Going to Connecticut?

Question

I've always wanted to go there! When is best time to view changing of the leaves? I'm going to explore all small towns, is there 1 special place to go?

Answer 1

Usually Columbus Day Weekend is peak, in Connecticut.

I lived in Avon for 6 years and considered it heaven on earth!

One town in particular that oooozes New England charm is Litchfield. It is about 45 minutes west of Hartford.

While you are there, you may wish to visit White Flower Farm
They have one of the best garden catalogs in the world.

Answer 2

Historically, the fall peak has been around Columbus Day, but due to recent climate change, the peak has shifted closer to October 20th. Due to the wet summer we've had here, it should eb a particularly colorful season, except we will be missing some of the brilliant maple tree displays due to an arboreal fungus that is causing maples to drop their leaves prematurely.

As for nice towns to visit, there are so many it's hard to think of them all... but I'll tell you the best.

If you want nature and beauty and the nice small-town New England feel, check out New Caanan. It's a very wealthy community... most of its residents work in NYC (the town was actually the hardest hit by 9/11 because so many of its residents worked in the towers). It's very rural with gorgeous million-dollar homes and a very beautiful downtown shopping area.

Winsted is also worth visiting. It's in the northwestern corner, which is the only mountainous region in the state, so it's very good for fall foliage. And if you like hiking, Mount Bear is only a few miles away up by Salisbury (also wirth visiting), and the colors in the mountains are incredible!

Also check out Gilette's Castle in Hamden, on the Connecticut River. Great views of the CT River Valley from the castle.

And in Essex, there's the Essex Train and Steamboat. You ride in an old steam locomotive through a gorgeous New England landscape, and it takes you to a paddle-driven steamboat that rides you up and back down the Connecticut River, with beautiful views of the fall foliage (and Gilette's Castle), then back on the train and to the parking lot. Very romantic- I highly recommend it! Just check the schedule ahead of time... the hours are limited.

The Yale campus in New Haven is a unique fall experience... walking amongst the beautiful collegiate facilities, with ample city greens and parks that give it that good ol New England feel.

Downtown Mystic is a beautiful historic ocean-front community, but it can get pretty crammed with tourists, so be warned. Still worth a visit, however... particularly the Seaport.

If you don't mind a *little* bit of an urban (yet classy) feel, check out the downtown shopping districts of Greenwich and West Hartford. Very beautiful, and lots of fine shopping and dining.

And if you have a chance to cross a few miles north into Mass, do check out Northampton and Deerfield... must-sees for the fall.

Answer 3

Columbus Day is earlier than usual this year, so I don't think the foliage will be peaked by then. Plus we had so much rain this spring/summer, so the peak will probably be a little later than usual. My best guess would be the week after Columbus Day. Right now the foliage is spotty in Massachusetts (where I live) and Connecticut (where I grew up) is usually a few days behind Mass.