• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

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

  • About
  • Connecticut
    • CT Wine Trail
    • Farmers Markets
    • Kid-Friendly
    • Going Solo
    • Good for Groups
    • Historic
    • Outdoorsy
    • Pet Friendly
    • Preppy
    • Romantic
  • Caribbean
  • Travel
    • Europe
    • Connecticut
    • Florida
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • Texas
    • Vermont
    • Washingon, DC

5 Good Places to Eat in Woodbury

April 9, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin Leave a Comment

5 good places to eat in Woodbury, CT

Interactive map of 5 Good Places to Eat in Woodbury, CT

Woodbury is the bottom anchor of Litchfield County, bordering Roxbury, Washington, and Middlebury, and it’s very close proximity to 84 makes is pretty accessible from other parts of the state.  What Woodbury is really known for is it’s antiques (you can read a great review/rundown of the area in Yankee Magazine), and I’m pretty sure the steady stream of out-of-staters coming through town have this trifecta in mind: shopping, New England quaintness, and some good eats when they head to Woodbury.

Any of the listed restaurants would be an excellent accompaniment to a day of antiquing.

5 Good Places to Eat in Woodbury, CT

Cafe City Hall
506 Main St S
Woodbury, CT 06798

Carole Peck’s Good News cafe
694 Main Street South
Woodbury, CT 06798

Constantine’s
1143 Main St. South
Woodbury CT, 06798

Dotties Diner LLC
740 Main Street South
Woodbury, CT 06798

Zeeburger
670 Main St. South
Woodbury, CT 06798

I think you can pretty much count on a antiquing-foodies-day-out day trip itinerary coming soon to a blog near you.

TRAVEL TIME
These are estimated driving time based on Google Maps.

Danbury, CT to Woodbury, CT: 35 minutes
Hartford, CT to Woodbury, CT: 49 minutes
Fairfield, CT to Woodbury, CT: 1 hour, 8 minutes
Litchfield, CT to Woodbury, CT: 29 minutes
Middletown, CT to Woodbury, CT: 47 minutes
New Haven, CT to Woodbury, CT: 50 minutes
New London, CT to Woodbury, CT: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Windham, CT to Woodbury, CT: 1 hour, 27 minutes

The series Five Good Places started because I kept finding myself in unfamiliar towns and villages and wondering where to eat. I didn’t want Subway or McDonalad’s, I wanted something unique and special, so I decided to do a little research ahead of time and am continually compiling dining guides for towns and regions. Peruse them all: Five Good Places. You can also suggest a good place by emailing me, or leaving a comment below.2

Filed Under: Connecticut, Food + Drinks Tagged With: good places, Litchfield County, Naugatuck Valley, Woodbury

Primary Sidebar

Welcome

Elizabeth Larkin circle copy

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

Explore

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Explore

Couples Tower Isle in Ocho Rios Jamaica

Ah, Jamaica. Our Adventure at Couples Tower Isle in Ocho Rios Jamiaca

Autumn Hike to the Heublein Tower Day Trip

Lunch at the River Tavern in Chester

5 Good Places to Eat in Woodbury

Halloween in Essex, Connecticut

Halloween in Essex

Day Trip: A Haunted Park and a Backyard Farm and Winery

Travel Ideas Straight in Your Inbox

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 […]

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro & The Genesis Framework