Give Yourself The Gift of Time

My 2009 cross-country trip yielded invitations to stay overnight in six different homes with people I met through online networking. After spending days on the road eating from my cooler and in restaurants and sleeping in hostels or budget motels, a home-cooked meal and a comfortable bed were welcome gifts.

What was even more precious was the gift they gave of themselves -- friendship and time, the time spent taking me to see the attractions in their world, a world I had not seen before.

During many of these outings, I would hear something to the effect that they had not been to a particular spot in a long time? And, I would hear my own voice, saying much the same thing when showing visitors around my home State of Connecticut. "This was so much fun, I wonder why I don't do this more often."

Why indeed? Why do we wait to enjoy an outing until we are called upon to be a gracious host? Are we not deserving enough to spend time doing the same thing just for us?

I know people who have lived in Connecticut for more than fifteen years and have yet to visit Mystic, one of the state's best-known tourist attractions. And as many years as I have spent day tripping in Connecticut prior to writing my book, there are still places on my "to see" list.

During this season of sunny days, let's give ourselves the gift of time, time to explore our world, time for the joyful discovery of all the best that your state, wherever that is, has to offer in the way of leisure-time activities. Leaving work and responsibilities behind, even for brief periods, revitalizes us in ways we cannot image. Traveling, even around our own neighborhood expands our world, giving us more clarity and insight, not only into that world, but ourselves.

Time and exploration, a gift we give ourselves.

 

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.