Connecticut

About New England’s Foliage

Every autumn throughout New England, diminishing length of daylight and falling temperatures induce trees to shed billions of tons of leaves. Preceding this preparation for winter the trees present a spectacular color show. Leaves that have been green all summer turn to brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red.

These color changes are caused by transformations in leaf pigments, primarily the green pigment chlorophyll. During summer, the leaves of trees are producing sugar from carbon dioxide and water by the workings of light and chlorophyll. Chlorophyll causes the leaves to appear green.

The shorter days and cool nights of autumn set off changes in the tree. One is the growth of a corky membrane at the base of the leaf stem, which interrupts the flow of nutrients into the leaf. This stops the production of chlorophyll in the leaf, and the green color of the leaf fades, allowing the reds, oranges and yellows to burst forth. The best autumn colors are produced when dry, sunny days are followed by cool, dry nights.

Color may begin to appear in isolated spots in far northern New England the first week in September. Typically, the color change begins at the higher elevations and in the northern part of the region mid-September and moves southward through mid-to-late October, ending in southern New England coastal areas at the end of October.

Visitors who travel to see our spectacular foliage are known as, “Leaf-Peepers.” While on your excursion do stop at country stores, orchards, local restaurants and shops. We have suggested some routes for you to drive. We also suggest that you try some backroads. Get a local map, and don’t worry about getting lost. You’ll always bump into a main road sooner or, hopefully, later.

Ansonia Nature and Recreation Center
10 Deerfield Lane
Ansonia, CT  06401  
Phone: 203-736-1053

One hundred-acre nature preserve, with several gardens featuring ferns and wildflowers. Of particular note is the butterfly and hummingbird garden. Natural exhibits and programs are scheduled throughout the year. Over two miles of trails run through the preserve for hiking and cross-country skiing. Visitors can also enjoy a fishing pond, picnic areas and a gift shop.
Hours: Sunup to sundown. Office and interpretive center open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except holidays. Free admission.

Bellamy-Ferriday House and Garden
9 Main Street
Bethlehem, CT  06751  
Phone: 203-266-7596

Built in 1754, this Colonial home is filled with American and European antiques. The property offers garden lovers a formal parterre garden with a collection of roses, peonies, and lilacs.
Hours: May–October, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fee charged.

Boothe Memorial Park & Museum
5774 Main St. Putney
Stratford, CT  06614  
Phone: 203-381-2046

This 32-acre former homestead of the Boothe Family (1663-1949) offers with picnic facilities, rose garden, and wedding garden. Buildings on National Historic Landmark site with displays of early farm equipment, carriages and baskets; trolley history, toll booth exhibit. Hours: Park grounds are open year-round, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Museums and displays are open June 1 through October 1, Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Free admission.

Brookfield Historical Society Museum
165 Whisconier Road / Routes 25 and 133
Brookfield, CT  06840  
Phone: 203-775-4628

Brookfield’s original town hall, built in 1875, is now home to a Colonial garden, as well as changing historical exhibits and a gift shop. Guided tours are available.
Hours: every Saturday and the first Sunday of each month between May and December; second and fourth Saturdays, January through March. Noon to 4 p.m. Also open by appointment.

Chester Fife & Drum Corps
Chester, CT
Phone: 860-526-2178

This is one the oldest continuously active fife & drum corps in the United States. Led by Drum Major Leo Reinhauzens, the Chester Fife & Drum Corps had performed throughout the United States, and overseas in Ireland, Switzerland and Scotland. Information: 860-342-2784

Colchester Continental Fife & Drum Corps
Contact: Wayne Seidel
Colcester, CT
Phone: 860-742-7274

The Colchester Continentals march again after being dormant for almost a century. The Colchester Continental Fife & Drum Corps is comprised of an experienced group who strive to share the ancient style of fifing and drumming, through musical excellence and precise marching. The Corps travels all over the United States to participate in parades, ceremonies, musters, and events. Based in Colchester Connecticut, the Colchester Continentals always welcome new members ages 18 and over.

Colonel John Chester Ancient Fife & Drum Corps
Contact: Art Hutchinson, PO Box 290305
Wethersfield, CT
Phone: 860-563-5801

The oldest Junior Ancient Corps in Connecticut. The corps is named after the former Col. John Chester School where it was organized. Colonel John Chester Fife & Drum is Connecticut's oldest Junior Ancient Corps. Organized between 1939-1940, the corps' first appearance in competition was in 1942. Colonel John Chester is the official marching unit that accompanies the Wethersfield Volunteer Fire Department at numerous parades and conventions around the state. The Corp maintains an active schedule each year, appearing in parades, concerts, musters and competitions.

Connecticut Blues Fife & Drum Corps
Durham, CT  06085

The Blues has developed into one of the finest marching musical units in New England. The Blues' repertoire includes music from the Revolutionary War up through the Civil War, Irish jigs and reels, sea chanteys and songs of the early West along with classical selections. Rehearsals are Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Brewster School, 126 Tuttle Road, Durham.

Connecticut Literature

Samuel Clemens / Mark Twain (1835-1910)
A prolific journalist, fiction writer, essayist, and lecturer, Samuel Clemens enjoyed a life that spanned enormous changes in the American character and landscape. Born in Missouri, a slave-holding state, during the presidency of Andrew Jackson, Clemens traveled the world and died a decade before World War I, when the United States was on the threshold of becoming a global leader. Clemens traveled widely but built a home in Connecticut, where he would spend some of his most productive years, creating, among other works, his masterpiece Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Clemens grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, and spent much of his childhood among his father’s and uncle’s slaves, hearing the slaves’ stories and spirituals. His first job, at 11, was as a printer’s apprentice at a local newspaper, launching his reporting and writing career. After working at newspapers in New York City and Philadelphia, Clemens returned at age 22 to Missouri to work as a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi. The outbreak of the Civil War ended river traffic, so Clemens headed west, picking up stories that would later appear in his book, Roughing It. He wrote for newspapers in Nevada and San Francisco, using the pen name Mark Twain. He also took a reporting trip for the Sacramento paper to the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii). Later travels to Europe and the Holy Land were chronicled in his first book, The Innocents Abroad, published in 1869. He married Olivia Langdon in 1870, and in 1871 the family moved to Hartford. In 1873, Clemens turned to social criticism, co-writing The Gilded Age, an attack on corruption, big business, and American greed.

A year later after publication of The Gilded Age, Clemens’s lavish, 19-room house on Farmington Avenue in Hartford was completed. The couple and their three daughters lived on Farmington Avenue until 1891. Here, Clemens wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, The Prince and the Pauper, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Because of bad investments during these years, Clemens was approaching bankruptcy. The family moved to Europe to economize and pay off debts. During these years his work became more critical of imperialistic behaviors by America and Europe. On a visit back to Hartford, the couple’s oldest daughter died from meningitis at age 24, and her parents never returned to Hartford to live. The rest of his life was spent in Europe and New York before a final move to Redding, Connecticut, in 1908, two years before Clemens’s death.

The Mark Twain House & Museum
351 Farmington Ave.
Hartford, Connecticut 06105
Phone: 860-247-0998
Hours: Monday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Sunday noon to 5:30 p.m.; closed Tuesdays January to April.
Cost: Fee charged. Admission is by guided tour only. Free parking. Visitors should allow at least two hours for the tour and a visit to the museum.

Whimsical and full of odd details and flourishes, the Mark Twain house, where the family lived from 1874 to 1891, was designed by architect Edward Tuckerman Potter. The 19-room house is light-hearted and unpredictable. It has many different levels and asymmetrical gables. Chimneys and towers jut from broad, sweeping roof lines Many styles from distant cultures are presented in pattern, texture, and color. An eclectic taste combines northern Africa, Asian, and Indian images.

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)
Harriet Beecher Stowe is remembered most today as the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which sold 10,000 copies in its first week off the press and helped solidify opposition to slavery before the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln greeted her during a visit in 1862 as “the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war.” After publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Stowe became an international celebrity and very popular author.

Harriet Beecher was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, to a dynamic Congregationalist minister who preached vociferously against slavery. The family prized education, and many of the Harriet’s 10 brothers and sisters became social reformers. Harriet attended and later taught at Hartford Female Seminary. In 1832 her father moved the family to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he took a position at Lane Theological Seminary. There, Harriet met and married Calvin E. Stowe, a professor at Lane, and the two began to establish their family. Cincinnati was across the river from Kentucky, a slave state, and it was here that Harriet observed and learned to abhor slavery.

In 1850 Calvin Stowe moved the family to Brunswick, Maine, where he joined the faculty of his alma mater, Bowdoin College. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which was first published in an abolitionist newspaper, The National Era, was written largely in Brunswick. In 1852 the story was published in book form. Uncle Tom’s Cabin brought the evils of slavery to the attention of Americans more vividly than ever before.

From Brunswick, the Stowes moved in 1863 to Andover, Massachusetts, where Calvin taught at Andover Theological Seminary. In 1864, after his retirement, the family moved to Hartford, Connecticut. Here they built their house, Oakholm. In 1873, the Stowes moved to their last home, the brick Victorian house on Forest Street in Hartford.

Harriet Beecher Stowe House and Library
77 Forest Street
Hartford, Connecticut 06105
Phone: 860-522-9258 or 860-522-9258 ext. 317
Hours: Open year-round. Mondays from Memorial Day to Columbus Day and the month of December 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturday all year 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday noon to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: Fee charged

This historic site includes a Visitor Center that occupies a carriage house built in 1873, a museum shop, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, which is open for tours, and the Katharine Seymour Day House. A tour of the Stowe House provides an intimate glimpse into the life of the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The Day House offers magnificent interiors with changing exhibits and a research library. Guided tours of the Victorian gardens are offered seasonally.

Connecticut Patriots Senior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps
Contact: Peter Degree, P.O. Box 243
Plainville, CT  06062  
Phone: 860-526-5266

A progressive but traditional ancient fife and drum corps, the Connecticut Patriots Senior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps strives to maintain a goal of musical excellence. The musical repertoire consists of selections from pre¬-Revolutionary to the contemporary, featuring intricate arrangements and several theme pieces such as Southern Comfort, Irish, and Seaweed. The Patriots are well known and regarded throughout the United States and Europe for their musical presentations and are goodwill ambassadors from the Town of Plainville.

Deep River Drum Corps
Deep River, CT

One of the oldest fife and drum corps in the state, the Deep River Drum Corps hosts an annual muster on the third Saturday in July that features the music of hundreds of corps. The corp welcomes new members. Information: send e-mail to Patty at dram2006@gmail.com

East Hampton 3rd Connecticut Regiment of Fifes & Drums
Contact: Shari Borenstein, P.O. Box 204
East Hampton, CT
Phone: 860-267-8874

The 3rd Connecticut Regiment of Fifes & Drums was established in 1887. The corps is a family corps, meaning that all ages are invited to participate. The corps meets every Tuesday night for instruction, with the winter months the primary instruction time. During the winter, practices are held 7-8:30 p.m. in the cafeteria at the East Hampton High School. In the spring, summer, and late fall, practice is outside where the corps drills in 18th-century march to the familiar Revolutionary tunes of “Yankee Doodle,” “The Girl I Left Behind Me,” “The Road to Boston,” and many others. These practices are often held at Nelson's Campground in East Hampton. The corps is always looking for new members. Those interested may contact the corps via the website.

Edgerton Park
75 Cliff Street at Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT  06511  

Once an experimental mulberry orchard, this stately public park was the home of Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin. Bought in 1906 by the Brewster family, the stately mansion stood near the great lawn of an estate designed to replicate an English landscape garden. Now a city park hosting many public cultural events.
Hours: Open from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. The conservatory is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day except major holidays.

Elizabeth Park Rose Gardens
Corner of Prospect Avenue and Asylum Avenue
Hartford, CT
Phone: 860-231-9443

Friends of Elizabeth Park
The park’s world famous rose garden is the oldest municipally operated rose garden in the country. The two-and-a half-acre rose garden has 15,000 plants in about 800 varieties of roses. The park is also home to a rock garden and specialized gardens of annuals, herbs, and perennials.
Open: Daily all year, dawn to dusk.

First Falls Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps
Contact: Rod Fulton, 51 Lynn Drive
Yalesville, CT  06492  
Phone: 203-269-9851

The First Falls Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps is proud to join the tradition started by the Wallingford fife and drum corps dating from the 1870s. It is proud to keep this historic tradition alive by playing the music of Colonial Times. The corps plays period music from the 1700s to early 1900s. Its uniform is patterned after the uniform of the colonial militia in the period, 1780-1810.

Foliage Maps and Reports

Use the New England Foliage Map to determine where and when you are likely to see the best foliage. Once foliage season begins the Foliage Reports will be regularly updated.

Connecticut Foliage Map

Connecticut Foliage Report

Connecticut State Map

General William Hart House
350 Main Street
Old Saybrook, CT  06475  
Phone: 860-388-2622

A Georgian-style Colonial built in 1767, featuring an herb garden and intricate decor. Of particular interest are the eight corner fireplaces. Notice the nine-window facade with 12 over 12 panes, the cornices, cornerboards and graduated clapboards.
Hours: June 12- September 13, Friday - Sunday, 12:30 - 4 p.m. Donation is requested.

Glebe House and Gertrude Jekyll Garden
Hollow Road / P.O. Box 245
Woodbury, CT  06798  
Phone: 203-263-2855

Farmhouse built in 1740 is set in the picturesque Litchfield Hills in historic Woodbury’s village center. It offers a glimpse of Revolutionary War-era Connecticut. Birthplace of the Episcopal Church in the New World and graced by the only existing American garden planned by Gertrude Jekyll.
Hours: May-October, Wednesday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m.; November, weekends only, 1–4 p.m. Fee charged.

Harkness Memorial State Park
275 Great Neck Road / State Route 213
Waterford, CT  06385  
Phone: 860-443-5725

This beachfront park on Long Island Sound, site of a former mansion is home to an unusual historic and beautiful experience. Enjoy a garden of heliotropes, bred from the plants grown on the site over a century ago.
Hours: 8 a.m.-sunset. Mansion is open for tours weekends and holidays from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day. The first tour starts at 10 a.m. and the last at 2:15 p.m. Fees for parking.

Harriet Beecher Stowe House
77 Forest Street
Hartford, CT  06105  
Phone: 860-522-9258

Open: Tours: Tuesday-Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4:30 p.m.; open on Mondays, Memorial Day to Columbus Day and December. Closed major holidays.

Her words changed the world with "Uncle Tom's Cabin," the groundbreaking anti-slavery novel (1852). Tour the Victorian Gothic home (1871), the Katharine Seymour Day House (1884), and the Victorian grounds and gardens. Stowe Visitor Center showcases exhibitions, museum shop. Admission: Adults, $8; seniors,$7; children age 4-12, $4.

Hatheway House
55 South Main Street
Suffield, CT  06078  

This mansion is a showplace for the history of the 18th century including a formal Colonial garden. Exhibits include French wallpaper and neo-classical architecture.
Hours: Open for afternoon tours on designated days from May 15 to October 15, or by prior appointment. Call for current schedule. Fee charged.

Holley - Williams House Museum
15 Millerton Road
Lakeville, CT  06039  
Phone: 860-435-0566

Open: Early July-Labor Day, Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends: house tours, Friday-Sunday and holidays, noon-5 p.m. or by appointment. Grounds and outside exhibits open daily year-round.

Nineteenth-century family museum with original and period furnishings. Living history house tours, Holley pocket knife exhibit. Grounds include visitor center, ice-house, maze, outhouse, gardens, and medicinal plants. Admission: Suggested donation: adults, $5; seniors and students, $3; children under age 5, free.

Hubbard Park
West Main Street
Meriden, CT  06450  
Phone: 203-630-4259

Hubbard Park is located around East Peak and West Peak of the area called the Hanging Hills. It comprises approximately 1,800 acres of carefully kept woodland, lake and stream, flower gardens, and picnic spots.
Hours: April-October, daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fee: Call for details.

Lancraft Fife & Drum Corps
62 Clark Avenue
North Haven, CT
Phone: 203-453-2804

Continuously active since 1888 and competitive since 1907, the Corps has won 32 Connecticut State Championships. Individuals have won 22 fife, 27 snare drum, and 38 bass drum championships. Several snare drummers have won two world and four national titles. The Corps owns its own clubhouse and holds rehearsals every Thursday evening from 8-10 p.m. Visitor are welcome and can call the clubhouse at.

Marlborough Junior Fife & Drum Corps
Marlborough, CT
Phone: 860-295-0749

The Marlborough Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps is a junior corps made up of students between the ages of 8 and 18. It is dedicated to preserving the art of Ancient fifing and drumming. Marlborough is not a competitive corps but rather a muster corps, meaning that it performs for the love of ancient music and camaraderie of fellow musicians.

Marquis of Granby Jr. Fyfe and Drum Corp
Granby, CT
Phone: 860-878-4703

The Marquis of Granbury Fyfe and Drum Corp recreates the spirit of many brave and patriotic boys who contributed to their country’s fight for freedom. The Marquis of Granby follows the strict code of discipline and precision drill of General Von Steuben during the Revolutionary War. The corps takes pride in authenticity.

Moodus Drum & Fife Corps
Moodus, CT
Phone: 860-873-8527

Moodus Drum & Fife Corps was formed in 1821. Hezakiah Percival of Moodus received his diploma of rudimental drumming from Samuel Wilcox of Middletown Upper-House, now known as Cromwell, Connecticut, in 1821 and taught others this open-sticking type of drumming. For many years they played for town and county events without uniforms. In 1860, the corps obtained old band uniforms from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. With the excitement of the coming Civil War, the corps registered with the State of Connecticut and formed by-laws. Today, Moodus still plays the same Eli Brown drums purchased in the early 1800s and marches the same stately march all Middlesex County corps did in the beginning.

New Canaan Nature Center
144 Oenoke Ridge
New Canaan, CT  06840  
Phone: 203-966-9577

Fascinating look into the science and nature in the area. Set on 40 acres, the nature center features gardens and a solar-heated greenhouse, as well as many trails, exhibits, an arboretum, live animals, and a maple sugar shed.
Hours: Grounds open dawn to dusk daily; buildings and officer open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Donation requested.

Norwich Rose Garden in Mohegan Park
Rockwell Street
Norwich, CT  06360  
Phone: 860-823-3791

Situated on two acres of gently sloping parkland, the garden features 2,500 rose bushes in 120 varieties. The roses are at their full height during June but continue to blossom throughout the summer.

Ogden House and Gardens
1520 Bronson Road
Fairfield, CT  06824 - 2828  
Phone: 203-259-1598

Built in the 18th century, this traditional New England farmhouse is host to exhibits detailing the daily lives of colonial Americans. The property also has a wildflower garden and a kitchen garden.
Open: Sundays, June to September, 1 to 4 p.m. and by appointment. Fee charged.

Olde Mistick Village
Coogan Boulevard (Just off I-95 at Exit 90)
Mystic, CT  06355  
Phone: 860-536-4941
Email: info@oldmysticvillage.com

Open Year Round

A world apart from the ordinary mall experience, Olde Mistick Village, with its unique collection of over 60 shoppes, stores and restaurants, has become a favorite shopping center for local residents as well as the many visitors who come into the Mystic area from around the world. A day at Olde Mistick Village is more than simply a day of shopping -- The village is colorful year 'round and features easy strolls and duck pond as well as many special events and entertainment in our Gazebo. Few places offer as many gift shopping opportunities as does Olde Mistick Village. Many one-of-a-kind, handmade items are imported from throughout the world. A great selection of brand-name gifts is always available at competitive prices.

Osborne Homestead Museum
500 Hawthorne Avenue (near Osbornedale State Park)
Derby, CT  06418  
Phone: 203-734-2513

Open: Late April-mid-December, Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m. Grounds: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon-4 p.m.

Former estate of Frances Osborne Kellogg. Elegant Colonial Revival home (1850), original antiques and fine arts. Formal rose and flower garden, English rock garden. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Admission: Donation requested.

Pardee Rose Gardens
180 Park Road
New Haven, CT  06517  
Phone: 203-946-8025

These gardens include more than 15 different types of roses (peaking in June and July), annuals, perennials, and herbs. Picnic areas are available in this tranquil formal rose garden open free to the public. The garden is also available for weddings and special events.
Hours: Open mid-May to early September.

Pratt House
19 West Ave.
Essex, CT
Phone: 860-767-0681  860-767-1191

Colonial home, built in 1734, features antique American furniture and an herb garden. The house documents the life of early Essex through a single family over 200 years.
Hours: June-Labor Day, Saturday-Sunday, 1-4 p.m. Fee charged.

Putnam Cottage
243 East Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, CT  06830  
Phone: 203-869-9697

Known as Knapp’s Tavern during the American Revolution, this Colonial house dates to the early 1700s. It is furnished with period antiques and artifacts and includes a Colonial herb garden and carriage shed. Located on the Boston Post Road, it has been a tourist destination for almost 100 years.
Hours: Tours by appointment only during January, February and March. In season, open Sundays, 1-4 p.m. and by appointment. Call for group tour information. Fee charged.

Scenic Drives

Litchfield/Northwest

Litchfield/Northwest Region Drive 1
Begin at the New Milford Green, and take CT Route 202 West to Route 7 North. Take Route 7 through the towns of New Milford, Gaylordsville and Kent. Outside of Kent, pick up Route 45 South to Warren. Drive around Lake Waramaug into New Preston. In New Preston, take Route 202 East to Route 47 South. Take a right onto Route 199, and then right on Route 67. Follow Route 67 to the junction of Route 202 in New Milford where the drive began. This drive is 64 miles and takes about 1/2 day. The route will take travellers past the Housatonic River, Bull's Bridge (one of only two covered bridges in Connecticut), the town of Kent and its many art galleries, historic homes and churches in Kent and Warren, Lake Waramaug, Mt. Tom State Park, the historic Mine Hill Preserve (ruins of an early iron mine), and the Institute for American Indian Studies.

Litchfield/Northwest Region Drive 2
Begin in Torrington at the junction of Route 8 and Route 4. Take Route 8 north into Winsted, where it will intersect Route 44. Take Route 44 east into New Hartford. In Hartford pick up Route 219 north through Lake McDonough to Route 318. Continue on Route 318 west and 181 south for 1 mile, then make a right just before the metal bridge and take the road through the People's State Forest to Route 20 in Riverton. Take Route 20 west through Riverton and at the junction of Route 8, take 8 south into the center of Winsted. Pick up Route 44 west and take it to Route 183 north into the center of Colebrook. From Colebrook take Route 182A to 182, and make a right on 182. At the intersection of Route 44, take 44 west into Norfolk. In Norfolk, pick up Route 272 South into Torrington. Take 272 to Route 4 east, bear right onto Main Street. Where Main Street meets Route 202, take 202 east to the junction of Route 8 and 4, where the trip began.
This tour is approximately 68 miles.

Waterbury
From I-84 in Waterbury, begin at Route 8 north to Exit 38. At the end of the exit ramp, make a left. Travel down to the first traffic light and make another left. You should now be on Route 6. At the next stop sign go left again. Make sure you stay on Route 6 through the traffic light, and continue on until you spot the entrance to Black Rock State Park, make a right and enter the park. Enjoy the park scenery, and upon exiting the park, take a right back onto Route 6. Follow the road into Watertown, and at the intersection of State Route 63, make a left. Follow Route 63 into Middlebury and to the intersection at Route 64. Make a right onto Route 64 and follow it down about 4 miles to Route 188, where you'll make a left. As you continue on Route 188, you'll pass Rose Hurst Stables on the left. Continue on Rte 188 for 5 miles to Route 67. Turn left onto Route 67 South. This will take you through Oxford and then into Seymour. In Seymour, pick up Route 8 North and take it back to Waterbury.The time of the drive, without any stops, is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Mystic/Eastern

River Road - Pequot Trail – Route 1
Start in Downtown Mystic on the Groton side of the drawbridge by turning onto Pearl Street. After a few blocks of charming homes you will see the Mystic River on the right. Stay close to the river and you will be brought onto River Road, which meanders alongside the river to Old Mystic. River Road is used by many walkers, runners and bikers so please drive slowly and enjoy the views. Shortly after you pass a cemetery on the right you will come to a traffic light. You are now in Old Mystic. Turn right at the light and then turn right at the stop sign on to Route 27 South. Just past the view of the river on the right, and the refurbished brick mill, turn left onto Route 234-Pequot Trail. The road climbs quickly and sharply and then gently twists and turns through Stonington. Follow the route 234 signs. When you reach the traffic light at Route 1 turn sharply to right onto Route 1 South. Follow Route 1 back to Mystic. Total drive time is about one-half an hour.

Routes 49 and 14A
A State Scenic Highway, Route 49 begins in North Stonington, in Southeastern CT, and runs north to Route 14A in Sterling. Along the way, travelers enjoy dramatic vistas viewed from large hilltop farms. Three of those farms have been used by the same families continuously for almost 300 years. This route runs for 19.5 miles north to the Sterling Hill National Register Historic district. Offering views of fields and farms, it's a great way for visitors to nearby Mystic (in Southeastern CT) to extend their trip northward to Northeastern CT.
North Stonington - Plainfield

Route 169
The Norwich-Woodstock Turnpike, Route 169, runs for 32 miles from Canterbury to Woodstock. It's the longest scenic state highway in Connecticut, and offers views of historic sites, rolling hills, gentle woodlands. An estimated 189 pre-1855 homes survive along the highway, as well as historic churches and farms. The highway winds through the towns of Lisbon, Canterbury (home to a confluence of Georgian architecture), Brooklyn (the "other" Brooklyn), Pomfret (once known as the "other Newport" for its strong influx of wealthy vacationers), and Woodstock, which has an architectural feast surrounding a traditional New England town green.
Canterbury - Woodstock

Connecticut River Drive
Route 82 offers some spectacular views of the Connecticut River Valley countryside. Begin at Exit 7 off Route 9 in Chester and wend your way through a portion of the Cockaponset State Forest. The road then crosses the Connecticut River into East Haddam, offering a stunning view of both the Goodspeed Opera House and Gillette Castle. You'll meander through the village of East Haddam, past the opera house, and then back into the countryside. The road also goes right through Devil's Hopyard State Park, before continuing east into Salem and Norwich in the eastern part of the state.

Shoreline Town Drive
For a scenic trip through the shoreline towns of Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Clinton, Madison, Guilford and Branford, begin in Essex and take Route 154 south into Old Saybrook. 154 goes right through the center of Old Saybrook and then heads out to Saybrook Point where it turns and follows the coastline. Great waterviews can be found all along the route, but the scene of the Sound from Saybrook Point with the homes out in Old Lyme in the distance (assuming good visibility) is unforgettable. In Westbrook, 154 will intersect with historic U.S. Route 1. Following U.S. 1 west into Branford (where you can pick up I-95 for a speedier trip from there) will take you through traditional New England village centers, past numerous shoreline and marina settings, and even near to the popular Hammonasset State
Beach.

Sharon Audubon Center
325 Cornwall Bridge Road / Route 4
Sharon, CT  06069  
Phone: 860-364-0520

Nature trails meander through gardens, woods and around ponds. Exhibits include a children’s discovery room, live animals and natural history. A gift shop and book store can also be found in the museum.
Hours: The Visitors Center and Nature Store are open year round, Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The building is closed on all major holidays. Fee charged.

Sons of the Whiskey Rebellion Fife & Drum Corps of Connecticut

Phone: 203-259-7765

A uniquely uniformed fife and drum corps playing traditional Ancient music. The corps includes members with over 60 years active drum corps experience.

Stonewall Kitchen
336 West Main Street
Avon, CT  06001  
Toll-Free: 800-207-JAMS
Email: info@stonewallkitchen.com

Stonewall Kitchen, Creators of Specialty Foods, respected and honored for our award-winning product line since the early days at the Farmers’ Market. Walking into our Company Stores, you are taken back to a simpler time with tin ceilings, schoolhouse lights, wainscoting and the aroma of good food simmering on the stove. Browse through our Company Stores and sample our specialty foods including: preserves, mustards, dessert toppings, grille sauces and more. Also find distinctive serviceware, linens, cookware and home décor. Stonewall Kitchen, a visit that will long be remembered. Company Store Locations: South Windsor, Connecticut *Avon, Connecticut * York, Maine * Portland, Maine * Camden, Maine * Portsmouth, New Hampshire * Rochester, New Hampshire * North Conway, New Hampshire. Please visit stonewallkitchen.com for more information and store directions.

Stonewall Kitchen
The Shops at Evergreen Walk
501 Evergreen Way
South Windsor, CT  06074  
Toll-Free: 800-207-JAMS
Email: info@stonewallkitchen.com

Stonewall Kitchen, the award-winning specialty food manufacturer and retailer began at a local farmers’ market in 1991. It now encompasses eight, soon to be nine, Company Stores, a Café and the new Stonewall Kitcehn Cooking School located at our headquarters in York, ME. Walking into any of our stores, you are taken back in time with tin ceilings, schoolhouse lights, wainscoting and the aroma of good food simmering on the stove. Our helpful staff will encourage you to sample our product line that includes preserves, mustards, dessert toppings, grille sauces and more. You will also find distinctive items for the home and garden. Company Store Locations: South Windsor, Connecticut *Avon, Connecticut * York, Maine * Portland, Maine * Camden, Maine * Portsmouth, New Hampshire * Rochester, New Hampshire * North Conway, New Hampshire *National Harbor, Maryland (opening Fall 2008). Please visit stonewallkitchen.com for more information and store directions.

Stony Creek Fife & Drum Corps
Stony Creek, CT

Since its founding in 1886, the Corps has been continuously active in the civic life of the village of Stony Creek. Its first appearance in 1887 was a performance to dedicate the Soldiers Monument atop East Rock in New Haven, CT.

Sundial Gardens
59 Hidden Lake Road
Higganum, CT  06441  
Phone: 860-345-4290

Open: Year-round, Sat - Sun, 10 am - 5 pm; Daily Nov 1 - Dec 24

Formal gardens, tea and gift shop in the Higganum section of Haddam. Formal gardens include a Persian-style knot garden, an 18th-century style garden with geometric walkways, and a topiary garden with boxwood, roses and ivy garlands surrounding a fountain. These architectural gardens are carefully incorporated into the landscape around a restored 18th century farm house.
Hours: Tea shop and Christmas Shop open first three weekends in November, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. After Thanksgiving Day, open every day except Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Christmas Eve 2005. Fee charged.

Thankful Arnold House
Hayden Hill Road, off Route 154
Haddam, CT  06438  
Phone: 860-345-2400

Open: July 4 weekend - Columbus Day weekend, Sat - Sun, 2 - 4 pm

This three-story, 1794 home has been restored to reflect the lifestyle and furnishings of the period. A garden on the property features herbs, vegetables, and flowers.
Hours: Open year-round; Wednesday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Thursday, 2 -8 p.m.; Friday, noon-3 p.m.; Sunday (Memorial Day to Columbus Day), 1- 4 p.m. Fee charged.

The 17th Connecticut Regiment Fifes & Drums
Torrington, CT
Phone: 860-489-7165

The 17th Connecticut. Regiment Fifes & Drums was re-organized in August 1975, some 200 years after the original 17th Regiment of Connecticut Militia was created.

The 18th Connecticut Regiment Ancient Fife & Drum Corps
Windsor, CT
Phone: 860-688-0373

Founded in 1978, recreating the 18th Conn. Regiment of Militia, an active fighting unit during the American Revolution. The Regiment draws its members from across north central Connecticut and southwestern Massachusetts.

The Ancient Mariners Fifes, Drums and Chanteymen
Contact: Kevin R. Brown, 122 Meadow Lark Lane
Westbrook, CT
Phone: 860-399-7572

The Ancient Mariners was founded July 4, 1959 by Roy Watrous, a Guilford native with a passion for the sea, who recognized the possibilities of forming a musical group with a nautical theme. The group’s portrayal of the common sailor of 1812, brings to life a vivid display of the colonial-era seaman. Built around the wood fife and the rope tension drum, the Mariners play and sing a variety of traditional music. From up tempo hornpipes and jigs to the work songs used aboard ship, the story of the ancient sailor is told.

The Dinosaur Place
Nature’s Art Gift Shop
1650 Route 85
Montville, CT  06370  
Phone: 860-443-4367

Distinctive gifts are just the beginning at Nature’s Art. Take home a natural work of art – the striking beauty of crystals, minerals and fossils add to the décor in any home or office. Unique and one-of-a-kind jewelry will have your friends green with envy. Nature’s Art offers the areas largest collection of educational toys from quality manufacturers including Klutz, Melissa and Doug, Manhattan Toy and so much more. If your interest includes designing your own jewelry, check out the bead department. Beads from all over the world including semi-precious gems, hand blown glass, and Swarovski crystal will help you create a piece that is uniquely yours. The Nature’s Art Gift Shop is a must-see shopping experience. Relax for lunch or a snack in Cobalt Café. Open Daily 10:00-6:00. Please call or visit website for holiday hours and closings.

The Grand Republic Fife and Drum Corps
Southbury / Torrington, CT

The Grand Republic Fife and Drum Corps re-creates the sounds of the 1890s by marrying the legacy of music performed by Civil War veterans with the nostalgia of the Gilded Age. Playing on hand-crafted keyless wooden fifes and rope-tension drums, the corps’ repertoire draws on the rich heritage of American music from the period following the War Between the States. The Corp dresses in 19th Century band-style uniforms. Musical selections capture a wide range of Americana, from well-known patriotic and folk songs to minstrel tunes and cakewalks.

The Mattatuck Drum Band
Waterbury, CT

The oldest fife and drum band in the United States with continuous membership since it was organized in 1767.

The Milford Volunteers Ancient Fife and Drum Corps
Torrington, CT
Phone: 203-878-0123

Revolutionary War Era uniform consist of Black tri-cornered hats, white shirt with jaboo, green vest in summer green frock in winter, off white knickers white socks, and buckled black shoes. Family corps, that plays tunes from the revolutionary war up to present day patriotic. http://milford.fifedrum.org/index.htm

The Museum of Fife & Drum
62 North Main Street
Ivoryton, CT  06442  
Phone: 860-767-2237

Connecticut is the heart of fife and drum corps activity and home of The Company of Fifers & Drummers, a nonprofit organization formed in 1965 to perpetuate the historical significance and folk traditions of fife and drum music and to foster the spirit of fellowship among fifers and drummers everywhere. Its roster lists corps, individuals, and institutional members all across the United States and in Europe.The Company owns and maintains The Museum of Fife & Drum at its headquarters in Ivoryton. Among the resources available to company members are a music library, archives, company store, and video library. The Music Committee regularly publishes and records fife and drum music. The Ancient Times is published quarterly by The Company to keep its members throughout the world informed on the activities of the Ancients.
Free concerts of fife and drum on preformed on Tuesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. from July 8, 2008, to August 19, 2008. Different groups are scheduled throughout the summer to give audiences a brief taste of the history of America through fife and drum. Guests are encouraged to bring picnic suppers. The museum is open for one hour after the concert.

The Nathan Hale Ancient Fifes & Drums
Coventry, CT

Nathan Hale welcomes new members. the group holds practices Sunday afternoons from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. at the Hawley Armory on the Storrs Campus, University of Connecticut.

The Nutmeg Volunteer Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps
Groton, CT

The Nutmeg Volunteer Junior Ancient Fife & Drum Corps is based in Groton, Connecticut and consistently performs award winning musical selections and marching techniques. Organized in 1948, the corps travels and performs extensively throughout New England and New York. New members are invited to any rehearsal, held Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Groton Elks Lodge #2163, 700 Shennecossett Road Groton.

The Sailing Masters of 1812
P.O. Box 184
Essex, CT

The Sailing Masters of 1812 is an ancient fife and drum corps based in Essex. The Corps was founded in 1963 as the Essex Fife and Drum Corps to perpetuate the art of ancient fifing and drumming and to commemorate the role of Essex in the War of 1812. The ancestors of the Sailing Masters were the men who played with the Comstock Drum Corps, which was based in Ivorytonduring the latter part of the 19th century. Many of the current Corps’ drum beatings are the same as those played by the Comstock Corps.The Corps uniform is that of the Sailing Master, the third ranking officer on board the ship-of-the-line of the United States Navy during the 1810-1815 period.

Totoket Ancient Fife & Drum Corps
Branford / Torrington, CT
Phone: 860-526-9944

Totoket is the only all-female senior ancient fife and drum corps in the United States. Organized in 1967 and continuously active since.

Warehouse Point Junior Fifes & Drums
Warehouse, CT

The Warehouse Point Junior Fifes & Drums was formed in 1993 for the purpose of preserving the tradition of ancient fifing and drumming that has existed in the village of Warehouse Point since 1880. Families are extensively involved.

Warehouse Point Senior Fife & Drum Corps
Warehouse Point, CT

The original Warehouse Point Fife and Drum Corps was organized in 1880 and was made up of Civil War Veterans. The current corps was re-established in 1990 and its members come from Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Westbrook Drum Corps
Westbrook, CT
Phone: 860-399-6436

Since 1910, the Westbrook Drum Corps has appeared at parades, musters, historical pageants and other events in Connecticut, New England and beyond. Their uniform is in the continental style and includes the traditional regimental coat and three-cornered hat. Members play six-hole wooden fifes and rope-tension field drums that are handmade by local craftsmen. The corps is constantly expanding its Ancient-style repertory of historic, patriotic, and contemporary music. Information: 860-537-5502

Wickham Park
1329 West Middle Turnpike
Manchester, CT  06040  
Phone: 860-528-0856

This park features 10 acres of gardens and an aviary, recreational and sports areas, and walking trails. The park contains 250 acres of gardens, open fields, woodlands, ponds, picnic areas, sports facilities, and other attractions.
Hours: First weekend in April through the last weekend in October and for dates listed on the Web site under ‘special events.’ Hours: 9:30 a.m.-sunset except in inclement weather. Fee for parking.

Windsor Fife & Drum Corps
Windsor, CT

The Windsor Fife & Drum Corps is an organization designed primarily for young people to preserve the music and history of the 18th century. The corps was established in January 1985. The Corps belongs to several competitive associations and competes in the Junior Ancient Class. The Corps is also a member of the Company of Fifers and Drummers Association. Since it was founded, the corps has performed in more than 1300 parades, musters and competitions.

Yalesville Sr. Ancient Fife and Drum Corps
Wallingford, CT

The Yalesville Fife & Drum Corps was formed in 1975 and originates from the Yalesville section of Wallingford, Connecticut. The existence of a fife and drum corps from Yalesville dates back to the late 1800's. Today's Yalesville Corps consists of approximately twenty adult members performing on fife, drum, drum major and color guard. The corps performs the music of traditional Early America and wears uniforms reflective of the early Colonial period. A marching cadence of 110 beats per minute is maintained to replicate the pace of Colonial troops.