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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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How to Take the Train to New York City from Connecticut

June 6, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin 43 Comments

How to Take the Tarin to New York City - 06

Many people prefer to drive, but I think taking the train is the best way to travel to New York City from Connecticut.  When I want to visit my favorite places in New York, I chose the train for ease of use.  

Parking in Manhattan is prohibitively expensive–especially if you are traveling by yourself without the aid of an expense account–and New York City traffic is unpredictable at best, and down-right riot-inducing at its worst (trust me, I went to college in The Bronx). Train travel on the other hand, is romantic, and a little bit old-fashioned, in a good way. You don’t have to worry about driving, you can bring your own snacks, read, have a cocktail, or even take a nap, all for less than $20.

How to Take the Train to New York City

Many people insist their cars allow them more freedom, and to a certain extent that’s true–no train to catch!–but traveling by train offers another kind of freedom, and that’s the freedom to sit quietly and do nothing for a little while. You can’t go anywhere, and you have no responsibilities. There’s something very calming about that feeling (“I don’t have to do anything!” ). So, unless you’re traveling to New York with a large group you can split the cost of gas and parking with, I recommend taking the train from New Haven (or your local Metro North stop), bringing a good book, and letting someone else worry about the traffic.

How to Take the Train to New York City - 1

How to Take the Train to New York - 18

How to Take the Tarin to New York City - 09

How to Take the Tarin to New York City - 08

How to Take the Train to New York City
This information is primarily for people living in Central and Northern Connecticut who are not as familiar with Metro North as those in New Haven and Fairfield Counties. If you live in Fairfield County, you probably already know where your closets train station is!

Address

Union Station New Haven
50 Union Avenue
New Haven, CT 06519

Schedule

The route from New Haven goes through southern New Haven County, Fairfield County, Westchester County, The Bronx and Manhattan is called the New Haven Line, or “The Red Line.” Here, you can find the schedule and the route’s stops: Metro North Railroad Schedule.

Parking

Parking at Union Station will run you $11 for 24 hours. If the lot’s full, The New Haven Parking Authority runs a complimentary (that means free) shuttle every 20 minutes to bus stops around the city and two additional garages:

Temple Street Garage
between Crown Street and North Frontage Road
New Haven, CT 06510

Coliseum Lot Garage
275 South Orange Street
New Haven, CT 06519

Eats + Drinks

Union Station has Subway, Sbarro, and a news shop where you can pick up snacks and drinks. Grand Central has a cornucopia of good New York eats and a fantastic, year-round, indoor, very pricey farmer’s market.56

Filed Under: Connecticut, New York, Travel Tagged With: how to, New Haven, travel tips

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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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