1. Chester Bulkley House
City: Wethersfield, CT
Category: Accommodations
Telephone: (860) 563-4236
Address: 184 Main St.
Description: This 1830 house right at the center of Old Wethersfield is a Greek Revival with wide pine floors and working fireplaces. The 5 rooms are furnished with antiques and decorative objects. Three of the rooms have private baths; this is a truly restored historic home, so it’s amazing they have private baths at all. The innkeeper, Thomas Aufiero, serves a great breakfast; his specialty is French toast. You are literally across from the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum here, and within walking distance of all the sights of the old town. There is no television in your room, but that’s not why you get a room at a bed-and-breakfast, is it? Besides, they have them in the sitting areas, or you could, you know, open a book.
2. Vehicle Registration And Driver’S Licenses
City: Wethersfield, CT
Category: Relocation
Telephone: (860) 263-5700
Address: 06161
Description: You will have to register your vehicle if relocating to Connecticut; of course, if you’re purchasing a new car or changing ownership of a car, registration is needed. Out-of-state vehicles should be registered within 60 days; until then, obtain a temporary registration, which can be attained from a DMV office. Emissions testing and vehicle identification number verification are required. Many garages and service stations now perform emissions testing. Out-of-state certificate of title and motor vehicle registration are needed as well as proof of insurance and acceptable forms of identification. There are 10 full-service DMV stations and 7 others with photo licensing or limited hours. Every county except Tolland has at least one DMV office (the Enfield, Wethersfield, or Willimantic centers would be the closest). New residents have 30 days after moving to the state to transfer out-of-state licenses. New or transferring teen drivers (16 and 17 years old) may get a learner’s permit first, but any teen driver needs 30 hours of driver training from either a commercial or high school program or home instruction. Additionally, 40 hours of road training are required. Restrictions are in place for teen drivers until their 18th birthday. For those 18 and older, an applicant needs a Social Security card or proof of legal presence in the US, identification forms, and proof of driver’s education. A written test, road test, and vision test are required as well. In all cases, fees apply: application ($40) and license ($72 or $84, depending on how long the renewal is for). License renewal is also available at many AAA-affiliate offices.
3. City Fish Market
City: Wethersfield, CT
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (860) 257-6465
Address: 884 Silas Deane Hwy.
Description: For over 80 years this market has been the place to come in the Hartford area for fresh fish. With over 100,000 cubic feet devoted to -10 degrees of frozen storage, 70,000 cubic feet of 34-degree cold storage, and a 5,000-gallon lobster pound, the City Fish Market services many of the county’s restaurants. However, it is also a restaurant itself, with a stylish dining room (not a “lobster shack”). Enjoy a cold draft beer, a glass of wine, or a soda, with fresh, beautifully cooked seafood. The fish-and-chips is the classic dish here, although the daily specials are probably what to go for. The lobster is their biggest seller to other restaurants, so you should probably get a hot Connecticut lobster roll. Unlike some evil restaurants (not featured in this guide) where the specials are what they want to get rid of, the specials here are what has just come in the door. Try them out.
4. Comstock Ferre And Company
City: Wethersfield, CT
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (860) 571-6590
Address: 263 Main St.
Description: During the 19th century Wethersfield made its reputation by selling seeds. Since 1811 seeds have been sold from this spot on Main Street, and since 1838 the business has operated under the name Comstock Ferre and Company, the longest continually operating company of its kind in the US. You can find open-pollinated, pure, non-GMO seeds of the highest quality, heirlooms that you won’t find anywhere else. These are herbs, vegetables, and flowers in primal forms, healthier and with different nutrients, that you can grow at home. Of course, you can also get all sorts of plants, natural food products, handcrafts, and antiques. It’s a fun store and a living museum all in one.
5. Webb, Deane, And Stevens Houses
City: Wethersfield, CT
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (860) 529-0612
Address: 211 Main St.
Description: Washington and Rochambeau met here to formulate plans for the last campaign of the Revolutionary War, and stayed at the 1752 Webb House. Silas Deane was a member of the first Continental Congress, and his 1766 house and the nearby 1788 Isaac Stevens House are full of period antiques. Behind them a nice herb garden lies in a large open space. These houses are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Tues from May to Oct. There are a number of other restored homes within walking distance, including the Captain James Francis House (120 Hartford Ave.), the Buttolph-Williams House (corner of Marsh and Broad), and the Hurlbut-Dunham House (212 Main St.). Take a walk to see these, and don’t forget to stop across the street at the Old Academy Museum to check out its changing exhibits. There are a number of 18th- and 19th-century homes, a 17th-century graveyard, and the large brick Meetinghouse (250 Main St.) from 1761. This section of Old Wethersfield is remarkable, and as one of the oldest towns in America, it is surprising how much is left.