1. Safe Haven Alpaca Farm
City: Hampton, CT
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (860) 455-0054
Address: 39 Drain St.
Description: Did you know that alpaca wool is five times warmer than sheep wool? Well, now you do. So, that is a great reason to get over to Safe Haven Farm from Thurs to Sat, where you can see and pet these amazing South American animals without trekking high into the Andes. The gift shop features yarn and clothing, the largest selection of these unique products in New England. Get a stylish sweater for Mom or a hat for the coming winter. Of course, Safe Haven also breeds and sells alpacas to farms throughout the Northeast, so if you’re in the market for one, well, this is the place.
2. Trail Wood And Bafflin Sanctuaries
City: Hampton, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 928-4948
Address: 93 Kenyon Rd.
Description: Open daily sunrise to sunset, the 168-acre Trail Wood Sanctuary was once the home of Pulitzer Prize–winning nature writer Edwin Way Teale. Today there is a network of well-developed trails and a small natural history museum with Teale memorabilia, as well as programs for adults, families, and children. Down the road at 189 Pomfret St. you will find the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Grassland Bird Conservation Center and 700-acre Bafflin Sanctuary, a former dairy farm that is now habitat for 200 bird species. There is a network of pleasant trails here, and they attach to the Air Line State Park Trail. In fact, if you are ambitious, you can walk or bike between the two sanctuaries using the Air Line, though the distance is about 7 to 8 miles. At the center the Audubon Society runs environmental education programs, bird-watching walks, and more.