Connecticut--Hartford Region Foliage Loop

The foliage in the Hartford 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 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 3 and follow the signs to Route 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 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 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 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

UsedCars.biz Road Trip in the Same State:
Connecticut Shoreline

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