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.

Connecticut Picnics are a Breath of Fresh Air

What is it about eating in the fresh air that makes everything taste better? Maybe it’s just being outside that expands our view from the confinement of the dining room table and four walls. Our senses are suddenly heightened with the stimulating sights and sounds of our environment.

Picture picnicking on a bank watching the river and the boats glide along in perfect harmony, by a pond with frogs hopping from one water lily pad to another, on a rock at the foot of a waterfall, or on a patch of grass looking out at Long Island sound. What about picnicking at a park bench overlooking a flower garden, or a wide expansive green lawn watching your youngsters in a playground just a few feet away.

If you live in the country you might want a different kind of stimulation. Try a city tour where people are coming and going, fountains and traffic are flowing and everyone is busy except you. You are picnicking. Suppose you want some physical stimulation before your picnic. Choose a picnic table in the middle of the Air Line bike trail or in a state park after a refreshing hike, tubing on the river, or an invigorating climb to the top of a waterfall or a mountain. If you are the touring type, choose to picnic at an attraction that focuses on authors, dinosaurs, trolleys, Indian Studies, or animals.

Wine enthusiasts can picnic at a variety of vineyards, history buffs may choose the Mystic Seaport while shoppers will head to Mistick Village or Main Street, Essex.

For both history and architectural buffs, there are any number of fascinating homes to visit, all with a variety of picnicking options, from a park bench to a spot of lawn to the proverbial picnic table. None of the facilities are an afterthought, but have been designed to fit into and be an essential part of the total experience.

All these places and more are found in Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket however, you don’t need a book to find your way to a picnic adventure. In fact, there are few places in Connecticut that do not allow picnicking, and if you run across one, simply enjoy the experience and then have a tailgating picnic in the parking lot, or drive on to find a spot by the side of a country road.

Why not share your picnic pleasures with other readers. Simply comment on this blog or email me at www.cruisingconnecticut.com and I’ll post your suggestions in a future blog.

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.