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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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5 Romantic Things to Do in Connecticut this Fall

September 27, 2012 by Elizabeth Larkin 3 Comments

5 Romantic Things to Do in Connecticut this Fall

Fall is hands-down my favorite time of the year. When I say this to friends, they respond “Yeah, because of your birthday.” My birthday is October 22, and I do take it seriously because I firmly believe any reason to celebrate should be embraced.  But it’s not my birthday that makes me cherish this season so much.  I could go on about the crisp air, the smell of leaves burning, the comfortable and chic fashion combo of jeans-sweater-boots, the apple cider donuts, Octoberfest ales, and the fact that everyone looks better with the glow of red-and-orange fall foliage in the background.

Instead I will summarize fall’s many charms this way: If it rains on a summer Saturday, it’s a real bummer, if it rains on a Saturday in the fall, it’s romantic. So take advantage.

Here are five ways to celebrate the most romantic time of the year.

5 Romantic Things to Do in Connecticut this Fall

New Preston, Connecticut - 04

5.  Spend an Afternoon in New Preston. I just discovered this gem over the summer when I visited with Johnna, Sarah and Sean as part of a marathon day trip to Litchfield County. This is great for the preppy couple and the foodie couple. There’s a fantastic high-end kitchen store in the center of town, and really luxurious window shopping opportunities along East Shore Road. Top this off with a trip to Hopkins Inn for a meal, or Hopkins Vineyard for a wine tasting.

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4.  Do a Day Trip to Sharpe Hill Vineyard. This year for my birthday, Mike and I are going to dinner at Sharpe Hill Vineyard. This vineyard has become a really special place to me.  We’ve spent a lot of time there just the two of us, and we like to take friends when they visit his family’s house in Pomfret, which is very conveniently within walking distance to the vineyard. But we’ve never eaten in their restaurant, so we’re using my birthday as an excuse to indulge a bit. The restaurant is very pricey, but you can have a romantic outing here by bringing a picnic lunch, grabbing a bottle of wine (my favorite is the Cabernet Franc) and finding a spot on the wineries’ beautiful grounds to sit and relax for a few hours.

Coventry Farmers Market - 12

3. A Day Trip to the Coventry Farmers Market. Farmers markets aren’t just for the summer. Autumn is a great time for apples, carrots, leafy greens, eggplant, herbs and of course, pumpkins and gourds. Go forth and gourd shop together. (See another one of my favorite places: Hill-Stead Museum Farmers Market)

Stonington Borough, Connecticut - 20

2. Take a Walk Through Stonignton Borough. This is a great place to go for a loosely-planned outing because you can step out of your car and just stroll for a few hours, ducking into bars, restaurants and shops. I especially like being near the ocean in the fall, and a trip here is the perfect excuse to visit one of the local wineries like Saltwater Farm.

Another beautiful place to spend a day walking around town, is Essex.

Afternoon Hike to the Hueblein Tower in Simsbury, Connecticut

1. Mike and I just did this Autumn Hike to the Heublein Tower last weekend. Lest you think my idea of romance is simply shopping and drinking wine, I’ll have you know I believe outdoorsy-ness is a great way to spend time together, too. Even more so when the views from the Heublien are this spectacular.  Sarah and Sean did this hike together last autumn when the foliage was in full bloom and took the pictures in the post on their iPhones. That’s how vibrant the colors are.

Sarah included some great ideas to pair you hike with a picnic, or a stop at a local restaurant. When Mike and I visited, we dropped into Republic in Bloomfield for a post-hike drink and appetizers. I highly recommend the truffled popcorn.

Another picturesque hike in the fall is Mansfield Hollow State Park followed by a stroll around the Mansfield Hollow Historic District and then stop in at Cafemantic for a fantastic mocha latte.12

Filed Under: Connecticut, Travel Tagged With: ct wine trail, good places, lists, Preppy Connecticut, romantic, shopping

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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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