1. Mary Stuart House Bed And Breakfast
City: Goshen, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 491-2260
Address: 160 Sharon Tpke.
Description: With simple rooms that might remind you of childhood, or your own bedroom at home, this bed-and-breakfast echoes the great tradition of the business. In the days before super hotels, the local inns would often fill up, so people simply let you stay in an extra room of their home for a fee, serving you breakfast before you went on your way. The owner, Mary Stuart Orlando, continues this tradition with her 5 rooms (one has a private bath and Jacuzzi). The screened-in porch is perfect for the buggy months, and there’s a fireplace, to be sure, but this is more truly a place to become part of someone else’s life and home, for a little while, before heading on your busy way.
2. Action Wildlife Foundation
City: Goshen, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 491-9191
Address: 337 Torrington Rd. (Route 4)
Description: This former dairy farm on the side of Route 4 west of Torrington is impossible to miss. You’ll immediately see the small rocky hill and species clambering around on the property that, well, just aren’t normally seen in Connecticut. Bison, miniature horses, red stags, yaks, elks, reindeer, and Highland cattle are only the beginning. There are ostriches and zebras here, as well as an ornery Russian boar. Best of all, you can walk on paths through the complex and peer over the fences at these wonderful animals. There is also a small museum (which features some smaller animals, like reptiles) with gift and snack shop. With its classic New England stone walls, the Action Wildlife Foundation looks like it belongs to the landscape, but the strange species living here are sure to bring a smile to every child’s face (including the 65-year-old children among you).
3. Miranda Vineyard
City: Goshen, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 491-9906
Address: 42 Ives Rd.
Description: Miranda Vineyards, another fine winery nestled in the Litchfield Hills, features wines made in the old-world traditions that owner and winemaker Manny Miranda learned from his parents in Portugal. The tasting room is located in a refurbished wood building that overlooks the vines; the rooster weathervane atop the building lends itself to the logo. Award-winning selections include single varietals—Chardonnay, Seyval Blanc—as well as Woodridge White, a blend of these two. Red offerings include Merlot and Woodridge Red, which has a pleasant earthiness along with notes of berry. Events like music, dinners, and fund-raisers are frequent throughout the summer months and offer a chance for young and old to enjoy the scenic winery. Go to their pig roast in the fall and win a bottle of wine to take home.
4. Sunset Meadow Vineyards
City: Goshen, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 201-4654
Address: 599 Old Middle St. (Route 63)
Insider Pick:
Description: Sunset Meadow Vineyards has a perfect location for growing grapes—about 1,300 feet above sea level—and 21 acres of vines are planted on a western-facing slope, which you’ll see as you drive up to the tasting room. The winery specializes in estate-bottled and Western Connecticut Highlands appellation selections featuring 14 grape varieties, including Cayuga White, Seyval Blanc, Riesling, and St. Croix. The Riesling has notes of lemon and a touch of sweetness. St. Croix is a beautiful red with notes of mocha and smoky spice. Twisted Red, a blend of four grapes, is medium-bodied and rich, and is another among Sunset Meadow’s award winners. The tasting room, open year-round, is a converted barn with rustic rafters and a long, wood tasting bar. Watch swallows nest under the porch roof or sit on the patio and look out over the vines.
5. Mohawk Mountain State Forest
City: Goshen, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 491-3620
Address: 20 Mohawk Mountain Rd.
Description: During the warmer months, this state forest is one of the prime hiking areas in the state. The Appalachian Trail used to go through here, but now the huge loop of the Mohawk Trail meets it down in the Housatonic River valley (if you stay at Cathedral Pines Farm, you can hike the whole loop in one day, if you’re quick about it). Be sure to hike up to the 1,683-foot summit of Mohawk Mountain (it’s not that hard because you’re starting fairly high already), where there is a wooden observation tower, one of the best views in the entire state. Follow the blue trail just west of the ski area onto Essex Hill Road, where it dives into the woods again. This the historic Cathedral Pines area, where one of the few old-growth remnants of white pines in New England exists. A tornado smashed through here in 1980, knocking down many of the trees, but some remain. It’s a lovely little reminder of what the forests in Connecticut looked like 1,000 years ago.