My Passion Took me to Some of my Favorite Places

Last week, I talked about my original passion sprouting branches and guiding me to other pursuits. However, my main passion, day tripping and picnicking, like the mighty oak, has grown so strong through the years, it still has the power to bring me great joy whenever I get back to it.

In early June, before the weather got really hot, a friend and I hiked the one and one-quarter miles up to the Heublein Tower at Talcott Mountain State Park in Simsbury.  Interesting how the trail gets steeper as I get older! But, it was invigorating. I dropped some of my books off at the bookstore, then climbed the stairs to view the dining room and Gilbert Heublein's bedroom, both renovated in recent years to resemble the way they looked in the early 1900s. After a light lunch at one of the picnic tables we walked around the outside admiring the flora and fauna before heading back. A great afternoon.

Twice this year, I took visitors on the Thimble Islands Cruise in the Stony Creek Section of Branford. Both times, it was a beautiful day for the 45-minute narrative boat tour through the interesting islands. The unique dwellings never fail to amuse me. On one island sits a 27-room Tudor Mansion with miniature golf course, swimming pool, gardener's cottage and other amenities, including - why not? palm trees. And, then there is the island with one small room on stilts.

Both times, we simply parked and waited for the next available tour. Once it was the Sea Mist and the other, Volsunga IV. Both were fun and informative. At the town beach which is adjacent to the dock and where I suggest picnicking, I found something new - a cement slab with several picnic tables. Nice.

Although it had not been planned, on the way home after both visits, we ended up on Main Street Essex. We drove almost to the bottom of Main Street - normally we would have enjoyed walking but it had been a full day - to visit the Sweet Pea Ice Cream shop. Yum.

I didn't have time to tour the following places in detail this year, but I did enjoy driving to and eyeballing the following destinations when I dropped off the 3rd Edition of my book to the gift shops:

Connecticut Trolley Museum, East Windsor

The Nature Center at Hammonasset Beach State Park
Gillette Castle State Park, East Haddam
Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford
Rose's Berry Farm, South Glastonbury (a new addition to the 3rd Edition)
UCONN (Bookstore)

Future plans this year include Gouveia Vineyards in Wallingford for an annual family picnic on the lawn and some of the younger generation want to revisit Farmington River Tubing in New Hartford, although we only have until Labor Day. Yikes! We'd better get going. I still have vivid memories of the 2005 trip with five teenage grandkids and the fun we had. In fact, the chapter in my book is all about that trip.

And, finally, I can never let mid-October go by without my annual fall foliage day trip, usually to Kent Falls & Cornwall Covered Bridge in Kent and West Cornwall, (only 7 miles apart,) Mohawk State Forest in Cornwall, and Hopkins Vineyard in New Preston, where the view across Lake Waramaugh is the best.

What is your passion? Whatever in your life is calling to you, whether it is spending more time on your art, taking a class, renewing friendships, or getting out and about more often, take time to pursue it with vigor and joy. Discover the gifts that are waiting for you.

Habits are Hard to Break

Normally, this would have been the weekend when I would spend a day visiting my favorite spots in Litchfield County to marvel at the autumn colors and confirm once again that the foliage in Connecticut is every bit as spectacular as that in Vermont.

For years, it’s been pretty much the same route, starting at Hopkins Vineyard in New Preston for a wine tasting and the purchase of a bottle of Sachem’s Picnic to enjoy later in the day. In my book I talk about the setting being straight out of a country journal, but the most dramatic view here is the foliage across Lake Waramaug. Next, we visit Kent Falls State Park in Kent, climbing the stairs to the top of the falls which plunge 70 feet in a dramatic cascade. then heading to Cornwall Covered Bridge, just seven miles north in West Cornwall. Here we drive through the narrow 173-foot long bridge, which has been in continuous service since 1864, park the car on the other side, and walk through the bridge and back again, peeking out the window openings on each side for postcard views of the Housatonic River.

The rest of our day varies somewhat depending on how early we started out. Sometimes we poke around the Towns of Kent or West Cornwall, other times we take a drive to the top of the 1,683-foot Mohawk state Forest in Cornwall, just under 4 miles. The view is an awe-inspiring panorama of Mount Greylock to the north, Heublein Tower and Avon Mountain to the East, and the Catskills to the West.

Picnicking is spectacular at any one of these places, or what's fun is a progressive picnic, snacks at the first stop, soup or salad at the second, and so forth.

Anyway, as I said, this is the fall foliage trip I usually plan for the middle weekend in October, but which is not going to work out this year. So, I am doubly glad that last weekend I happened to find myself in the Berkshires with a friend who suggested we drive to Bash Bish Falls located in the extreme southwest corner of Massachusetts at Mount Washington State forest.

We followed signs from route 41 in Egremont, arriving at the upper parking lot and proceeded to walk down a rather steep hill which promised to be even steeper further on. Thankfully, after just a few feet we met someone coming the other way who said he knew of an easier access, which turned out to be a lower parking lot, less than a mile or so further on, actually just across the line in New York. What a difference ~ an easy walk where we could actually enjoy the scenery rather than struggle down a steep hill covered with wet leaves.

What really excited me however, were the falls, the fastest flowing I have seen in several years thanks to the rainfall during the past few weeks. This is Massachusetts’ highest single-drop waterfall with water cascading through a series of gorges and forest before dropping about 60 feet into a pool below. They are known as twin falls because of the boulders that are in the middle separating the cascades.

Now I'm thinking it's probably a good thing to change direction every now and then. Who knows, one of these years I just might decide to revisit Vermont in October. It's been a long time!

Q&A's From My Book Talks About Connecticut Attractions

For the past five years I have had the privilege of traveling around the State talking to folks at libraries, garden clubs, civic organizations, church groups, newcomers clubs, and book stores about the great destinations for day tripping and picnicking in this state. During some 180 appearances I been asked many questions, a few of which are posted here along with my answers.

Q. What is your favorite day trip?
A. It would be impossible to pick just one, plus the favorites sometimes vary from visit to visit. But I'll tell you about some of my personal favorites in each season: In the Fall,the wineries,and it’s also a great time of year to hike up to Heublein Tower at Talcott Mountain State Park. Plus every year, on a weekend day closest to October 15, I take my annual fall foliage day trip to Kent Falls in Kent, Cornwall Covered Bridge in West Cornwall, and Hopkins Vineyard in New Preston, the latter to marvel at the beautiful foliage on the banks of Lake Waramaug; in the winter, Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, and especially during the holidays when they are decorated, Gillette Castle and Mark Twain House; in the Spring, Flanders Nature Center in Woodbury and Connecticut College Arboretum in New London for spring wildflower hunts and almost any place in Mystic; and in the summer, Main Street, Essex, and any place in or near the water, one of my favorites being the Thimble Island Cruise in Branford.

Q. What is your favorite place to picnic?
A. My favorite picnic is always the one enjoyed at the same location as my day trip/activity, but if I take the activity out of the equation, in the summer it’s the pond at Gillette Castle State Park (on the left before you drive up the hill to the Castle parking area) filled with pink, white and fuchsia water lilies. I like picnicking at the Heublein Tower at Talcott Mountain State Park at any time of year for the diverse areas available at the top of the mountain, all with great views, and Gouveia Vineyard in Wallingford because of the option of picnicking outside in the nice weather or in a comfortable room inside when the weather is questionable.

Q. After scouring the state day tripping for so many years, you must know about everything that is available?
A. Even I find it hard to believe, but I’ve hardly scratched the surface. There are numerous state parks that I have never visited, all with their own unique points of interest, historic homes I will probably never get to, hiking and biking trails, museums, and new wineries seem to be springing up faster than I can count.

Q. Was it hard to decide which places to write about.
A. Yes, I struggled with this decision, but I wanted diversity, not only in activities, but in locations throughout the state. This meant I had to leave out some great places because they were too close to another destination. Others did not have a suitable place to picnic. And, still others went out of business or changed drastically between the time of my research and years later when I finally got around to publishing my book.

Q. How did you decide on the recipes?
A. First, I designed a suggested menu for each day trip that suited both the activity and the picnicking facilities. For example, my picnic basket looks very different when I am visiting a state park with picnic tables and grills than when I am taking a walking tour of Hartford and stop for a light lunch on a park bench. Then, I found or designed recipes that covered all the food categories, because I wanted them to be enjoyed at home as well as on picnics.