Enjoy spectacular foliage, quaint Connecticut towns, 200 million-year-old dinosaur tracks, and preserved historic houses.
The foliage in the Hartford area is so breathtaking, the state has designated this drive the Hartford Region Foliage Loop. The name is well deserved. The route provides a nice combination of restaurants and shops in the quaint Connecticut towns along the route and the opportunity to enjoy nature’s beauty. From I-91 take Exit 26 into Old Wethersfield, Connecticut’s oldest municipality. The town has a few well-preserved 18th Century houses. One is the 1710 Buttolph-Williams House on Broad Street with its compilation of period furnishings. The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum is made up of three 18th
Century houses, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks. The Wethersfield Nature Center features hands-on science displays, a log cabin and a menagerie of birds, reptiles and mammals. Next turn left onto Main Street from the village center and go to Newington, where you can tour the Kellogg-Eddy House (built in 1808) and the Enoch Kelsey House (built in 1799).
After Newington, take Route 173 south to Route 287 east; then take Route 5/15 north to Route 287 east. After 2-1/2 miles, turn south onto Route Three and follow the signs to Route 99 north and the town of Rocky Hill. Built in 1803, The Academy Hall Museum, located on Old Main Street, was once a school for sea captains, but now it has a collection of town history files and artifacts and exhibits including some period rooms. Or, you may prefer to visit the Dinosaur State Park on West Street. The geodesic dome edifice has 200 million-year-old dinosaur tracks from the Jurassic period. If you choose, you can even make your own plaster casts of the petrified tracks. In the end, take a right turn onto Route 160 (at the Route 99 and Route160 intersection) and follow the signs to the Rocky Hill/Glastonbury Ferry to cross the Connecticut River. Off the ferry, make an immediate turn to the left onto Tryon Street, a right onto Water Street and a left onto Route 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 located on Main Street. The Museum on the Green, also on Main Street, 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:
Museum on the Green
Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
Dinosaur State Park
Tagged with: best time:spring and fall • Connecticut • summer destinations
Filed under: Best Road Trips