A couple of weeks ago is when I started doing these foliage drives. I saw a post somewhere on facebook that mentioned about seven of them in Connecticut so I challenged myself this year to do them. So far I have done four out of the seven. This was my very first one I did on September 15th. The leaves were just starting to turn so I’m sure that by now it looks quite lovely.
The peak time for this particular area of the state is forecasted to be between October 3rd and 30th.
The drive is estimated to be about 90 miles, however, knowing this area quite I did add in a couple of roads along the way. I spent close to seven hours on this little drive stopping at a lot of places along the way. I did find this drive quite lovely.
- Begin in Hartford.
- Take 1-91 north to exit 45 (Bridge Street, East Windsor).
- Head west on Route 140 to the airport, then south on Route 75 to Route 20.
- Head west through Granby, the Hartlands, and Riverton, picking up West River Road south through People’s State Forest to Pleasant Valley.
- Continue south on Route 181 to Route 44 and head east through New Hartford, Canton and Avon to Route 10 – south to Farmington.
- Pick up Route 4 and head for Hartford to close the loop.
** When planning out my drives I noticed that there was not really any that took me through Glastonbury. Route 17 is like Farmstand haven and to miss these little stops would be a shame. Do yourself a favor and factor in Main Street Glastonbury and Route 17 into your journey.**
Some places to stop along the way are:
Enders State Park in Granby a short walk and you will see a very nice waterfall. Be very careful though because the terrain can be difficult to navigate especially when its wet. There are a lot of rocks with steep slopes and cliffs. It’s a very peaceful and quiet park.
Hogan’s Cider Mill in Burlington still makes cider from scratch the old-fashioned way. They also offer hard cider tastings of the many different ciders that they offer. It is a must stop for anyone who is a hard cider fan.
You must stop and see Saville Dam in Barkhamsted. This picturesque place is the perfect stop for a fall photo shoot. The views and the colors are stunning at this time of year. It can be pretty busy with all the leaf peepers on the weekends best to go early if you can. Plus early mornings with the fall colors and the fog can make for the best pictures.
A must eat restaurant this time of year can be found at Millwright’s on West St. in Simsbury. It features a cozy basement area called the 1680 Tavern and a more upscale upstairs called Millwrights. Either place as excellent food and you will not be disappointed. It is situated in a 17th-century mill and it is absolutely beautiful. Sunday evenings feature 1/2 priced bottles of wine!
Talcott Mountain State Park is located in Simsbury and is home to the Heublein Tower, which overlooks the mountain. The park also has several picnic and scenic areas as well. A walk to the tower is about a mile and a half away and takes about 30 or 40 minutes and well worth it. This too can get pretty crowded on the weekend so if you would like to avoid the crowds I suggest going early on a weekday.
Route 17 Glastonbury to Portland travel this road and you’ll be rewarded with several fresh farm and produce stands. First stop along the way is the Old Cider Mill. There they have a petting zoo and an apple fritter stand on the weekends. After hitting up the Old Cider Mill there are several others and it ends with Gotta’s Farm where you can pick your own apples and the bakery items are to die for. I suggest getting some of their scones any kind will do.
Another place that I feel I have to mention because they seem to have the best ice cream in the world is Robb’s Farm on Wassuc Rd in South Glastonbury. They have the Riverview Fall Festival every year where you will find a corn maze, hayrides, tractors and a petting zoo for the kids. Food wise you’ll find apple fritters, cider and of course delicious ice cream.
localtouristy.com 