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Connecticut in Autumn, A Visit to Weir Farm in Wilton

Last Friday, I woke up early and drove to the outskirts of Danbury to Weir Farm National Historic Site. Along with the home of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens in Cornish, New Hampshire, Weir Farm is the only other locale in the National Park System devoted to an artist. It was a perfect fall day and as soon as I turned off from Route 7 I was treated to a quintessential Connecticut landscape of rolling hills, old stone walls, and grand estates. Weir Farm was the former home, studio, barn, and gardens of J. Alden Weir, one of the fathers of American Impressionism. Head inside the Visitors Center and you’ll watch a short video on his life and see photos of the artist with his buddies, John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam, and John Twachtman, who all loved coming out to the sprawling property for a day in the country. Take a walk around the grounds and down to the pond and you’ll instantly understand the allure. I toured the property with a park ranger and a group of art students from nearby Western Connecticut State University, who were going to spend the afternoon painting the scenery, still inspired by the landscape. Little has changed since the time of Weir. You can walk along the trails and see the exact spot where Weir painted many of his works. The stone walls, fields, and faded red barns are all the same. The only difference is that the trees have grown. 

 
I’m off to Nova Scotia next week, where I’ll be blogging on location. Have a great weekend!
 
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Connecticut in Autumn, Hiking the Pine Knob Loop, Cornwall Bridge

This 2.5-mile loop is an excellent introduction to the short summits of the Litchfield Hills, an ideal retreat on a sunny fall afternoon. From the parking lot, cross Hatch Brook and begin your ascent to the first knob through a forest of oaks, ashes, maples, and hickories. Follow the blue blazes up the steep rocky slopes to your first lookout, before descending precipitously into a col. Here, you meet up with the Appalachian Trail and veer left back into the forest. Soon, you’re atop the second knob, which provides you with excellent vistas. The waters of the Housatonic River wind through the valley while the ski trails of Mohawk Mountain can be seen to the left in the distance. The Pine Knob Trail and the AT eventually split when you reach Hatch Brook. Veer left and venture downhill accompanied by the sounds of rushing water. When you reach the loop junction, turn right to return to your car.  
 
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Connecticut in Autumn, The Mark Twain House in Hartford

Twain, aka Samuel Clemens would publish his greatest works, including The Prince and the Pauper, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn while living in a three-story red-brick home in Hartford from 1874 to 1891. Many scholars believe, however, that the bulk of his writing was done in a small cottage in Elmira, New York, since his wife, Livy, hated the smell of his cigars in the house. That didn’t stop Twain from having fun in his Hartford abode. If you watch the Ken Burns documentary on Twain before touring his home, you’ll learn that he would use the same props on the mantelpiece to tell a different story to his three young daughters every evening. Enter the house with a guide and you’ll see his billiard room on the third floor, where he would entertain guests long after his usual four-course dinner was finished. The interior was designed by none other than Louis Comfort Tiffany and many objects like Twain’s bedpost from Venice, where carved angels sit atop the headboard, are the writer’s original purchases.
 
Even if I was zipping through Hartford on my way to New York with no intention whatsoever of stopping at Twain’s House, three blocks away, I would get off I-84 at Exit 46 and make a beeline to Mo’s Midtown (25 Whitney Street, 860-236-7741). The Polish owners are known for their large, fluffy potato latkes and crispy hash browns, but I’ll order their buttermilk pancakes every time. Take a seat at the counter or one of the booths and dive into a short stack of blueberry pancakes. One bite of this heavenly creation, chockful of wild blueberries, and you’ll be stopping in Hartford far more often than you think.
 
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Connecticut in Autumn, First Stop, The Perfect Mystic Brunch

Off the beaten track, Somewhere in Time might feel like somewhere in the middle of nowhere. But once you arrive and see the slew of people lined up for breakfast, you realize this is a local institution. Grab a mug of coffee and get ready to dig into the large selection of omelets, pancakes, and French toast. Then head nearby to B.F. Clyde’s. Open in 1881, B. F. Clyde’s is home to the oldest steam powered cider mill in America and what a contraption it is. Walk around the machinery, amazed that it still runs. Then hit the store to try the sweet cider, pumpkin bread, apple pies, and maple syrup.

 
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Go Play!

I just spent the morning biking in nearby Dover and Sherborn as I get ready for a bike trip next month with my college buddies in Zion National Park. My usual ride around the surrounding towns gets even more enticing in autumn, when the air is crisp and sweetened with the smell of pine and fallen leaves. I ride past horse farms, 18th century homesteads that have been transformed into stylish properties, sprawling meadows, faded red barns, old stone walls, and ponds lost in a forest of maples. It’s a quintessential New England backdrop, one that deserves to be savored slowly on two wheels. September is a gift, before the dark, chilly days of winter return. Take advantage of this time to do something active this weekend—a stroll on a beach, bike ride through the countryside or on a bike trail through the city, or simply climbing a tree to pick apples, which I plan to do tomorrow morning. I’ll be back next week with my favorite Connecticut haunts in autumn, including the hidden gem, Weir Farm, which I checked out yesterday. 
 
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Simon Pearce Unveils His New Glassblowing Site in Quechee, Vermont

Last August, I was saddened to hear that one of my favorite covered bridges in New England, the one that sits over the Ottauquechee River in Quechee, was swept away by the surging water of Tropical Storm Irene. The bridge and the rushing water of the river are best seen while dining at the Simon Pearce restaurant. Pearce and his glassblowing facility were also hit hard last year. But as I noted in a recent story for The Boston Globe, he’s up and running with a rehabbed store and much larger space for viewing the glassblowers at work. If your fall plans take you to the Woodstock region to see the foliage, make a pitstop at nearby Quechee to dine at Simon Pearce. Lifting one of those sturdy glass goblets full of a local microbrew, you’ll be happy you took my advice.  

 
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September is the Perfect Time to Visit the Finger Lakes

Known for its award-winning Rieslings, the Finger Lakes deserve its reputation as one of the best spots in America to go wine tasting. Yet, its mix of rolling hills and lakes also lends itself well to adventure, especially in September when the summer crowds are gone. At the southern end of Seneca Lake, we hiked alongside a handful of waterfalls in the famous gorge of Watkins Glen. The next morning, my wife and I kayaked through a cattail-laden marsh and saw countless herons, turtles, and a beaver. Talk about adventure—a 40-pound carp jumped out of the marsh and slammed against my arm as I shrieked. But my favorite part of the weeklong trip was a quiet bike ride along a peninsula that juts into Keuka Lake. Start your ride from Keuka College and follow East and West Bluff Roads as they pass the small waterfront cottages with cute names like Hide N’ Seek. There’s one killer hill on the 20-mile ride that takes you atop a bluff, before cruising downhill back to the college. Afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with a lobster roll and glass of semi-dry Riesling at Heron Hill’s outdoor café. We were fortunate to book the next two nights at the Black Sheep Inn in Hammondsport, on the northern tip of Keuka Lake. Owners Debbie Meritsky and Marc Rotman spent over 6 years refurbishing the rare octagonal-shaped house, which celebrated its 150th birthday in 2009.

 
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Mongolia’s Golden Eagle Festival

Each fall, a fascinating event takes flight in the rugged wilds of northwestern Mongolia. It’s the Golden Eagle Festival, a celebration of the heritage and traditions of the native Kazakhs who use Golden Eagles to hunt small prey, not for sport but for survival. For the 13th anniversary Golden Eagle Festival, Nomadic Expeditions, the pioneer of authentic Mongolian adventure travel and one of the most respected outfitters in the business, are offering a unique a nine-day journey through the Altai Mountains. Highlights include visiting local families in their traditional gers, eagle racing with up to 60 Kazakh hunters, and equestrian competitions where you have the chance for a Golden Eagle to perch on your arm. The Golden Eagle Festival will be held October 2-October 10, 2012. 

 
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Weekapaug Inn Set to Open in October After a $20 Million Transformation

Even with its Relais & Chateaux designation and a ranking as the fourth finest resort in America in the latest Travel & Leisure’s World’s Best Awards, the Ocean House still doesn’t take itself too seriously. After all, how many places have their own Croquet Pro? This is a place to reconnect with the family on the beach of Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Now the Ocean House plans to apply its laid-back charm to the Weekapaug Inn, five miles down the road. Originally built in 1899, the Weekapaug has been reconfigured to 27 guest rooms and four two-bedroom suites. What I love about the location, especially for families, is that you have the choice of swimming, sailing, and sea kayaking in a shallow saltwater pond or simply walking two minutes to a glorious white sand beach on the Atlantic shoreline. Other additions include a lap pool and three dining establishments that will offer a contemporary take on New England cuisine. In the summer, they’ll also be offering boat rides over to Block Island for the day. 

 
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“Love, Life, and Elephants,” A New Book by Dame Daphne Sheldrick

On my last trip to Nairobi, I had the pleasure of meeting Dame Daphne Sheldrick at the elephant orphanage she founded in 1977. I remember the mix of joy and sadness I felt upon entering the orphanage. Joy at seeing those miniature-sized elephants frolicking in the mud. Sadness at learning that their parents were brutally murdered by poachers who left these babies to wander in the bush.
         “We came to learn how intelligent these elephants are, with a familial instinct and an astounding memory,” Sheldrick told me as we sat at an outdoor table in the back patio of her house. Then her expression suddenly turned grave as she noted, “the elephant community is in a lot of trouble. Not only is poaching on the rise, but the intrusion of livestock into protected areas has led to a scarcity of water.” 
If last week’s New York Times article on the surge of African ivory being transported to Asia is any indication, the only elephants we might be seeing in the future will be orphans. You can read about Dame Daphne Sheldrick’s fascinating life in her just released memoir, “Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story.”