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Old 04-22-2015, 07:12 PM
 
229 posts, read 460,285 times
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Hi,

Can anyone suggest a day trip destination around Westchester/Fairfield/Putnam counties or within 1-2 hours drive of Norwalk? As of now I am thinking of a cute/interesting town with nice looking neighborhoods (maybe historic), nice architecture, local small restaurants and cafes,etc, but we are also open to any other ideas. Thank you!
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Old 04-22-2015, 07:53 PM
 
Location: Coastal Connecticut
21,473 posts, read 27,712,350 times
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New Haven - restaurants, museums, architecture, music, etc. Yale Art Gallery is a standout. Walk the Yale campus, it's stunning. Hillhouse Ave, St Ronan St, and Livingston St have beautiful historic mansions. West and East Rock parks are worth a visit, and Lighthouse Point.
Guilford - historic green, old homes to tour, gorgeous coastline
Madison - beautiful beaches, town center
Branford - Thimble Island tour is great. Stony Creek just opened a new riverfront brewery.
Essex - historic center and homes, River museum, steam train
Chester - charming center
Old Saybrook - beautiful coast and Fenwick, nice center
Kent/New Preston/Washington - nice center, Lake Waramaug, Kent Falls
Litchfield - historic center, good restaurants

Just a couple ideas in CT. Closer to home you could hit Two Roads in Stratford, beaches and downtown in Milford, including the beautiful Audubon Center. A quickie but makes for a nice day.

Last edited by Stylo; 04-22-2015 at 08:02 PM..
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Old 04-23-2015, 07:28 AM
 
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All the above, and I'd add a few NY towns such as Cold Spring, Beacon, and New Paltz. Lots to do in all.
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Old 04-23-2015, 08:33 AM
 
Location: Connecticut
34,634 posts, read 56,360,262 times
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Alright, I will say it: Mystic. I know it is a bit touristy but it is a nice place to visit with a lot to do. You could also visit nearby Stonington and I would recommend a trip to Abbotts in Noank for great lobster right on the water. And if you are interested, the two casinos are not far either.

Essex and Old Saybrook in the lower Connecticut River Valley have nice downtowns and the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam has wonderful shows. Gillette Castle is nearby and very interesting and beautiful.

If you like historic and interesting architecture and don't want to go far, what about a trip to nearby Southport. It does not have the shops and restaurants you are looking for but I do love the charm and architecture there. Park by the harbor and walk around the streets and maybe up to the Pequot Library which is really neat. Nearby Fairfield Center has a lot of great shops and restaurants, though the Southport Brewing Company on the Post Road in Southport is very good.

There is also Litchfield which has some beautiful homes as well. They have a house tour every year which can be wonderful. We went a couple of times and love the many beautiful homes you get to go into.

West Hartford Center has a lot of great shops and restaurants as well. You could combine this with a trip to the wonderful Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe House. The Mark Twain House is a must see if you like Victorian architecture.

If you like more funky things, Northampton, Massachusetts is interesting. And if you are willing to drive a bit further, we do like to do day trips to Newport, Rhode Island with its great downtown, stunning Ocean Drive and wonderful mansions to tour.

One other thing you might want to try is the Connecticut Wine Tour. We haven't actually done it but have visited several of the wineries on it and liked it a lot. I hope this helps. Jay
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Old 04-23-2015, 08:41 AM
 
3,429 posts, read 3,901,318 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JayCT View Post
Alright, I will say it: Mystic. I know it is a bit touristy but it is a nice place to visit with a lot to do. You could also visit nearby Stonington and I would recommend a trip to Abbotts in Noank for great lobster right on the water. And if you are interested, the two casinos are not far either.

Essex and Old Saybrook in the lower Connecticut River Valley have nice downtowns and the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam has wonderful shows. Gillette Castle is nearby and very interesting and beautiful.

If you like historic and interesting architecture and don't want to go far, what about a trip to nearby Southport. It does not have the shops and restaurants you are looking for but I do love the charm and architecture there. Park by the harbor and walk around the streets and maybe up to the Pequot Library which is really neat. Nearby Fairfield Center has a lot of great shops and restaurants, though the Southport Brewing Company on the Post Road in Southport is very good.

There is also Litchfield which has some beautiful homes as well. They have a house tour every year which can be wonderful. We went a couple of times and love the many beautiful homes you get to go into.

West Hartford Center has a lot of great shops and restaurants as well. You could combine this with a trip to the wonderful Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe House. The Mark Twain House is a must see if you like Victorian architecture.

If you like more funky things, Northampton, Massachusetts is interesting. And if you are willing to drive a bit further, we do like to do day trips to Newport, Rhode Island with its great downtown, stunning Ocean Drive and wonderful mansions to tour.

One other thing you might want to try is the Connecticut Wine Tour. We haven't actually done it but have visited several of the wineries on it and liked it a lot. I hope this helps. Jay
Love Mystic and the wine tour recommendations. Its a great weekend trip. You can hit Stonington, Chamard and Jonathan Edwards pretty easily from Mystic and even head up to Sharpe Hill in Pomfret if you have a little more time.
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Old 04-23-2015, 09:07 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles
1,440 posts, read 1,227,080 times
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Absolutely agree with Mystic and the vineyards!!! There is also Salt Water (although I don't love that one.) The Oyster Club is my fave restaurant in Mystic...Stonington Vineyards is a great vineyard to bring snacks to and relax. You can also make a little bit more of a trip and head up to Watch Hill in RI.
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Old 04-23-2015, 09:28 AM
 
Location: Coastal Connecticut
21,473 posts, read 27,712,350 times
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Oyster Club and its "Tree House" are fantastic.

If you're up there, you have to check out Water Street in Stonington. It's gorgeous. Like a mini-Newport.
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Old 04-23-2015, 11:58 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles
1,440 posts, read 1,227,080 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stylo View Post
Oyster Club and its "Tree House" are fantastic.

If you're up there, you have to check out Water Street in Stonington. It's gorgeous. Like a mini-Newport.
Love both!
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Old 04-23-2015, 12:24 PM
 
Location: Florida
11,669 posts, read 17,823,351 times
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One place I like to go to is the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, NY. It's truly breathtaking and there's nothing like it in CT, if you enjoy taking a nice walk. And it's free! I go about once or twice per summer.

Walkway Over The Hudson
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Old 04-23-2015, 01:04 PM
 
2,971 posts, read 3,149,484 times
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Jersey Shore - Belmar area
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