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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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Day Trip to Lost Acres Orchard in North Granby

October 20, 2011 by Elizabeth Larkin 11 Comments

I happened on Lost Acres Farm in North Granby by chance. With my brother and his family visiting from Texas, we decided to treat them to the quintessential New England fall afternoon: apple picking followed by apple cider doughnut eating at Bushy Hill Orchards. (I like Bushy Hill because while other orchard kitchens offer apple cider doughnuts, Bushy Hill’s are typically served straight-from-the-oven, and if there’s one thing better than an apple cider doughnut, it’s a hot apple cider doughnut.) 

When we arrived it was closed, and after letting my nephew out to explore the rainy yard for a bit, a local pulled up in a minivan and told us about Lost Acres. Off we went. Lost Acres isn’t just a pick-your-own destination–although they do offer apple picking and complementary wagon rides on the weekends–it’s a working farm and farm store where they offer bread, muffins, quiches and quilts. I’ll let their charming website tell the rest of the story:

“On the weekends look for fresh baked muffins and cinnamon buns. There is no indoor dining, but visitors are always welcome to enjoy a slice of pie on the front porch, or choose some things from the deli for a picnic under the apple trees. In the spring there are fresh peach and cherry pies, strawberry-rhubarb pies, and quiche filled with fresh local asparagus. Later in the summer look for blueberry pies (and muffins and cobblers!) and fresh soups and salads with ingredients from our own gardens. And then, in the fall, it’s apple pies, pumpkin breads and more!”

The day we visited it was raining, so my nephew picked up a few pumpkins and gourds for the front stoop and we headed home, planning another trip out to the orchard next fall.

Lost Acres Orchard
130 Lost Acres Road,
North Granby, CT
(860) 653-6600 ‎

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Comfortable clothing for both children and adults while apple picking and general farm frolicking.

RECOMMENDED

Fresh apples, baked goods, and if you’re into quilts, this may be a good place to begin your holiday shopping.
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Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks, Travel Tagged With: apple cider doughnuts, apple orchards, barns, day trip, daytrip, Farmington Valley, good for groups, Granby, Hartford County, pick your own, pumpkins

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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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