Connecticut--Hartford Region Foliage Loop
Date: 2004-11-14
The foliage in the Harford area is so spectacular, the state has designated
this drive the Hartford Region Foliage Loop. The moniker is well deserved.
The route provides a nice combination of shops and restaurants in the
quaint Connecticut towns along the route and the chance to enjoy nature's
beauty. From I-91 take Exit 26 into Old Wethersfield, Connecticut's oldest
town. The town has several well-preserved 18th Century houses. One is
the 1710 Buttolph-Williams House on Broad Street with its collection of
period furnishings. The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum is made up of three
18th Century houses, two of them National Historic Landmarks. The Wethersfield
Nature Center features hands-on science displays, a log cabin and a menagerie
of mammals, reptiles, and birds. Next turn left onto Main Street from the
village center and go to Newington, where you can tour the Enoch Kelsey
House (built in 1799) and the Kellogg-Eddy House (built in 1808).
From Newington take Rte. 173 south to Rte. 287 east; then take Rte. 5/15 north to Rte. 287 east. After 2-1/2 miles, turn south onto Rte. 3 and follow the signs to Rte. 99 north and the city of Rocky Hill. The Academy Hall Museum (built in 1803) on Old Main Street was once a school for sea captains, but now it has a collection of artifacts and town history files and exhibits including some period rooms. Or, you may wish to visit the Dinosaur State Park on West Street. The geodesic dome structure has 200 million-year-old dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic period. If you like, you can even make your own plaster casts of the petrified tracks. Finally, take a right turn onto Rte. 160 (at the Rte. 99 and Rte.160 intersection) and follow the signs to the Rocky Hill/Glastonbury Ferry to cross the Connecticut River. Off the ferry, make an immediate left onto Tryon Street, a right onto Water Street and a left onto Rte. 17 for about 1-1/2 miles to the center of Glastonbury. The Connecticut Audubon Center, with its must see exhibits of native flora and fauna, is on Main Street. Also on Main Street, the Museum on the Green has displays depicting local history, including Native American artifacts.
Starting Point:
Wethersfield, CT
Distance of Drive:
28 miles
Must Eat:
J. Gilberts
Main Street, Glastonbury, CT 06033
Phone:� 860-659-0409
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Good Stop For:��Wood-fired
Steaks
Best Time of Year for Drive:
Summer to Fall
Points of Interest on Drive:
Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
Dinosaur State Park
Museum on the Green
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