BEST BALINESE IMPORTS Agabhumi: The Best of Bali, Westport Filled with beautiful, diverse jewelry, handbags, scarves, and sandals, all fashioned far away, but a good fit here. The prices will keep you coming back for seconds. 165 Post Road East. 203-557-0188; agabhumi.com BEST GARDEN & PICNIC PARK Wickham Park, Manchester Gardens inspired by England, Italy, […]
BEST TUBING Farmington River, New Hartford The gentle rapids here provide a rollicking good ride down a 2.5-mile stretch. Farmington River Tubing provides tubes, lifejackets, and a shuttle bus from the take-out back to the starting point (Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day). 92 Main St. 960-693-6465; farmingtonrivertubing.com BEST RIVERSIDE BIKING Essex Loop, Essex A […]
BEST IMPRESSIONIST SUNSETS Bee & Thistle Inn & Spa,Old Lyme All nine guestrooms in this Colonial mansion are as graceful as the works of the American Impressionists who once painted beside its backyard river. There’s also a convivial restaurant and a rare petanque court for French lawn bowling. Rates: from $170. 100 Lyme St. 800-622-4946, […]
BEST CHOCOLATE INFUSION Chocopologie Cafe, South Norwalk No apologies for sweet-tooth temptations from breakfast to bedtime: cocoa-intensive baked goods for dessert and candies such as ginger-passion fruit. There are savory offerings, too, and a French-accented menu that includes cocoa-braised short ribs. Entrées: from $15. 12 South Main St. 203-854-4754; chocopologie.com BEST CITY CHIC Firebox, Hartford […]
Off exit 74 on I-84, the quizzical yellow sign that reads Traveler Food and Books is, if nothing else, aptly descriptive. Millions see it every year, but those who stop in tiny Union, Connecticut (population 700), to investigate find an old, wood-paneled restaurant littered with books crammed into shelves and cubbies. It feels a little […]
If the crèche at the Abbey of Regina Laudis strikes you as a little out of place, there’s a good reason. The austere Yankee barn that houses it is a world away from its previous home. Handcrafted by artisans in Naples, the intricate nativity scene was presented as a coronation gift to Victor Amadeus II, […]
The Maine art community, myself included, never really appreciated painter Rackstraw Downes when he was a seasonal resident of the state. Though he had a summer home in rural Morrill from the 1960s until fairly recently, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Rackstraw Downes show in Maine. Now that Downes, a New York City […]
Find great wine in Connecticut with the summer passport program, sponsored by Connecticut Department of Agriculture. The goal is to visit at least 14 of the 30 vineyards participating from Connecticut’s wine trail. You get your blue passport stamped at each one, and then hand it in at the last vineyard you visit. The program […]
Call ahead to confirm dates, times, and admission prices. For hundreds of fairs, festivals, exhibits, shows, and other fun activities, go to: YankeeMagazine.com/events MAY 1: COS COB, May Gardeners’ Market. Twelve juried vendors from specialty nurseries come to Montgomery Pinetum to sell their collections of annuals, perennials, wildflowers, herbs, hanging baskets, plants, and orchids. Plants […]
Lunch A La Carte FOOD CARTS, New Haven An outdoor gathering of food vendors as an epicurean hot spot? If you’re in the Elm City, absolutely. The vendors, a weekday fixture in front of Yale-New Haven Hospital, offer seriously authentic street food spanning the globe: gyros, falafel, sushi, and burritos. Enjoy your lunch alfresco, accompanied […]
Best Outdoor Eating MITCHELL’S ON THE RIVER, Rocky Hill There’s no denying the summery pleasure of cheap eats at a breezy seafood shack. A mere stone’s throw from the Connecticut River, this seasonal al fresco joint hosts a laid-back crowd, noshing on fried fish, burgers, and ice cream at picnic tables overlooking the historic Glastonbury/Rocky […]
Best Lake Views THE SACHEM FARMHOUSE BED & BREAKFAST, Warren This renovated 19th-century farmhouse on Lake Waramaug is big on historic ambience, right down to the four guestrooms named for ancestors who lived and worked here. You’ll want to embark on many excursions right outside the front door, such as a romantic picnic (they’ll supply […]
