Contrasts from a Connecticut village

by Marjie Courtis

A typical New England steepled church. Photo: Marjie Courtis

It was long-term friendships that led to me spending two and a half weeks based in the village of Washington Depot, in the county of Litchfield in the state of Connecticut, USA.

It turned out to be a serendipitous find.

I was in an idyllic village in the United States of America, seemingly removed from American politics and the bustle of high-density city life.

Connecticut is one of the New England states that was settled in the 1600s, the “birthplace of America” and still retains a sense of old England. There are transplanted English place names, classic building styles, low density living, wooded hills, winding roads, trees in red and green hues. And it literally has those babbling brooks of old English poetry.

Yet this rare place, a charming village to be unhurried in, also had access within a few hours radius to the rest of the state and to modern America. We found trains the most efficient way to visit New York City while using a car within the state and to visit the adjoining states of New York and (for example, Hudson Valley) and Massachusetts (for example, The Berkshires).

I alternated between village life one day, and arts destinations and city life the next. It’s for that variety that my friends have chosen to move there from San Francisco. And it was this mix of activities that also made this my happy place.

The attractions of a Connecticut village

The little village of Washington Depot was nestled amongst rolling hills and forests in Litchfield County, where its composite villages tended to run into each other.

Yes, a car is pretty much essential if you want to venture beyond Washington Depot’s quaint white, New England steepled churches, timbered homes, and timbered shops housing cozy cafes, art galleries, antique and homeware stores, riverside walks and bookshops. And its nestled among among undulating hills and forests. But village life in Washington Depot was a delightful mix of quiet charm and unexpected surprises. Nearby is the upmarket Mayflower Inn , where writer Amy Shearman-Palladino found the inspiration to write a TV series called the Gilmore Girls. And the Hickory Stick Bookshop, already boasting a carefully curated selection of books, had nods to the show throughout the shop, inviting fans to revisit locations from the show with a guided itinerary.

The Neighboring villages repeat some of the charming offerings of Washington Depot while proffering their unique attributes. New Milford offers fresh produce on farm stands and a barn quilt trail, keeping up with the country-wide trend towards colorful, painted quilt-like squares adorning the sides of barns. Bantam features a formidable ice cream shop offering both ice cream and cheese form Arethusa Farm, a farm bakery and a farm-to table restaurant, Arethusa al tavolo. I was also personally attracted to both the practical and artistic tiles manufactured across a little side street at Bantam Tileworks.

I found tiles made with love by Lower Manhattan runaways! Washington, more-or-less conjoined with Washington Depot, offered among other things, the 25-acre Hollister House Garden, an English-style garden with colorful blooms and manicured lawns. And for the evenings, a memorable dining experience at The Community Table.

Within Washington Depot and wandering out across Connecticut, are numerous natural trails. You can choose anything from a neighborly river track on the Shepaug River in Washington Depot right through to sections of the Appalachian Trail, further afield.

Washington Depot had some cute and unexpected features. I liked the mountain lion sculpture and the seat by the Saturday Market by the same sculptor whose seat featured at the Philip Johnson Glass House.

Nearby Lake Waramaug provided opportunities for kayaking, paddleboarding, or simply relaxing by the water (but you do have to consider that some of the waterfront is private). Galleries are all around, with the Washington Art Association & Gallery showcasing the work of talented regional artists.

Fanning out further in Connecticut

Wherever you go in Connecticut , there are large and small forested areas featuring pines, hemlocks, spruce, oaks and the ubiquitous sugar maples, producing maple syrup for the discerning traveler or local. Australian Customs was very happy for me to bring in my chosen Connecticut maple syrup variety.

Hidden in those forests, with occasional sightings by my friends in Washington Depot, are plenty of birds including hummingbirds along with bears, bobcats, deer, frogs, garden snakes and squirrels.

Special car trips further afield took us to the National Historic Landmark of Mystic and the Philip Johnson Glass House in New Canaan. As a traveler, surprises are always the icing on the cake. One of my pleasant surprises en route to Mystic was the Florence Griswold Museum at Old Lyme on the Connecticut Art Trail, where a guest house proprietor inadvertently became a patron of American Impressionist Art, with both patron and artists having behind delightful grounds and artwork. The visual commentary of their lives and stories was partly within that past era and partly post the era.

Mystic

Mystic on the East Coast presented an unexpectedly surprising jigsaw of activities. I wanted to taste the Connecticut lobster roll, which I could have sampled at more elegant dining establishments, but decided to try at Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough. Yes, it was slightly rough in presentation but the views of Long Island Sound made up for it, the selection of seafood was great and it was in a quaint, off-center and quiet part of the town. I thought the main street shops were glamourous but particularly liked the Mystic Seaport Museum . The cynic in me was on full alert initially, as it always is in a recreated village, but this throwback to the 19th century whaling village proved remarkable. The whaling ship Charles W. Morgan had a realistic feel about it with staff playing roles as well as commentating. There were demonstrations of traditional crafts like blacksmithing and rope-making and a tavern that served real beer. It felt like a living museum. It deserves its status as a National Historic Landmark.

Essex

Essex was another surprise en route to Mystic. The main street was lined with elegant Federal-style homes, charming shops and walkways and parks down the Connecticut River, Connecticut’s longest river. It was June and perhaps the Americana of the main street was over-emphasized with upcoming Independence Day celebrations. With more time I could have checked out the Connecticut River Museum to learn about the river’s history or taken a scenic boat ride. As it happened, I only caught a glimpse of peaceful Essex.

Philip Johnson Glass House

The Philip Johnson Glass House is a unique architectural masterpiece in New Canaan. It is a minimalist glass and steel structure set on 49 acres of pristine landscape. It offered a unique glimpse into modern design, and an insight into the Modernist Architect and his design principles. It was more than one house. There were the guest quarters, at a suitable distance from the open-for-all-to-see glass house where Philip Johnson lived with his partner David Grainger Whitney, the underground art vault, the cardboard tube house built by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, more art displays and fascinating sculptures including a wavy seat created by Mark Mennin, a Connecticut-based sculptor whose work I also recognized in Washington Depot.

Covered Bridges in Connecticut

I came across two covered bridges during our travels around Connecticut, Bulls Bridge and West Cornwall Bridge, both spanning the Housatonic River, Connecticut’s second longest river. They are historic, dating back to the eighteenth century, when covering a bridge was a practical defense against the weather, preserving the bridge, reducing maintenance costs and providing better traction in icy and snowy conditions. Picturesque too with natural beauty and older world village charm.

Mark Twain House

The Mark Twain House was in Hartford, Connecticut. It was a curious multi-faced house with some dreary elements, but I came away with a sense of the life this erudite author lived. It initiated a desire to re-read his Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, just as his connection to his one-time neighbor, Harriet Beecher Stowe has led me to re-read Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

A Three-State Adventure: Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts

Within several hours radius of home base, and choosing between a car or a train, I was able to explore the States of Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts in my two week stay.

Yes, of course we went to New York City, twice, by train! You don’t need me to tell you what New York City has to offer. So let’s just jump to a few highlights in New York State and Massachusetts.

The Hudson Valley, New York State

You couldn’t hold us back! We were there for many reasons.

We visited the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park. A man so important for the US during the Depression and for the world during World War 2. His wife’s lasting humanist legacy was also celebrated there along with the legacy of Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of England during World War too. Don’t miss the poignant monument to FDR and Churchill, crafted from remnants of the Berlin Wall.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns is a famous restaurant on the former Rockefeller Dairy Farm. The food is inventive to the extent of being eye-popping! Picture a long stalk of fennel, blanched but looking like it’s just been picked, and that could be your finger food.

The Stone Barns are attractive, the sustainability objectives are honorable and despite all this, it was laid back. Even the fireflies were welcoming. And for a pleasant change in the US, for the Community Table menu, we were actually discouraged from tipping.

The DIA Beacon, allowed grand scale artwork to be display within the grand scale of the former Nabisco factory, with showcased works including Andy Warhol’s.

Beacon was an old and colorful town! I found colorful characters and even a cafe with a menu based on the superfood color groupings.

And for Performing Arts, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts offered an amazing program (for us it was Jazz at Lincoln Centre with Wynton Marsalis). In the grounds there was a Sound Art collection that was both sculptural and meditative and I could have immersed myself in it for hours.

The Berkshires, Massachusetts

A day trip to The Berkshires in Massachusetts took me from the rolling hills of Connecticut to the rolling mountains of The Berkshires. I chose the valley but you could choose the mountains if you preferred!

My visit incorporated Jacob’s Pillow in Becket. It’s a dance establishment whose reputation and renowned Summer Festival make it a National Historic Landmark of the USA. Although not a dance buff, I reveled in the performance I saw and the whole visit raised the profile of dance for me!

The famous American writer, Edith Wharton came alive at The Mount, her former home and gardens, celebrating not only the writer and her books, but also her design skills, success and influence. It felt personal and needless to say, the nearby bookshop in Lenox celebrated her life not only in its bookshelves but also in its window. And I simply enjoyed the towns of Stockbridge, Becket and Lenox.

Will there be a next time in Connecticut?!

It was one of the best taste tests I could have had of my new recipe: One day’s rest: One day’s adventure. You could follow the recipe in principal but vary the ingredients. You could take your rest days in Washington Depot, or another village in Connecticut. You could explore Connecticut and the adjoining states, following your own personal interests. All at a lower cost than basing yourself in a city.

To visit Connecticut, visit CT Visit! I’ll be there again too.

Fast facts

Flights. Fly to New York where there are several airports .
For transit from your arrival airport to Connecticut, a rental car is recommended.
Train. For day trips from Connecticut to New York City, there are direct trains to Grand Central Station or Penn Station from the locations of New Haven Union Station, Stamford Transportation Centre, Bridgeport Station and Harford Union Station. There are many other connecting trains.,
Accommodation: I was fortunate to be staying with friends. But consider this. In Connecticut you may only pay 50% of what you would pay to stay in New York City. Sources of accommodation information include: TripAdvisor, VRBO or Visit Connecticut.
Things to do. The highlighted place names within this article contain clickable links to more information.