1. Tidewater Inn
City: Madison, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (203) 245-8457
Address: 949 Boston Post Rd.
Description: Off the Post Road in Madison near the tidal wetlands of Long Island Sound by the shores of Fence Creek, this charming bed-and-breakfast features an English garden for you to relax in. Of the 9 nonsmoking guest rooms available, 2 rooms on the ground floor have fireplaces, and the inn also features a private cottage, with a king bed, galley kitchen, and Jacuzzi. And, of course, you can get breakfast, with specialties like peach soup. From the inn you can walk into downtown Madison to shop at R. J. Julia’s or ride your bike down to the beach. They have an unbelievable number of package deals and special offers, from the Lobster Lover’s Escape to Connecticut Eccentricities. Browse them on the website or ask the innkeepers which one suits you best.
2. Madison Beach Hotel
City: Madison, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (203) 245-1404
Address: 94 W. Wharf Rd.
Description: Right on a private beach overlooking a small island, the Madison Beach Hotel has 33 nonsmoking waterfront rooms and suites, all with balconies. It was once a hotel in the 1800s, and has just been refurbished and reconstructed into a world-class destination. There are 3 dining options right on the premises, including a traditional steak and seafood restaurant called Tides on the Sound, with a bar that’s open until midnight. The Wharf is a more casual dining room with views of the Sound and a stone fireplace for chillier evenings. It’s also open until midnight for late-night cocktails after a walk on the beach. Rick’s Raw Bar is your third option, open only in the summer until sunset and offering fresh shucked clams and more in the great outdoors. You can rent bikes and kayaks to work off all those calories, and the hotel also features a spa with massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. People loved this place even before it was renovated, and now it may turn out to be one of the prime waterfront hotels in the state in the coming years.
3. Dolly Madison Inn
City: Madison, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (203) 245-7377
Address: 73 W. Wharf Rd.
Description: A few steps from Madison Beach, “The Dolly” is a New England country inn with a seaside flavor. It is a relatively inexpensive place to stay in New Haven County, with 6 modern rooms and 5 that have not been updated for a few decades. The main building dates back to the turn of the 20th century. The restaurant at the inn serves lunch and dinner all day, every day, and Sun breakfast from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They have many seafood dishes, like oysters on the half shell and fisherman’s platters, as well as beef, duck, and other classic American delights. The bar is popular with locals and with people summering on the shore here, and is a great place to get an evening drink.
4. Inn At Lafayette
City: Madison, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (203) 245-7773
Address: 06443
Description: In downtown Madison, you’ll see the blue sign for Cafe Allegre first, then underneath it a smaller one for the Inn at Lafayette. It’s not usual to have the restaurant take first billing, but since Cafe Allegre’s food is legendary, why not stay the night upstairs at their inn? There are 5 comfortable, suite-like rooms with marble baths and Egyptian linens, as well as all the amenities a business traveler might need. You are literally downtown here, right next to the Madison Cinema and across the street from R. J. Julia’s. It’s a great pleasure to walk upstairs after your meal, following a day of excitement in coastal New Haven County. Try the inn above Cafe Allegre, and you’ll eat and rest well.
5. Hammonasset State Park
City: Madison, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (203) 245-2785
Address: 1288 Boston Post Rd.
Description: There are 550 campsites here at this beautiful park, an astounding number in Connecticut, and you’ll rarely not be able to get a spot without reservations, except perhaps on Memorial Day or Labor Day weekends. The park is known for having the longest public beach in the state, and you’ll feel like you’re in Cape Cod or Cape Hatteras. The camping is at the west end of the park, near the entrance, and some of it is only steps from the beach. Those sites on the “beach road” are windblown classics, although you will have people tramping by your tent or trailer to get to the beach. Otherwise, get a site in area 1, the most wooded and wilderness-feeling of the many camping areas. Try camping here in the autumn, when there are few rowdy children or loud radios, and though you won’t want to swim, the 2-mile beach walk is lovely, and you’ll have the bike trails to yourself.
6. Cafe Allegre
City: Madison, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (203) 245-7773
Address: 06443
Description: Located in downtown Madison, with an inn upstairs, this “new world Italian” restaurant is headed by chef Silvio Suppa, a locally famous chef with a cookbook, a line of sauces, and several restaurants to his credit. Dishes like artichoke hearts Milanese and the seafood risotto are done perfectly, with a twist that has made Silvio famous. If you like liver, try the calf liver Veneziana, the best of its kind you’ll ever find. Allegre also offers a seasonal prix-fixe menu for less than $30, and the lunch menu is half the price for many of the same delicious Italian dishes. Let Chef Silvio make your dinner a special one with his combination of old-world technique and new-world style.
7. R. J. Julia Bookseller
City: Madison, CT
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (203) 245-3959
Address: 768 Boston Post Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: Downtown Madison is home to the most famous independently owned bookstore in the state. R. J. Julia opened in 1990 and continues to be committed to the joys of the written word. The atmosphere is relaxed and inviting, and the floor-to-ceiling selection on two floors is vast and easily navigable with the help of dedicated booksellers who will point you in the direction of what you may be looking for or introduce you to hidden gems. With over 300 events each year, R. J. Julia’s is the premiere establishment for author readings and signings. As you browse, scan the sizable photo collection of authors who have read here, including the likes of Martha Stewart, Toni Morrison, and Salman Rushdie. Workshops, book clubs, and kid-friendly events also fill the calendar. You may even run into chef and author Jacques Pépin, who lives nearby, coming in to autograph a book. The cafe in the back of the store, operated by La Rosticceria, offers sandwiches, salads, cupcakes, and coffee.
8. Madison Mile Of Outdoor Art
City: Madison, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (203) 421-3039
Description: Madison is a charming town with a great bookstore and downtown. But another reason to come here is its outdoor sculptures. There are always about 40 pieces, and many change every 6 months, so you’ll see new entries in this open-air art gallery managed by the Hollycroft Foundation. The sculptures are always unconventional, and sometimes radically experimental. While you’re here, check out the Deacon John Grave House, built in 1685 and complete with original fireplace and a magnificent loom, in case you find yourself yearning for a more traditional style. You should also browse the galleries in the center of town, where you’ll see amazing works, even an original Picasso or two.
9. Hammonasset State Park
City: Madison, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (203) 245-2785
Address: 1288 Boston Post Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: This is Connecticut’s longest single stretch of public shoreline, with 2 miles of pristine beach. You can walk out a long way in waist-deep water, and the water at this end of Long Island Sound is crystal clear. Kiting is popular here, and a bicycle trail parallels the beach in the small dune area for most of the length. Surf fishing is great from the beach, but even better at the eastern end of the park from the rocky outcrops. This is also excellent birding territory; hike on the trail behind the Meig’s Point Nature Center into the salt marsh with your binoculars to find herons, egrets, and oystercatchers. The nature center is great to take your children for an educational interlude. Stop by Hammonasset in the winter (when there’s no park fee) and go for a bundled-up walk on the beach. Trust me, it’s a lost pleasure that the birds will gladly share with you.