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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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Afternoon in Union Square, Flatiron & Gramercy

December 19, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin 2 Comments

I spent the weekend in New York City a few weeks back and I’ve decided to break it up into several posts. Today’s part two is about how to spend a lovely afternoon in Union Square, Flatiron and Gramercy Park. You can read part one here, A Saturday Morning in Soho and my tips on How to Walk in Midtown Manhattan. 

On our walk up from Soho we hit one of the most familiar and dear places in New York City to me, Union Square. My last NYC apartment was in Gramercy, the neighborhood directly northeast of the Square, and I used to spend many weekend mornings strolling the famous Union Square Farmers Market with a cup of coffee. I would carefully select produce for the week, half of which I would use within three days, and the other half of which would go bad in my fridge as I got lazier about cooking as the week went on and succumbed to the allure of happy hour appetizers.

Regardless, you have to visit the market, and Union Square is a good jumping off point for touring these neighborhoods.

[Read more…] about Afternoon in Union Square, Flatiron & Gramercy

Filed Under: Food + Drinks, New York, New York City, Travel Tagged With: a good walk, cocktails, day trip, dinner, farmers markets, going solo, good for groups, holidays, lunch, romantic, shopping

Christmas in Pomfret, Connecticut

December 10, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

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Where I Went in Pomfret, Connecticut

I spent an early-December weekend in Pomfret to Christmas tree shop and attend a holiday party at Tyrone Farm. It was an excellent way to kick off the holiday season. The Quiet Corner continues to amaze me with its beauty.  It reminded me of what Renee Zellwegger, former Pomfret resident (she put her farm house on the market last year), had to say about the town:

“Socially, architecturally and asesthically, Pomfret is the embodiment of the old-fashioned American small town, while it is simultaneously, a culturally rich and sophisticated community. The seasons and the landscape are breathtaking, the quality of life and festive holiday celebrations are of bygone days, and you’ll make more true friends in Pomfret within weeks than you would during a lifetime in most other places.”

Smutnick Christmas Tree Farm
70 Brooklyn Road
Pomfret, CT

Tyrone Farm
89 Tyrone Road
Pomfret, CT

You could combine your Christmas tree shopping and sightseeing with a trip on the wine trail, or a meal at one of the many fine restaurants in the Quiet Corner.

Location: Connecticut | County: Windham County | Area: Quiet Corner | Town(s): Pomfret
Seasons: year-round |  Meal: any
Themes: good for groups, romantic,  christmas in connecticut, ct wine trail, girls day out

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: christmas in connecticut, holidays, Pomfret

How to Walk Through Midtown Manhattan

November 28, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

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I spent the weekend in New York City a few weeks back and I’ve decided to break it up into several posts. Today’s installment is all about the easiest way to walk with a group on the streets of Manhattan.  See more installments of my trip here: brunch and shopping in Soho. 

This is something I would never, ever do when I lived in New York.  No native in their right mind walks through midtown between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. However, since I am no longer a resident and was visiting as a tourist, a walk from Grand Central to my friend’s apartment on 56th and 6th was not only necessary, but kind of nice.

As a public service, I’d like to introduce a technique to anyone looking to travel to NYC during the holidays (or really, any city with crowded sidewalks). Institute the “pull-over.” This is something my college friends started our freshman year at Fordham. Every time we traveled into Manhattan and were walking as a group, instead of stopping en masse in the middle of the sidewalk, we shouted “pull over!” and we’d all move off to the side for someone to look up directions, tie their shoe, etc. It felt very childlike when we were just starting out in the City, but super effective and I still use it today when I am walking in a group of three or more.

Another tip, if you’re walking with a large group and you’re leading them, shout, “left” or “right” about 30 feet before you have to make a turn. You may sound like a drill sergeant, but this is preferable to having a human pile up on the corner annoying everyone on their way to work.

The streets are mean, be prepared.

Manifest

Location: New York
Theme: travel tips

Filed Under: New York, New York City, Travel Tagged With: christmas in new york, holidays, travel tips

Thanking You

November 26, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

When I worked at the bank, I had a boss who instead of saying “thank you” would always say “thanking you.” It was one of those things that no matter how many times I heard him say it, it always made me laugh. One thing I’m always thankful for is that I don’t have that job anymore (although my coworkers– including that boss — were awesome). This year, the thing I was most thankful for was getting to spend time with this guy, my adorable nephew who visited from Texas. [Read more…] about Thanking You

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: holidays, homestyle, thanksgiving

The Best Food to Eat After Thanksgiving

November 20, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Everyone knows the best eating day of the year is the day after Thanksgiving, and everyone has their own way of using leftovers. Here’s what I like to eat, and what I buy ahead of time to prepare for The Day After. [Read more…] about The Best Food to Eat After Thanksgiving

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: holidays, homestyle, thanksgiving

A Little Bit of Christmas In New York

November 20, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin 1 Comment

a little bit of christmas

Mike and I took a trip to New York this weekend to visit friends and see the city I love at one of its most beautiful times. We happened upon this weekend haphazardly; we said “we should go to NYC soon” to each other for over a year.  Three weeks ago, an hour and a half into happy hour, we decided to get real, as people so often do after two drinks at happy hour.  (If I did everything I said I was going to do after two drinks at happy hour, I’d be dominating life and the planet right now.)

So the weekend wasn’t carefully-selected timing, but it ended up being the perfect combination of autumn-y and pre-Christmas-y.  A few decorations were up, but no Ugg boots scraping on the sidewalk, no holiday crowds, and lots of sunshine and cool temperatures made it really pleasant to walk everywhere. I will be posting our itinerary later this week (spoiler alert: Balthazar for brunch, The Modern Bar Room for dinner, walking around Soho and Union Square).

Filed Under: Life, New York, New York City, Travel Tagged With: christmas in new york, holidays

Happy Halloween

October 31, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin 1 Comment

I know they’re spooky, but I’ve always been drawn to cemeteries; I think it’s the history and the quiet. These were taken on a very rainy Saturday in October 2011 at an old cemetery near Stonington Borough, on the way to Jonathan Edwards Winery. If you’re looking for a good place to play Ghosts in the Graveyard tonight, you could do a lot worse.  Happy Halloween.

Filed Under: Connecticut Tagged With: cemeteries, halloween, holidays, Stonington

Mother’s Day Gift Guide

May 1, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

Paris in Color by Nichole Robertson

Mother's Day in ConnecticutEnjoying Jones Beach, Long Island, N.Y. with my mom. 

Mother’s Day is like the number one holiday you don’t want to mess up. Whether you’re celebrating a mom, grandma, aunt, godmother, or a female mentor, at the very least: send a card! It’s on Sunday, May 13, 2012. Here are some other ideas for those more creatively inclined. [Read more…] about Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: brunch, holidays

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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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