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.
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.
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