and yes, i realize i am posting this in spring. shut up.
Meals With a View
Connecticut’s
winding country roads provide optimal views of fall’s
most vibrant
foliage, with quaint eateries providing stops along the way.
by Geoff Elterich
As a child, it was simply magic that
changed green leaves to wonderful shades of red, yellow, brown and orange. Of
course, we learned a long time ago that as the temperature gets colder, chlorophyll
breaks down, revealing the vibrant inner colors of the leaves. If you need to
be reminded of the beauty attached to this simple, natural occurrence, there
are plenty of places you can visit in Connecticut that are sure to illustrate
how magical nature can be.
Connecticut’s scenic delights range from hilltop
panoramas to colonial villages, from deep forests to busy cities. As the
capital city, Hartford boasts many historical sites and structures. Amidst the
city’s metropolitan landscape, beautiful parks abound, such as Bushnell Park
and Elizabeth Park. Perfect for walking or picnicking, these parks allow folks an
opportunity to enjoy the foliage and unwind from the everyday hustle of the city.
For a more rural approach to foliage exploration, a drive down route 169
presents travelers with a perfect illustration of Connecticut’s scenic marvels.
It is a quaint drive through the Pomfret and Woodstock area with everything a
traveler might expect to find on a drive through small town New England.
Stonewalls and low-hanging trees line the one-lane road. Gorgeous rustic houses
and barns are interspersed along the winding route and travelers will find the
most charming local shops and businesses. Martha’s Herbary in Pomfret is a
“unique gift shop” that sells plants and herbs and offers cooking classes. At
the New England Center for Contemporary Art in Brooklyn, 20th century art
blooms along with the vivid colors of the fall foliage. For real adventurers,
the Woodstock Airport offers $20 airplane rides for an aerial view of the
countryside.
If you’d rather stay grounded this autumn, Lapsley Farms is a
great stop for the hungry traveler. There, you can pick your own apples or just
eat some fresh ones. There are plenty of fruit stands all along Route 169, with
a wide selection of the best fresh fruits. Those looking for a full meal will
have no problem finding great spots to satisfy any appetite. The Vanilla Bean
Café in Pomfret is a wonderful little diner with a great selection of sandwiches
and soup. On a foliage watching expedition, it should be mandatory to get the
New England clam chowder—it’s delicious and a perfect compliment to the cozy,
traditional New England setting of the café. The building is split into two
sections: one room for lunch, and the other for dinner, which is served on weekends.
The dinner specials range from sea
scallops to beef ribs and to complement the
meal, one can choose from a wide variety of
wine and beer. A glass display case in the front
room exhibits all of the cafe’s delicious desserts,
making it almost impossible to pass up
on the peanut butter chocolate chip brownies,
or any number of treats.
Another fantastic dining experience
for the foliage explorer is The Golden Lamb Buttery
in Brooklyn, not far off of Route 169.
On a hill overlooking the gorgeous countryside,
The Golden Lamb appears as a large,
classic red barn. Sheep and cows can
be seen grazing on the premises. In the
fall—year-round, really—beautiful sights
abound, with open, rolling fields surrounded
by the dense woods. Inside, the
building feels like a rustic museum. It is
a refurbished barn, with a high ceiling, wooden
floors and thick wood beams from the
floor to the ceiling. The front parlor is adorned
with pictures of animals and the Connecticut
countryside. Farm tools are decorated
and on display, and a history of The
Golden Lamb, as told through newspaper and
magazine articles, hang on the wall. The
kitchen is open from noon to 2:30 p.m. on
Tuesdays through Saturdays, serving delicious
home-cooked meals. The dining room is
located in the back of the building, through
an unmarked door, as if a meeting place
for a secret society lies beyond. In fact, the
whole place gives off the feeling that one has
stumbled onto a secret treasure, tucked deep
into the Connecticut woods, there for only
the true-of-heart explorers to find.
There
is also a back porch for dining, or for simply taking in the breathtaking view. The porch overlooks a small lake, surrounded on all sides by lush foliage. If there is any one scene that best represents Connecticut’s fall foliage, this is it. Looking down from on top of the hill, one will see the luxurious forest give off a burnished glow. There is a virtual explosion of cherry reds, lime greens, shades of auburn, and bright yellows in the canopy of leaves above the sparkling waters of the lake. The scene would be a perfect postcard for autumn in Connecticut.
If
Route 169 is not exactly your neck of the
woods, there are plenty of other routes to
take for a leaf peeping expedition. In fact,
all you have to do to find beautiful Connecticut
foliage is look out the window. Better
yet, go for a walk. Smell the fragrant scents
of the fading summer and feel the cool crisp
air of the impending winter. One occasionally forgets
the beauty that lies at our fingertips.
Being continually surrounded by it, it
can become overlooked, simply serving as
the background. Sometimes you have to get
in your car, or get on your bike, or strap on
your boots and take a hike, with the expressed
purpose of viewing the scenery, to remind
you how stunning Connecticut’s background
can be.
For residents, the knowledge of the beauty of fall in Connecticut is almost innate. Every resident has his or her own favorite spot to take in the beauty. Connecticut’s reputation for autumn splendor has even expanded beyond state borders. National Geographic Traveler and the Rand McNally Atlas rank the Litchfield Hills among the country’s most scenic driving destinations. Like so many Connecticut towns, Litchfield combines history and contemporary flair. Amidst the rolling Litchfield Hills, you will find historic structures—18th century mansions are kept as homes—as well as upscale boutiques and restaurants. A visit to town in autumn puts foliage aficionados in the heart of a region noted for its scenic driving, hiking, biking and antiquing.
A sign on the wall
at the Vanilla Bean
Café states, “Simplify.” It’s a
perfect message
in this day and age, when our lives
seem to
be getting more and more complex.
It is
more important now than ever to
take
time to appreciate simple pleasures
and
the beauty of nature. A simple
drive reveals
nature’s splendor all around us.
There is so
much opportunity to view Connecticut’s simple, magnificent beauty, you just need to keep your eyes open. On your way to work, remember to look around and take in the beauty. The Merritt Parkway is the ideal route for many New York and Connecticut commuters. It is one of the oldest and most beautifully designed highways in the country. With abundant roadside forests and vegetation, it boasts some of the most impressive fall foliage settings. Route 2 is another place to keep one eye on the road and the other on the surroundings. Stretching from Hartford to the Mohegan and Pequot Indian reservations, the route is one of the most pleasant drives in the state during the fall.
To enjoy the natural beauty of Connecticut in autumn, you don’t need a defined destination. Driving through the state, one truly discovers that the journey is more fulfilling than the destination. There are plenty of routes to take and places to visit, but if you’re simply looking for beautiful sights, get lost. Get in your car or put on your boots and just go. It is in paths untrodden that one finds the true splendor of nature. In Connecticut, nature’s beauty is never far away.
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