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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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Christmas in Bethlehem, Connecticut Day Trip

December 16, 2011 by Elizabeth Larkin 2 Comments

Christmas in Bethlehem, Connecticut

Looking for something to do with your mom this season? I highly recommend a taking her to on a day trip to Bethlehem, CT to stamp your Christmas letters. The post office provides a wide array of specialty stamps for your cards and packages (see below) giving them a special personal touch, and the town of Bethlehem, CT itself provides a quaint backdrop and plenty of places to go for ladies who like to lunch. My mom and I visited the town, post office, and The Painted Pony restaurant on a sunny Friday and had a wonderful time navigating the beautiful landscapes in and around this Litchfield County town. See the itinerary below for our recommendations on where to go, what to do, and notable neighbors to drop in on while you’re in the area.

DAY TRIP ITINERARY: Christmas in Bethlehem, Connecticut
Each day trip itinerary includes the main event, plus suggestions — with names, addresses and maps — of places to eat, shop, or “notable neighbors” to check out while you’re in the area. There is baked-in flexibility to mix and match, or follow the itinerary to the letter. If you have suggestions, lemme know!

Bethlehem Post Office (map)
34 East Street
Bethlehem, CT 06751

DINING

The Painted Pony (map)
74 Main Street South
Bethlehem, CT
(203) 266-5771

Recommended: Indulge in the Pony’s pizza and their specialty dessert, the strawberry cheesecake.

NOTABLE NEIGHBORS

Abbey of Regina Laudis (map)
273 Flanders Road
Bethlehem, CT

Recommended: This functioning farm with a gift store is set on a pretty country road with gorgeous views. A must-stop destination.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Dutch Moccasin Bed & Breakfast (map)
51 Still Hill Rd
Bethlehem, CT 06751
(203) 266-7364 ‎0

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: Bethlehem, christmas in connecticut, day trip, Litchfield County, Naugatuck Valley

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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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