Firstly, I would like to thank all those posters who replied to my requests for info, very much appreciated. Have just returned from our 1 week fall vacation to see the leaf colour and small towns of USA.
So as not to waffle here are some of my observations from our trip.
Arriving at JFK from UK not as bad as some people had said, though it took nearly an hour for us to get our luggage it was like lots of airports. Getting skytrain to car rental no problem.
Getting out of JFK into Connecticut turned out fine as well, though it did have its momemts as signs in US seem to come upon you very quickly with no room for absentmindedness!!
Took a wrong turn so ended up on the Merrit parkway to our Hotel in Norwalk and Not the I95. But found hotel (Norwalk Inn) eventually. Hotel OK, though I do think the cost of meals in America is quite expensive (more so than in UK for a like for like meal) IMO, the days of low cost meals out is long gone.
Weather good at beginning and end of holiday inbetween it was so, so.
Through Litchfield area (Lovely towns and some pretty covered Bridges)
MA bit of a let down (Bar Great Barrington, which is a nice town)IMO Lenox prettier than Stockbridge.) , took drive around area to out of way places. Not much colour and lousy weather, but enjoyed our stay. Sturbridge nice little town, stayed at Comfort Inn which was very nice.
We loved the Drive down the 169 from Woodstock to Lisbon in Connecticut this is as nice as many drives in Vermont etc but less travelled,and underrated IMO, on to RI, again rain but warm , visited The Breakers which is worth a look at but did not wow me, could be we are spoilt in UK with some of the stately homes here that sort of spoil you. Newport is a pleasant town with some nice shops but again my expectations were a bit let down as it was nothing special just ok.
Visited surrounding areas which had some nice places.
Another lovely drive was the coastal (again in Connecticut) route along the I95 (the 156/1) from Mystic (which is worth a visit its a lovely way to spend a couple of hours) BUT the little towns along this route Guilford/Clinton/Madison/ all the way from Mystic to outskirts of New Haven were lovely.
On the subject of New Haven Avoid at all costs, if you have to go the long way around it to get to other side. Its a DUMP, (apart from area by Yale University which is nice) the rest is horrible.
Stayed in Stamford which is pleasant enough. Visited Greenwich which was not as wonderful as some had said, its nice but IMO just a nice normal pleasant town.
We saw some lovely foliage, some very nice towns (& some not so nice) and had some lovely meals.
All in all a pleasant holiday. My one thing gathered from using Fodors for info is - get all info, but remember everything is subjective, take things with a pinch of salt, as everyones expectations are different and Fodors advice is only a guide.
I am not very good at writing reports but if anyone has any specific questions about our Holiday we visited CT/MA/ RI/CT will be happy to impart what little i know.
In conclusion We loved Connecticut more than we thought we would RI bit of a let down, but would visit again to see more of Connecticut.
JFK not the nightmare i thought it would be, though i did find some of the desk people rude with no manners, but airports are a breeding ground for this type of attitude.
Again, thanks to all who offered advice i appreciate you taking the time to write as i know its not easy.
Recent New England Holiday
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As a lifelong resident of Connecticut, I am proud that you enjoyed our little state so much. I agree with you that Route 169 is beautiful, with its winding country roads and stone walls. (The most northerly area is often called "The Quiet Corner" of our state.) Thank you for posting your report and I hope you return often!
You're right the 'quiet corner' is lovely, and as i said very underrated. It seems to me Connecticut gets overlooked in comparison to Vermont/New Hampshire etc, which is a shame as it has lots to offer.
BYW, this route also offered some of the best Halloween designs from all our travels some were absolutely stunning coaches with horses etc, lovely...
I was interested in your report since I grew up in Ct (Old Greenwich) and now live in Vt.
I am not sure where you have been in VT but I am surprised you consider places you went in Ct "less travelled." Vt does have a lot of leaf peapers in the fall especially in places like Woodstock and Stowe but plenty of beautiful routes with much less traffic.
Anyway, I am glad you enjoyed your trip.
As a resident of SW CT I have to say I agree with you -- there's no particular reason to visit, though it's a nice enough place to live. Towns like Greenwich and to a lesser extent Westport, Darien and New Canaan, are wealthy suburbs with some houses you can gawk at, if that's your thing. Stamford and Norwalk have small areas with some good restaurants and bars, but are on the whole not that attractive.
Also agree that the NW and eastern areas of the state are much more rewarding to visit.
Sounds like a really nice trip. We lived in CT for two years (near Mystic) and loved it, and our dog is from Lisbon, lol! I had not thought of that area in a while. Nice to see someone else enjoy it too.
AnnRiley:
Nice to see a trip report on your recent New England Holiday. Did you make all your lodging reservations ahead of time?
I also went thru JFK recently and didn't have to wait long for our bags however the taxi queue was another story.
"The days of low cost meals is out" I was just home to the UK and felt that meals in general were much more expensive than here in the US however could it just be that we know the best places to go where we live for the money? I think we can both agree that petrol is cheaper in the US.
Hope you'll be back soon.
Sandy
Sandi,
Made all of our hotel reservations ahead of time but at last miniute decided to cancel our last night and be a bit more flexible, BAD mistake.
We ended up roaming around well into the Dark settling for a below average place at an above average rate, and because it was dark used the hotel restaurant which always cost more (in both our countries i think).
Yes the cost of petrol is much better in USA. I know the cost of food (in restaurants only)is about as expensive as UK.
Possibly your supermarkets are still a bit cheaper. In UK (like USA i'm sure, eating out is a lot better value when you get out of TOURIST areas!!)Some places expecially the DINERS offered exceptional value.
I just found that on average most places (for example a Dakota steakhouse were charging $17/$24 for a steak and $2 for each sides with a desert of about$4 plus tax an average 2 course meal was about $27/$34 ish - plus your booze this is about £13.50/£17 which in our Pubs and normal restaurants (Not in tourist areas) would get you same meal, but costing a bit less.
For example were i live you can get a lovely steak meal (with sides included in price for £8 ish with deserts about £2/£3 each
And thats with a good exchange rate. Its much the same as with spain/Greece etc now they use the Euro eating out is now not far off UK prices.
But I loved lots of the food in US my favourite is the way you do your apple pie, the pastry is so much better than here in UK (& ours is good)absolutely to die for as were lots of the lovely meals we had.
Am now dieting to lose the 5lb i gained in 1 week!!!
Thanks for posting your trip report. As one of those who responded to your inquiry, I was pleased to hear how things went and especially pleased that you enjoyed Rte 169 through eastern Connecticut. Did you stop at the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret? If your route on 169 was north to south, as it sounds as though it was, you may not have noticed it on the corner of Rte 169 and 44. Just curious!
Thanks, again,
Jane
Dear Jane,
We did indeed go north to south on this lovely drive, do not recall this hidden gem, though my eyes were trying to take in the serenity and loveliness of this area.
We have travelled to New England a number of times and this little hidden gem stays in my memory along with parts of Vermont/New Hampshire.
Ann, I was just thinking of you today and wondered if you had returned from your trip -- you did! Thanks for bringing us up-to-date on your New England adventure. Glad it all worked out for you!
Seetheworld,
Yes am home to my lovely part of the UK and my cat tilly..and fine sunny days.
Hubby and I are now knocking ideas around for next years holiday.
At moment Colorado is appealing as its so different than the East coast.
Part of the fun is the anticipation!!
We escaped NYC for a day trip yesterday. I wanted to check out Mystic, CT, so I did a quick search here on Fodors before we left to get a few ideas/recommendations. Based on what I read in AnnRiley's report, we jumped off I-95 to go through Guilford and Madison. I'm glad we did -- Guilford was charming! I highly recommend doing the same. It's a nice break from the high-speed sameness of the interstate.
Michael Strickland
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Ann, I am in the process of organising our summer vacation. Your opinions from your trip are similar to my own experiences from my last 2 trips to US – Lenox, Stockbridge, Newport etc.
I am looking for more detail on Sturbridge & Deerfield as I intend stopping the night there going to & coming back from Kennebunkport, Camden, Conway, Burlington round trip starting/finishing in New York.
You stayed at the Comfort Inn – I previously stayed at a Comfort in Mystic & found the facilities really good. My intention was to visit the olde village in Sturbridge, stop the night & head off to Kennebunkport. Can you expand on what you thought of the town for me & if the Comfort Inn is close to walk to the olde village, would you recommend it or did you see any better motel/inns there.
I have read that reduced price entry fee is given if you eat at the village restaurant – do you know if this is correct & did the restaurant look any good. My kids have reacted badly to the excessive use of oils, cheese, mayo & butters used in most diners so we have to be careful about their diet.
When you were researching your trip I note Deerfield was recommended – did you pass through it or know anything that put you off going there.
Thanks for your report so far & if anyone else can advise that would be appreciated.
Johngerard.
The Comfort inn was very nice with a lovely indoor pool, breakfast normal stuff but ok, its off the main drag but near enough. There was a Cracker Barrel restaurant within walking distance and others with couple mins drive, its a small place and it was raining when we were there, so if its sunny and dry it might all be walkable.
The village is not within walking distance, though its only a couple mins by car you park at the site. We did not go round sturbridge as we ran out of time and you would need a good amount of time to mooch. It's a pleasant little town, but IMO not as wow as some people made out. So if you get there early enough maybe head to village and then next morning spend 1 hour or 2 mooching around i think you will see all there is to see. Be careful when you enter town from motorway as the exit is right on top of the town and if you're not careful and take a wrong turn it takes you back onto the Interstate...
That drive down the 169 is lovely.
Did not get to see Deerfield as we changed route last min (again, because the weather was awful, quaint towns don't look as nice eh!!)
As for the food, I cannot stand cheese, mayo, coleslaw etc and hate that whipped butter they put on pots etc, much like your children. I have no problems when ordering food, Just make sure the waitress understands the word NO. as in no mayo, cheese etc. I say i'm allergic, it stops people cross examining me for not liking the above foods.
Sorry can't be of more help, but the old grey matter is fading fast.
As with most places if you get lovely sunny warm days it makes everything seem so much nicer...
Thanks for the response.
I intend stopping in Sturbridge from New York to visit the village - hoping for an early start off would get us there for lunch. Think I will try a closer motel than the Comfort Inn.
Return would be through Deerfield & would arrive late afternoon - ideal to stroll the town. Next day rested to face the mad drive into New York.
John,
Just a thought, but though i got lots of good ideas from Fodor's and have found that the Trip Advisor Forums are excellent.
I have got some excellent advice/info for my next US holiday this Sept to Colorado.
Try looking there for more imput.
Sorry Fodor's
Ann
It was tripadvisor that mentioned the half price entrance fee if you eat at the restaurant & I wanted to check if this was correct.
The sight is very useful for photos & assuming not all the reports are false, it helps you decide on a place. The redesigned pages are now much better.
I have looked at Italy & France this year but USA is cheaper apart from the cost of the flights.
johngerard--Historic Deerfield is a beautiful and interesting place. It doesn't have the living history emphasis of Sturbridge but it does have many beautiful buildings
I am assuming from your choices that you are interested in history, and I think you will find both places well worth a visit
John gerard,
Just a thought are you from UK? as you mention cost of flights to US.
New England is a lovely place to visit but i must say one of the best places we visited in US was our Holiday to Lancaster county in Pensylvania taking us down into Virginia.
We saw some wonderful Plantations, civil war sites/museums from civil war and some lovely quaint towns.
We took the skyline drive into Virgina. This holiday was by far more interesting some of the plantations etc are fantastic.
The museum at Gettysburg was also a wonderful visit.
But as i said New England is lovely, its just the other holiday had so many things to see so the children might be kept more occupied.
Whatever you decide have a lovely holiday.