Fall in New England

Autumn in New England is sacred and when you see it with your own eyes you understand why. The thing about finding the most scenic drives is that they all are — scenic, I mean. You rarely run into traffic and all you have to do is look at a map to find the coastal or mountain roads. My personal patch of New England is Connecticut. And even in this relatively small state, there is an abundance of scenic drives. Connecticut shares borders with New York State, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Route 169 is a scenic back road within easy access from New York City. There are many inns and restaurants to be found along the way. Or/and you could drive along the southern coast, Route 1, and find charming towns like Mystic filled with shops that have a high ‘quaintness’ factor. Natives insist that for autumn colours, driving through the Litchfield Hills in Northern Connecticut overlooking the Housatonic river offers unparalleled views. But with petrol prices climbing, many enthusiasts have followed suit. Driving less and climbing higher and enjoying the views across the state. In my neighbourhood we have the Heublein Tower on top of Avon Mountain offering 3600 views over the Farmington Valley and beyond. Or drive to the Hillstead Museum off Route 10. You can drive to the top — this beautiful Historic House sitting on a hill also offers views and tours of the house include some surprising artwork collected by Theodate Pope (one of the first women architects in the country — she designed the house) and her family on their travels across Europe. On the way back down to Route 10, stop at The Grist Mill restaurant on the other side of Miss Porter’s School for young ladies (Jackie Bouvier studied here). It sits on the Farmington river — great food, great views.