Historic Homes in Connecticut Ready for the Holidays

Only three weeks until Christmas, and still so much to do: presents to buy and wrap, cards to be written and mailed, a holiday menu to plan and social dates to get on the calendar. A day trip might be the furthest thing from your mind. On the other hand, if you looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit and discover new ways to celebrate the season, consider visiting one of the following Connecticut Historic Homes.

Following are just some of the festivities; visit each website to get all the exciting details.

William Gillette, also known as Sherlock Homes, built Gillette Castle in East Haddam in 1914. Tour this ingenious masterpiece, complete with Holiday Decorations on weekends in December: 8&9 and 15&16 from 10-4. www.ct.gov/dep/site. Click Outdoor Recreation; click State Parks & Forests; Click Select a State Park or Forest.

Florence Griswold House & Museum in Old Lyme continues its holiday tradition of the Magic of Christmas. Enjoy teas, performers, decorations, shopping, and hands-on fun for families. In the main house, see how families celebrated Xmas in 1910. In fact, Florence Griswold celebrated her 60th birthday on Christmas of that year. In the museum check out the 12-foot Artist Tree, back for its 9th year with over 130 painted palettes by artists from across the Country. www.flogris.org.

The Mark Twain House & Museum along with Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford will present the sights and sounds of a Victorian Holiday Celebration at Nook Farm. Enjoy a guided tour of both homes to see how the families decorated for the holidays in the late 1800's. www.marktwainhouse.org.

Visit this blog again soon for more ideas for holiday day trips, all from my book Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket 3rd Edition.

Also, check out my website for two specials. www.cruisingconnecticut.com.

1. On my "What's in our Picnic Basket" page there is a free recipe from my book. Crab and Crackers is a good appetizer for any occasion, but if are looking for something new and special for the holidays, this is it.

2. On my Order page, check out my special "gift book" price. Two books for less than the cost of one. This is a limited offer so don't miss out.

Enjoy the Holiday Season

The newspapers and magazines are chock-full of things to do in Connecticut during the holiday season and I'd like to join with all the other revelers out there and share some of my own favorites:

Florence Griswold Museum: "The Magic of Christmas, A Holiday Tradition." www.flogris.org
Gillette Castle: The castle has been transformed to reflect "The Nutcracker Suite." www/ct/gov/dep/site. Click Outdoor Recreation. Click State Parks & Forests.
Mark Twain House & Museum: Variety of Christmas functions are being offered. www.marktwainhouse.org
Mystic Seaport: Check out the popular "Annual Lantern Light Tours." www.mysticseaport.org
Mystic Aquarium: "Breakfast with Santa" and "Winter Waterland." www.mysticaquarium.org
Connecticut Trolley Museum: "Winterfest." www.ct-trolley.org
Stamford Museum & Nature Center: Various Christmas exhibits and displays. www.stamfordmuseum.org

In addition, many of Connecticut's vineyards have organized special events and extended hours for the holidays: A sampling worth checking out:
Gouveia Vineyard (www.gouveiavineyards.com)
Haight-Brown Vineyard (www.haightvineyards.com)
Hopkins Vineyard (www.hopkinsvineyard.com)

For complete information on these destinations and others, check out the special price of $8.00 (half off retail) for Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket purchased during the holiday season. And, remember, a personalized and autographed book is the perfect holiday gift for all your favorite people. www.cruisingconnecticut.com.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Historic Homes in Connecticut Ready for the Holidays

Yikes! The Thanksgiving Holiday has passed and that can only mean one thing: Christmas is less than 4 weeks away. Along with the holiday shopping, there will be parties, plays, concerts and other events are all vying for our attention. Even historic homes are dressed up for the holidays. A visit to any one of the following will put you in the holiday spirit with renewed enthusiasm and energy.

GILLETTE CASTLE in East Haddam will be "adorned in its holiday finery" for special tours complete with live musical performances. Evening tours are scheduled for the first three Friday evenings in December from 4-8 pm. Daytime tours are scheduled for the first three Saturdays and Sundays as well as December 28-30 from 10-4. A free day of children's programs takes place on December 28 from 10-4. www.ct.gov/dep/site (Click Cal. of Events.)

FLORENCE GRISWOLD HOUSE & MUSEUM in Old Lyme showcases four elaborate "Fantasy Trees plus a 12 foot "Artists Tree" decorated with 100 artists' painted palettes. See how families celebrated Xmas in 1910. Also, check out the family programs on Sundays through January 10, and Christmastime Teas in December. Museum and Home tours are Tue-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5, closed Xmas and New Year's Day. http://www.flogris.org/.

Note the new fun graphic on this website, which is a copy of the well-known painting by Henry R. Moore. "The Fox Chase" depicting artists in unique and amusing poses hangs over the fireplace in the Griswold home. As you "Race into the Past" you can click on 25 different icons to learn about these Lyme Art Colony artists.

ROSELAND COTTAGE in Woodstock presents an annual Christmas program highlighting decorations based on the Bowens 1887 celebration in New York. First floor tours of the house are offered along with holiday music and readings from A Christmas Carol. Date: Sunday, December 6 from 12-4, admission free. www.historicnewengland.org/things/calendar/Events.

THE MARK TWAIN HOUSE & MUSEUM in Hartford offers the Connecticut Yankee Holiday Dinner Tour on Saturdays in December in conjunction with The Kitchen at Billings Forge. Also, the 29th Annual Holiday House Tour takes place this year on December 6 and HartBeat Ensemble's "Ebeneeze: A Hartford Holiday Carol" will be performed in the auditorium three times in December with free admission. For information on all events: http://www.marktwainhouse.org/.

NOTE: The above 4 destinations, along with 38 others, are described in detail in Cruising Connecticut with a Picnic Basket. Along with "Historic Homes & Gardens" there are 10 other categories of exciting activities suitable for all ages and interests. In addition, each venue has picnicking facilities and recipes. Special holiday price. http://www.cruisingconnecticut.com/

Fun Holiday Activities

What a season! Not only are we busy with our day to day comings and goings, we also have shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, entertaining, and all the usual holiday activities. And, don't forget to sneak in a few holiday festivities. Check out the following possibilities in Mystic:

Mystic Seaport Lantern Light Tours: "A New England Holiday Tradition" takes you through the Village as it was on Christmas Eve in 1876. Dates: December 4-7, 11-14, 18-21, 27 & 28. Tours start at 5:00 and run every 15 minutes; each tour takes one hour. Reservations are recommended. Check website for rates. www.mysticseaport.org or call 860-572-5331.

Mystic Seaport Carol Sing. On December 21st from 3-4pm. Just bring a canned food item for local charity and admission is free. Also, The Mystic Seaport Planetarium will present The Star of Bethlehem. Call 572-5315 for more information.

Olde Mistick Village Festival of Lights on December 12th begins at 4:30pm. Enjoy complimentary refreshments in Meeting House and holiday music and outdoor entertainment from 5:30-8:30pm. Event phone number is 860-536-4941.

Mystic Aquarium free admission on December 12th from 5:00-8:00pm with a canned food item to be delivered to local charity.

Mystic Aquarium Holiday Sea of Trees through January 2, 2009. Over 20 trees donated by local charities are on display throughout the Aquarium, all decorated with different themes.

Whatever you do for your Holiday Outing, be well and safe.