, road food

Connecticut Lobster Roll Trail: A Buttery, Toasty Guide to the Best Lobster Rolls in Connecticut

May 25, 2016 by Elizabeth Larkin 3 Comments

Best Lobster Rolls in Connecticut

Come away with me on a buttery, toasty guide to the most delicious lobster rolls in Connecticut via the Connecticut Lobster Roll Trail…

Best Lobster Rolls in Connecticut

Connecticut Lobster Roll Trail

Butter vs. mayonnaise? Always butter with a hint of lemon. Hot dog bun vs. hamburger bun? I don’t care as long as I’m eating my lobster roll in a shack or hut or on a landing or in the rough. I’m happy to let other people debate the ideal topping or carb-vehicle for their lobster roll.

For me, the best part of the lobster roll is the hunt for the best lobster roll. The lobster roll trail in Connecticut will take for your tony Fairfield County towns to the docks in New London and Groton. It will make you feel like you’re actually experiencing summer in Connecticut rather than just flipping through images on Instagram. And I know summer days are fleeting, so I’ve done the research and put together some suggestions for you to hunt the perfect lobster roll. I divided up the trail into three sections with lots of recommendations on where to eat and what to do nearby. (And if I’m missing your favorite, let me know in the comments!)

You can choose to sample a roll at each outpost in one day (lucky you) or divide this up over a few weekends (or a lifetime).

Before You Hit the Trail:

  • Most of these restaurants are basically shacks on a dock unless noted. Expect no frills.
  • That said, lobster is expensive, so expect to pay upwards of $16-18 for each lobster roll, and that does not include sides. If this seems expensive to you, I recently paid $45 for a lobster roll on Long Island.
  • Please call ahead or check the restaurant’s website before you go in the off-season.
  • Just to be on the safe side, bring cash!

The Lobster Pound in Guilford

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Ford's Lobster in Noank

New London-Groton Area of the CT Lobster Roll Trail

Lobster roll snobs, of which there are several, will say the New London-Groton arc of the Connecticut Lobster Trail is the most authentic and therefore the only real place to get lobster rolls. It’s certainly the most New England-y. Start your journey in Mystic or Groton and work your way up or down.

If you are staying in Mystic, at the casinos, traveling from Rhode Island or Massachusetts, or points “north” on 195, these are the most convenient places to for you to visit.

Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock
80 Hamilton St
New London, CT 06320

On the water, BYOB. Also known for their clam fritters.

Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough
117 Pearl St
Noank, CT 06340

On the water, BYOB.

Ford’s Lobsters
15 Riverview Ave
Noank, CT 06340

On the water, BYOB, expanded menu.

Harbour House Restaurant & Bar
3 Williams Ave
Mystic, CT 06355

Indoor restaurant with outdoor seating.

Things to Explore Nearby:

  • Chill out at Harkness Memorial State Park – one of the most picturesque beaches in Connecticut. I visited a few summers ago.
  • Get a drink at the Black Sheep in Niantic where they are known for their craft beers.
  • Bluff Point State Park – more for beach walking than beach lying or sitting, Bluff Point is undeveloped and raw and beautiful. Highly recommended.
  • The Oasis Pub in New London is a good jumping off point for the downtown New London area. Set your GPS to 16 Bank St, New London, CT 06320.
  • Explore Mystic Village, obviously. But don’t go to Mystic Pizza because the pizza kind of sucks and the whole point are the lobster rolls, right? Point your GPS to the Seaport and then just walk around and explore:  75 Greenmanville Ave., Mystic, CT 06355

Lobster Landing in Clinton 2

Lobster Landing in Clinton, Connecticut

Westbrook-Clinton Area of the CT Lobster Roll Trail

Here’s where things get a little crazy. There are a lot of options in this ‘hood, so I’ve starred the ones that repeatedly rise to the top of the best-lobster-rolls-in-Connecticut debate. The others are worthy options, but if you are just looking for the 2-minute version of “the best” go with the starred options.

The Westbrook-Clinton arc of the Connecticut Lobster Roll Trail straddles New Haven and Middlesex Counties. This is the area traditionally known as the  beginning of the “Shoreline” and is most convenient if you’re visiting a public beach like Hammonasset or traveling from the Hartford area.

The Lobster Pound in Guilford*
505 Old Whitfield St
Guilford, CT 06437

On the water, BYOB, you can buy a fresh lobster to take home as well.

The Lobster Shack
7 Indian Neck Ave
Branford, CT 06405

On the water, BYOB.

Lenny & Joe’s Fishtail
1301 Boston Post Road
Madison, CT 06443

Indoor restaurant with outdoor seating.

Lobster Landing*
152 Commerce St
Clinton, CT

On the water,  BYOB, pet-friendly, closed on Tuesdays, outdoor seating and tented area.

Westbrook Lobster Restaurant and Bar
346 E Main St
Clinton, CT 06413

Indoor restaurant.

Rocky’s Aqua
34 Riverside Dr
Clinton, CT

Indoor restaurant with outdoor seating.

Bill’s Seafood Restaurant*
548 Boston Post Rd
Westbrook, CT 06498

Indoor restaurant with outdoor seating.

Lenny & Joe’s Fishtail
86 Boston Post Road
Westbrook, CT 06498

Indoor restaurant with outdoor seating.

Johnny Ad’s
910 Boston Post Rd
Old Saybrook, CT

Indoor restaurant white outdoor seating.

Things to Explore Nearby:

  • The Guilford Town Green is worth the drive itself. Set your GPS to: 11 Park St, Guilford, CT 06437 and take a stroll.
  • Explore Grass Island in Guilford.
  • Lenny and Joe’s is literally (I mean literally) down the road from Hammonasset State Park, Beach, and Natural Preserve area.
  • Get a drink at the Madison Beach Hotel.
  • Take a walk at the Rockland Preserve.
  • Stroll the Madison Town Green starting at Boston Post Road at Copse Street.
  • Tour Salt Meadow.
  • Stroll Clinton’s quainty-quaint Main Street. Set your GPS to: 103 E. Main Street, Clinton, CT and park in front of “Old Brick”
  • Stop on the CT Wine Trail at Chamard Vineyards.
  • Skip the outlets and shop the Clinton Antiques Center at 73 E Main Street, Clinton, CT.
  • Tour Bushnell Farm in Old Saybrook.
  • If you choose to just do a day trip to Old Saybrook, a stop in Essex is always recommended.

Lobster Shack in Branford

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Fairfield to New Haven Area of the CT Lobster Roll Trail

This is the “southern arc” or the Lobster Roll Trail, so if you’re coming from New York City or points south (really, west), this will be the most convenient route for you. It’s more driving, but the scenery is beautiful, and if you can avoid traffic on 95 (or really, avoid 95 altogether) it can be pleasant. If you don’t have a car, you can take Metro North.

Boothbay Lobster Company
Harbor Point
14 Harbor Point Rd
Stamford, CT 06902

Food truck.

The Restaurant at Rowayton Seafood
89 Rowayton Ave
Norwalk, CT 06853

Indoor restaurant on the water with water views.

Lobster Post
222 Post Rd
Fairfield, CT 06824

Indoor fast food restaurant.

Knapp’s Landing Restaurant
520 Sniffens Ln
Stratford, CT 06615-7559

Indoor restaurant with outdoor seating.

Danny’s Drive-in
940 Ferry Blvd
Stratford, CT 06614

Outdoor drive-in restaurant.

Off the Hook Bar & Grill
170 Ferry Blvd
Stratford, CT 06615

Indoor restaurant.

The Lobster Hut
826 Bridgeport Ave
Milford, CT 06460

Food truck.

Stowe’s Seafoood
347 Beach St
West Haven, CT 06516

Outdoor seating.

Lenny & Joe’s Fishtail
501 Long Wharf D
New Haven, CT 06511

Indoor restaurant with outdoor seating.

Westbrook Lobster Restaurant and Bar
300 Church Street
Wallingford, CT 06492

Indoor restaurant with outdoor seating.

Things to Explore Nearby:

  • Stop by for a brewery tour at Two Roads in Straford. 
  • Shop SoNo aka South Norwalk
  • Fairfield’s beautiful and colorful Penfield Beach or Westport’s Sherwood Island State Park.
  • There is so much to do in the New Haven area, but let’s focus on summer-y thing: Silver Sands State Park in Milford.

Off the Connecticut Shoreline

It’s not the same experience as eating on the water (or in a town that’s on the water) but this is Connecticut, so you can get a good lobster roll pretty much anywhere in the state. Someone on the Facebook page even suggested Stop-N-Shop.

West Shore Seafood
449 Bantam Lake Rd
Morris, CT 06763

BYOB.

Hank’s Dairy Bar
1006 Norwich Rd
Plainfield, CT 06374

A’vert Brasserie
35 LaSalle Road
West Hartford, CT 06107

Deary Bros Mike’s Stand
12 Intervale St
Putnam, CT

If I’m missing your favorite, please let me know in the comments!

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks Tagged With: Branford, byob, chilling the eff out, Clinton, ct lobster roll trail, CT Shoreline, Eastern Connecticut, Fairfield County, good for groups, Middlesex County, Mystic Area, New Haven County, New London County, on the water, road food, Windham County

Day Trip to Essex, Connecticut: Where Autumn Still Lives

November 3, 2015 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

November in Essex Connecticut

Public Service Announcement: The Spirit of Fall is Alive in Essex, Connecticut

Oh, Essex. You’re such a special snowflake unicorn. As I was driving from Hartford to Essex the day after Halloween and I noticed that all of the leaves had already fallen off the trees along the Route 9 corridor. Just gone. Then I rolled into Essex and noted that all of the trees still have their leaves, and of course they were spectacular. November in Essex, Connecticut looks like mid-October in the rest of the state. Johnna tells me that Southwestern Connecticut holds onto its leaves longer than the rest of the state. Of course it does.

I noted the exact date that I started seeing Christmas stuff this year. It was October 16. But Essex is holding strong and keeping fall alive. I feel you, Essex. And if you’re still feeling fall (and you should be, it’s the best time of the year), I’ve put together a fall day trip for you to do this weekend. See the itinerary below.

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Itinerary: Essex, Connecticut

Here’s the thing with Essex: You could really just go there, walk around and get a drink at the Gris and it’s a great day. Johnna has a post about the doors of Essex and just looking at their doors may be enough to entertain you. Below I’ve put together a list of some places you can check out in case you need some added-inspiration.

Start at the Town Green and head towards the water. Here are some can’t-miss spots:

Places to walk/see in Essex

Town Green
12 Main St.
Essex, 06426

The Connecticut River Museum
67 Main Street
Essex, CT 06426
(860) 767-8269

Places to shop in Essex

The French Hen
16 Main Street
Essex, CT

See my visit to the French Hen from 2011.

Goods & Curiosities At the Griswold Inn
47 Main Street
Essex, CT 06426
(860) 767-0210 ‎

Places to Eat in Essex

Abby’s Place (this is in the dock area closer to the water)
37 Pratt Street
Essex, CT 06426

Griswold Inn
36 Main Street
Essex, CT
(860) 767-1776

See my visit to the Griswold Inn from 2011.

Black Seal Seafood Grille
15 Main Street #C
Essex, CT
(860) 767-0233 ‎

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, CT Shoreline, Eastern Connecticut, Essex, going solo, good for groups, kid-friendly, Middlesex County, pet-friendly, romantic

Mistakes were made in Branford, Connecticut

June 4, 2015 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Historic green in Branford Connecticut

I attempted to take a day off from work and go to the beach. Mistakes were made on my way to the beach in Branford, Connecticut. Here’s a recap:

I refused to actually leave my apartment

I was supposed to leave at 7 a.m. and head to Misquamicut, Rhode Island for the day, but then I decided I needed to participate in a work conference call at 8:45 a.m. Since I was already in “work mode” I decided that I couldn’t train my completely trustworthy and capable colleague on how to do my job so I stuck around until 11 a.m. to finish something else he definitely could have handled for me. I like to call this the Martyr Complex (“I don’t want to burden anyone else with having to do my job”)” but what it really is is being a paranoid egomaniac (“No one else can do this the way I can do this”).

I know I either read in the New Yorker, or heard on NPR last year that Americans take less vacation time than Europeans because Americans either refuse or are discouraged to cross train with their coworkers on what they actually do all day long. Europeans are all up in their coworkers business, so they can take substantially more time off with no need to check into the office.

So I guess my refusal to leave at 7 a.m. to go the beach makes me a real patriotic American. After that, I figured since I was home already I should do laundry and clean my kitchen. So I didn’t leave my house until 3 p.m. and could no longer make it to Rhode Island.

I went to the Connecticut Shoreline in the summer and did not eat seafood.

Instead of getting a lobster roll like any sane person would have done. I went to G-Zen where they got my takeout order wrong. I was the only customer in the joint but they still go it wrong and I didn’t check until I was at the beach. Why would anyone order vegan food instead of seafood at the shoreline in the summer? This one is on me.

I forgot that Branford’s motorists are crazy.

I’ve been to Branford twice before. Once with Johnna and once with Mike.  Both of those times I was almost hit by cars crossing the street with the light. Now I know it’s crazy to think that when the light says “walk” you should just go ahead and walk, but I did both times and those Brandfordites let me know how wrong I was.

This time it wasn’t a crosswalk but the sidewalk. I was standing on a curb waiting to cross when  a BMW (of course) going 60 around a corner almost clipped me.

By the time I left my house, drove the 45 minutes to Branford from Hartford, was sold the wrong order at G-Zen, and almost lost my life standing on a street corner, it was about 5p.m. when I finally rolled into the beach.

Branford, CT

Branford, CT

Branford, CT

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Branford, CT

If You Go To Branford

You don’t have to go to Branford before you go to the beach, I just thought it would be a good place to pick up a quick to-go meal to bring to the beach with me. I was wrong. But it’s still an awesome little town with lots to do. I hope to feature more Branford things soon. But yes, the drivers are loco.

Set your GPS to:

Common Grounds
1096 Main Street
Branford, CT 06405

Park anywhere around the town green, just remember: crazy drivers.

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, Branford, CT Shoreline, mistakes were made, New Haven County

Good Places to Eat in Stonington, CT

June 1, 2015 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Stonington Borough, Connecticut - 35

 

Is there a more beautiful place to explore in the summer than Stonington, Connecticut? If you go to Stonington this summer (which you definitely should do, if you consider yourself a proper Connecticut person), you can treat yourself to a full morning, afternoon or even a full day of just walking around a lovely little historic town. Think Mystic or Essex, but with more diversified shopping and eating.

Stonington Borough, Connecticut - 06

Dog Watch Cafe in Stonignton, CT

Nor'Easter Diner in Stonington Borough

Stonington Borough, Connecticut - 12

 

And you should eat at one of these places:

Dog Watch Cafe
194 Water Street
Dodson Boatyard
Stonington, CT 06378

Milagro
142 Water Street
Stonington, CT 06378

Noah’s Restaurant
113 Water Street
Stonington, CT 06378

Water Street Cafe
143 Water Street
Stonington, CT 06378

Zack’s Bar & Grille
201 N Main Street
Stonington, CT 06378

Filed Under: Food + Drinks, Travel Tagged With: CT Shoreline, Eastern Connecticut, good places, Stonington

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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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