Gillian may be out enjoying the great restaurants in the Nutmeg State,
and this blog has been discontinued. Thanks for visiting and happy travels!
September 13, 2007
Here are some ways to have fun in the fall in Connecticut.
Picking apples
Getting lost in corn mazes and haunted houses
Visiting farms
Gawking at the leaves
Have a great fall, everybody!
Posted by ctblogger at 07:45 PM
September 11, 2007
Follow Route 44 out from the center of Connecticut and you'll drive through the communities of Pleasant Valley and Riverton. They may sound like places from the fake Connecticut where the Gilmore Girls live, but they are actually sections of the very real town of Barkhamsted.
One of Barkhamsted's gems is the Austin Hawes Campground in the American Legion State Forest. This campground is so popular that it can get all booked up several months in advance. But here's a great way to get in: off-season camping from mid-April to Memorial Day and between Labor Day and Columbus Day.
We were able to get a site back in April. The campground sits on the Farmington River, which is a good spot for fly-fishing or just exploring. In the spring, the river was spilling over its edges.
Posted by ctblogger at 11:21 AM
September 9, 2007
Indian food has become the go-to comfort food in my household. One of my favorite places to pick up take-out nan, samosas and aloo gobi is Taste of India in West Hartford.
However, there's a new Indian place in WH that is becoming a favorite of mine for eating in. Ambassador of India has been welcomed to the neighborhood for being kosher as well as vegetarian. Located at 968 1/2 Farmington Ave (sometimes referred to as 968R), it's in a small building that has now housed three restaurants in as many years so I'm hoping this one will stick.
Posted by ctblogger at 05:46 PM
September 4, 2007
Why do you call CT the Nutmeg State?
-Alan
Hello, Alan.
I can't say that I call CT that but this is a very good question. I'm sure many people have accepted that Connecticut is the Nutmeg State without knowing why or when it came to be associated with an egg nog additive.
Now that I've researched this matter, I think I'm even less likely to call CT the Nutmeg State. The most often-cited story attributes the nickname to colonial Connecticut pedlars selling fake, wooden nutmegs. A nutmeg is a hard nut that is ground into the brown powder that's on your spice rack. No one seems to be sure if the nutmegs sold by these allegedly crooked merchants were indeed phony or if the folks who bought them just didn't know what to do with them.
I should point out that CT's official nickname is the Constitution State. I should also point out that the term official nickname is an oxymoron.
The name isn't actually referring to the U.S. Constitution, but instead to the Fundamental Orders, a document that created an early Connecticut government in 1638 and is considered by several historians (and, apparently, the State of Connecticut) to be one of the first Constitutions ever written in Western history.
I don't know if I've answered a question here, or just created more. So I'll leave you with this advice, Alan: don't take any wooden nutmegs.
Posted by ctblogger at 03:23 PM
August 31, 2007
Have a great Labor Day!
The corn maze at Lyman Orchards opens on Saturday.
Fairs are running in Woodstock and Goshen.
St. Barbara's in Orange is holding its annual Greek Odyssey.
For more weekend ideas, check out Explore New England's Events Listings.
Posted by ctblogger at 10:27 AM
August 28, 2007
This is the final week of the Rice Talk Festival at Forbidden City Bistro in Middletown. If you love Dim Sum, you might want to make a visit.
Posted by ctblogger at 09:07 PM
August 24, 2007
If you make it to any Connecticut fairs this summer, have a great time and eat some fried dough for me.
The Brooklyn Fair runs through the weekend and includes animals, carnival rides, and concerts.
The Chester Fair also has animals, carnival rides, and concerts.
And guess what you can find at theTerryville County Fair this year? Dickey Betts. What did you think I was going to say?
For more weekend ideas, check out Explore New England's Events Listings.
Posted by ctblogger at 05:35 PM
August 22, 2007
When making your way to campgrounds, beaches and other summer favorites, it's good to know you can count on familiar stops along the way.
For me, Baird's General Store in Cornwall Bridge is one of those places. It's pretty much one-stop-shopping for whatever I forget to bring with me.
I made my first visit to Baird's last year when I was out there to go kayaking on the Housatonic River. This summer I returned on my way to camping at Housatonic Meadows. I think for this most recent trip we picked up sandwiches, batteries, and firewood. Whether you need provisions for camping, fly-fishing, or just tootling around Litchfield County, consider stopping at Baird's General Store near where Routes 4 and 7 cross at the river.
Posted by ctblogger at 08:13 AM
August 20, 2007
A while ago, I asked readers to post their favorites places to ride go-karts. Someone did! Many thanks to New England78 for giving us some details on R&B Sports World in Winsted and Berlin Batting Cages.
Here are some others I've found:
Stratford Speedway
Checkered Flag Raceway in Berlin
Willy D's Indoor Kart Racing in Wallingford
On Track Karting in Wallingford
The Only Game in Town in North Haven
Connecticut Golf Land & Games in Vernon
Serious racers might want to look into the Tristate Kart Club.
By the way, the CT Message Board is a great place to post any events you want to share with the world. What? You don't believe the world is reading this? Check out these upcoming events from the board: the Native American Festival in Ridgefield and the Connecticut Renaissance Faire in Hebron.
Posted by ctblogger at 08:04 AM
August 18, 2007
This weekend you'll find fairs in Bridgewater and Wolcott.
Milford's annual Oyster Festival runs until 6:00 p.m. tonight.
The Hartford 4-H Fair runs all weekend in Somers.
For more weekend ideas, check out Explore New England's Events Listings.
Posted by ctblogger at 09:51 AM
