1. 7C Herb Garden Bed And Breakfast
City: New Preston, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 868-7760
Address: 210 Baldwin Hill Rd.
Description: If you’re looking a different kind of lodging experience, one that takes you back to the true origins of the bed-and-breakfast, try 7C Herb Garden. Located in New Preston off Route 202, the establishment offers 2 rooms (one is a suite), both with private entrance and bathroom. But the real draw of this small establishment is the hospitality. Your hosts, Alicia and Hansel Collins, welcome you into their home, a restored 1730s house. Outside is Alicia’s garden, and she’ll treat you to fresh chives in her breakfast omelets. Take a leisurely nap on the hammock or take a book under the grand tree in the backyard. Wi-Fi is available and children under 12 stay free. Hansel is an amazing wood carver, and you can admire and purchase his finely crafted spoons and kitchen utensils, cutting boards, napkin holders, and bowls.
2. The Boulders Inn
City: New Preston, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 868-0541
Description: This is more of a mansion with a dining room than an inn, with an 1898 main house, a carriage house, and 8 guest houses overlooking Lake Waramaug. That’s a total of 21 rooms, most of which have fireplaces, and all are furnished with antiques or simple country furniture. The Boulders has a private beach and boathouse on the lake, and you can swim out to the floating dock for some sunbathing. Or you can hike up the trail behind the inn to Pinnacle Mountain, with even better views of the surrounding country. The dining room is superb, and the price includes both dinner and breakfast. They serve fresh vegetables and herbs grown in the inn’s garden, and home-baked rolls that win rave reviews. Try the pan-roasted filet mignon (the “Benedict”) and understand good beef for the first time. This is where celebrities stay on Lake Waramaug, although some of them just go to their friends’ summer houses there.
3. Lake Waramaug State Park
City: New Preston, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 868-0220 (seasonal)
Address: 30 Lake Waramaug Rd.
Description: Staying at any of the inns or spas around the lake will cost you a few pennies, so camping here at one of the 77 sites is an inexpensive and fun way to see one of the prettiest lakes in Connecticut. Waramaug was the name of a chief from a local tribe who summered on this lake, and hundreds of years later people from New York and beyond come to do the same. Canoers and kayakers camp here and push off from the docks by the campground. There is a challenging golf course at the Lake Waramaug Country Club, and this is also a great bicycling hub, with kids and professionals making long loops around the lake. You’ll actually want to get a site farther away from the water if you don’t want to be disturbed by cars on this narrow but well-traveled route around the picturesque lake.
4. Oliva Cafe
City: New Preston, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (860) 868-1787
Address: 18 E. Shore Rd.
Description: Near the shores of Lake Waramaug, this Mediterranean cafe brings a little summer into Litchfield County. At first the white clapboard building looks like a typical country tavern, but there are touches that begin to bring you into the Straits of Gibraltar. Chef Aamar’s food is, in fact, Moroccan in origin, though it often has more in common with New American, Food Network–friendly cuisine. The Moroccan eggplant with pecans, lemons, and mint is a great starter, as is the caramelized Bosc pear. There are pizzas (with twists) for the kids, and traditional dishes like lamb tagine for the adults. Try the sautéed wild haddock or the sweet potato gnocchi. This is a breath of fresh Mediterranean air for tourists and locals alike.
5. Hopkins Vineyard
City: New Preston, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 868-7954
Address: 23 Hopkins Rd.
Insider Pick:
Description: Developed on land that has been farmed for over 200 years, Hopkins Vineyard lies just above Lake Waramaug. Visit the winery’s 19th-century red barn, where you’ll find the tasting room, wine loft, and gift store. Tour the facilities and vines and witness the pride of the winemakers and the beauty of the land. Standouts include Estate Bottled Chardonnay; Duet, a blend of Chardonnay and Vidal Blanc; and Lady Rosé, a lovely dry rosé with tobacco on the nose and strawberry notes on the palate. Hopkins’s Cabernet Franc may be the best in the state. Try Red Barn Red for a dry red with black currant overtones, and Sachem’s Picnic for a red blend, served cool, which is a little sweeter and perfect for summer barbeques. Furthering the diverse selection, Hopkins also offers peach wine, apple cider, a dessert wine, and an exquisite ice wine, made from Vidal Blanc picked when the grapes are frozen. Estate-picked Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are blended for the sparkling wine, made in the champagne style.