Holiday Spirit

Anyone who has read The Litchfield County Times over the years, especially our Passport and LCT magazines and seasonal special sections, has likely run across an old chestnut I find occasion to dust off at this time of year. Whether I'm springboarding from a particular town or taking a regional approach, I gently exhort readers about to embark on holiday shopping to pause and refocus, so that their expeditions become pleasant ones that involve time well spent in festively decorated area towns, and so that their holiday budget helps propel the local economy. In fact, the winter issue of Passport, (published Nov. 19) has just such a mini-feature, offering the overlooked borough of Bantam in the town of Litchfield as a shopping venue.


While I'm not immune to shopping in large brand name stores and don't mean to denigrate their place on the retail landscape, I argue (and believe) that the best and often unique gifts can be found in towns such as New Milford, Kent, Washington (and New Preston), Litchfield, Salisbury (and Lakeville), Woodbury and elsewhere. Add in stops for personal shopping, and interludes in the great coffee shops, patisseries and restaurants, and suddenly holiday shopping is transformed from fatiguing a mission to, well, a seasonal joy.


But that's not really what this blog is about. It's topic is the reverse side of the local holiday shopping coin, which is hometown holiday events and celebrations. There are plenty of them taking place (see the December LCT magazine, published as part of the LCT Nov. 26), and in underscoring their appeal here I'll mention just two towns, Litchfield and Washington.


Litchfield, as most know, is a top tourist destination within Connecticut---less in the winter than summer and fall---for its history, natural wonders and lifestyle amenities. It's also a town that takes seriously the salutary qualities of community gatherings that make use of the landmark green and the rest of the town center. The annual Litchfield Borough Days is one example, and a more recent entry was a First Thursday strolling/shopping/dining series of events last summer.

The holiday version of the hometown gatherings takes place this year on Nov. 28, beginning at 2:30 p.m., and if it follows form it will be a gathering of locals and visitors from surrounding communities for a handful of attractions that---truth be told---are endearing, fulfilling and a bit spartan all at once. An ice carving demonstration, horse-drawn hayrides, visits with Santa and crafts for kids are some of the highlights. It's not a lot, in one way, but families that attend are richly rewarded, remember the event fondly and look forward to the next year. Here are a few scenes from last year, in photos by Walter Kidd.

Washington is among the other communities that schedule events to bring out families for the holidays. It's version is an evening event called Holidays in the Depot. A 20-year tradition, it takes place this year on Dec. 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. There's the classic tree lighting, along with Santa, music from local public school groups, wagon rides, hot chocolate and cookies, gifts sold at the senior center---and the bright lights and special appeal of all the shops staying open late.

The next day, on Dec. 11, the New Preston section of Washington is holding its own holiday event from 1 to 5 p.m., in which the concentrated cluster of shops will show off festively-decorated windows and other other promotion.

Here's a look at last year's Holiday in the Depot, in a photo by Walter Kidd.

Leading up the the holiday festivities in Washington is the Festival of Trees at the Gunn Memorial Library. It's launched with a cocktail party Dec. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. (donation $12/person or $20/couple.) and festive and uniquely decorated trees are available for sale. Other highlights, according to the library,  include "treasure pouches," chances to win fabulous prizes, such as dinner at local restaurants, tickets, and gift certificates. Ornaments by local artists will be available again this year. The trees will be on display through Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10:00 a.m until 2:00 p.m. To learn more about the lineup of events at the Gunn, which is essentially the cultural hub of the town, see the Web site at http://www.gunnlibrary.org.

These are just a few examples of what's available over the coming weeks, and while the holiday rush can be stressful, making time to visit area towns and participate in seasonal events can offer a whole new perspective on things. Enjoy and until next time.

Kent Is Calling

Just before this year's leaf-peeping season, Yankee Magazine bestowed the gift of bragging rights and a commercial/retail boost when it named small, rural Kent in Litchfield County as the top fall foliage town in New England. The town is blessed with dramatic natural features, including rugged hills aspiring to be mountains, state parks, the Housatonic River and Kent Falls, and Yankee backed up its pick with color photos showing a panoramic eagle's-eye view of the town with an uninterrupted canopy of blazing leaves.

A cultural hotspot full of art galleries, private schools and the annual Litchfield Jazz Festival each August, Kent is a daytrip paradise any time of the year. My most frequent visits happen to start around now, just before Thanksgiving and the holidays, and after the best of the autumn colors has faded.

The reason? The truth is that it comes down to a combination of seasonal traditions and chocolate. While my intentions to get to Kent more often are dashed by responsibilities for much of the year, I start to make time as the holidays approach---in large part to visit Belgique Patisserie & Chocolatier (860-927-3681 http://www.kentct.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=226&Itemid=155), run by Susan and Pierre Gilissen. From the real hot chocolate to the handmade chocolates, the pastries and the cakes and desserts, everything here is gorgeous and delicious.Last year, I ordered a Buche de Noel, or Christmas log, for a family gathering on Christmas Eve, and, of course, came home with chocolate St. Nicholases for all. Here's a look:

Beyond Belgique, I love Kent this time of year because it's also one of the region's perfect places for holiday shopping. Within a very concentrated and charming town center, you can buy everything from shoes and unique children's clothing to fine wines, artwork, women's clothing, vintage jewelry, small gift items, books (antiquarian and new) and much more. And before, during and after, you can eat and drink in fine style. See the Web site of the Chamber of Commerce to connect: http://www.kentct.com Here's a file photo of the type of artistic welcome visitors to the town center can expect:

Visitors who get to Kent this weekend can catch the end of a great exhibit focusing on the works of Sharon artist Eric Forstmann at Eckert Fine Art (http://www.eckertfineart.com/html/home.asp). See the story on www.countytimes.com and take a look at one of his images below:

While you're in town enjoying the culture, dining and shopping, don't forget to take in some of the scenic beauty, no matter the season. A stop at Kent Falls, shown here, is pretty much mandatory, and for a bit of history, have a look at Bulls Bridge, which is still in use and stands in an area where it's said George Washington's horse once fell from the road into the waters below.

Make plans to spend a day in Kent---you won't be disappointed---or more than a day, as the town is also home to some fine inns that can be found on the chamber's Web site.

Note: The photos of the Buche de Noel and the chocolate St. Nicholas are courtesy of Belgique; the other photos were taken by staff photographers Laurie Gaboardi and Walter Kidd.

Taste of Winter Thought: Overlooked Warren Twinkles

Most of Northwestern Connecticut awoke this morning to a snarling, spitting storm that felt like the first icy finger beckoning us toward winter. There were pockets of sleety ice-snow on the ground, the temperature was in the 30s, town crew trucks were out sanding and the wind was whipping the trees around mercilessly.

As forbidding as that outdoor-scape was, especially for parents whose school districts did not call a delay, the scene also produced a childlike excitement. As the first real signal that autumn was on its way out, the storm was also a herald that the holidays were almost here. And cold, snow and holidays add up to a mandate to plan the Christmas tree-cutting trip.

One of the oldest and most popular tree farms in Litchfield County is Angevine Farm in Warren (http://www.angevinefarm.com/), a family-run operation perched on a hillside amid the kind of panoramic farming scene that you find on calendars. The tree farm and its Christmas Barn open for the season Nov. 20, and no matter where you cut your tree, Angevine is worth a visit because it's one of those places that exists according to the beat of its own homespun drummer. Consider this snippet from the Web site:

"On Saturday, there will be children’s craft tables, gingerbread decorating, theater pipe organ concerts throughout the day, free refreshments, farm tours and demonstrations. Bring your hiking boots and a picnic lunch to share on Hemlock Hill, the most beautiful picnic area in Warren."

Where else could you find a Christmas tree farm where the experience includes pipe organ concerts in a rustic barn made festive by the holiday displays. In this painterly photograph by Laurie Gaboardi from last holiday season, a few simple, pretty ornaments exude an almost sublime beauty.

New visitors to Warren wouldn't be wrong to think that the very rural town, one of the smallest in the region, is no hub of activity. Still, there's more going on here than meets the eye, and the resources that do exist are better than ever and worth seeking out. In the center of town, at the junction of Routes 45 and 317, is the relatively new Rooster Tail Inn (http://www.roostertailinn.com/). It's also home to an inviting tavern whose daily specials are both mouth-watering and very affordable. Here's a view of one dining/imbibing area from the Rooster Tail's Web site:

With a Christmas tree strapped to the roof of the SUV and pretty ornaments tucked safely inside, upscale shopping is in order either after lunch or before dinner. Happy to help are two intermingled businesses, Privet House (http://privethouse.com/) and Vol. 1 Antiques (http://www.vol1antiques.com/). The antiques shop is run by Suzanne Cassano, who teams up on Privet House with Richard Lambertson; he is half of the Lamberston Truex line of designer handbags that is now under the Tiffany's umbrella. What that means is that Privet House is bastion of impeccable style, full of interesting and unique items. Here's a shot by Walter Kidd of Privet House and Vol. 1 Antiques awaiting visitor's on a winter's day.

Before heading home, there's one more stop to make---just for a look. Warren is is one of three towns bordering Lake Waramaug, a lifestyle haven for the well-heeled and gorgeous natural feature. Go on Google Maps and seek out Tanner Hill Road in Warren, which affords a beautiful view in any season. Take a look at this view in a Walter Kidd photo:

Rainy Day Walks

Driving through Roxbury this morning, just as WSHU Public Radio (http://www.wshu.org/) was moving from NPR news into classical music, the rain mingling with the music became a mnemonic cue to recall many walks in the woods that only a certain breed would find pleasurable---because these slow-paced rambles were undertaken while it was raining.

I had been thinking about Roxbury in the context of walking recently, after a family hike on a crisp autumn afternoon in the signature Steep Rock Preserve, off River Road in Washington, of the Steep Rock Association (http://steeprockassoc.org/). As I have done many times before, we walked from the parking area near the riding ring along a narrow dirt road that hugs the Shepaug River and, in places, seems almost to be sliding down into the river. At a certain point you can switch off onto a flat, parallel path that is the rail bed of the former Shepaug Valley Railroad, which branched off another rail line and ran from the Hawleyville section of Newtown to the center of Litchfield. It began service in December 1871 and was finally abandoned in 1948.

The rail bed trail, one of many in the Steep Rock Preserve, including one that leads to a pinnacle offering a view of the Shepaug River's clam shell-shaped meanderings, eventually leads to a natural feature that the laborers who built the railroad turned into a dramatic man-made feature---a short, curving tunnel blasted through the rock. It's shown during the winter in the photo below, posted on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/criana/.

If you were to walk through the tunnel, and were able to continue following the railroad's former route, which you cannot after a while, eventually you would end up in the center of Roxbury, the beautiful rural town that, in addition to being home to lots of affluent and famous people, also has a very active and successful land trust. The Roxbury Land Trust (http://www.roxburylandtrust.org/) conserves 3,400 acres of land that offers some of the best hiking opportunities in the region. Helpfully, the trust's Web site has a prominent link to a map that can be downloaded to offer access to 30 miles of trails. Here's just one view of a land trust preserve, photographed by Walter Kidd.

I've never actually walked on the Roxbury Land Trust's trails; it has always been a matter of geography and scheduling. Most of the time I end up on the familiar trails of the White Memorial Foundation in Litchfield and Morris (http://www.whitememorialcc.org/). The foundation oversees approximately 4,000 acres of varied and glorious preserves, but, like many visitors, I favor a route that includes the trail around Little Pond, a trail that for much of its run consists of an elevated wooden boardwalk. I've walked here in every month of the year, and, whenever the weather, cooperates, in the rain.

There's something lonely, magical and fulfilling about the muted colors of the landscape in the rain. Another part of the appeal is having the entire preserve to yourself, but there's so much more going on that's difficult to quantify. Walking for miles under a leaden sky, amid the sound of the rain hitting the trees, leaves and forest floor is a joy, and an staying in the woods on those days until it's nearly dark is like pure liberation---a feeling that takes on a deeper and different context later at home, after a hot shower and over a glass of nice wine in the low light of happily shuttered-in evenings. And there are things you never forget: encountering eight or nine blue herons on the pond on one of those rainy afternoons, or coming around a corner on an early winter day and being face-to-face with a bobcat.

These days, I like to start with Little Pond and use it as grounding to reach a still point of reflection before moving on to trace as many other trails as time allows. Usually that involves crossing a couple of roads and edging along the Bantam River toward the main conservation center area. Here's a view from one spur path along that route, taken by Walter Kidd for a story in our November LCT magazine about the curative qualities of kayaking at White Memorial:



Following one of many possible routes takes you eventually to the edge of Bantam Lake, where a wooden platform offers wonderful views. The return trip, depending on which way you turn, leads to an encounter with a strange site---two parallel concrete walls, a few feet apart, with water in the middle, that stretch from the lake back into the woods. It looks like a canal, now being subsumed by the landscape, from some ancient, forgotten city. It's actually said to be part of a former ice house operation, which is illustrated by an exhibit in White Memorial's conservation center.

Interestingly, on the walk back toward the conservation center, you're not far from the route of the old Shepaug Valley Railroad. Where it traveled is less obvious here, and more so along one side of Little Pond, and there is an ongoing effort to reclaim the former rail bed in Litchfield as a new greenway. Someday, perhaps, hikers with a purpose will be able to walk all the way from Litchfield center to Roxbury center along the railroad's route, passing through nonpareil landscapes and that defining tunnel at Steep Rock along the way.

For now, to enjoy the under-appreciated, solitary charm of mid- to late-autumn, seek out the trails of Steep Rock, the Roxbury Land Trust and the White Memorial Foundation. What you'll find is muted and subtle, but also rich and rewarding, as in this recent photo in Roxbury by Walter Kidd,





In From the Cold

I should have checked the weather Monday morning. By the time I got my son buckled into his car seat to head to school, the December-like cold had drilled into me so effectively that dislodging it would take more than just the heat in the car. With many trees bare now and the remaining leaves on the hillsides looking less colorful and more like what I call the "roasted coat" of autumn, I didn't truly mind being cold because it seemed to be the motif of the day---cold temperatures, cold, clear air, a landscape feeling increasingly chilly and cold of all sorts on the horizon.
Still, I knew that some kind of penetrating warmth to re-balance body and spirit would be welcome. And then, as I parked near the office in New Milford, I recalled that I had an invitation to a preview of a new shop, Spruce Home & Garden, opening this Friday (Nov. 5) on Bank Street. Once I got settled in my office, out into the cold I went once again, a fully-zipped fleece vest doing little to blunt the cold.
And then I found the warmth I was, by now, craving. It came from the coffee served at the preview opening, but also from the re-imagined interior of a retail space with a long and storied history in the center of a town that continues to work hard to be the heart of the community and not get pushed into slouching toward oblivion by the rise of big box retailers and the mass merchandise, one-discount-fits-all mentality. Long ago, the big space (two floors) in an attractive building on the short, sloping street that's a bellwether of the downtown's status was a classic five-and-dime. Up until September, it was the luxe lifestyle store Homeward Bound, whose principals painted a grim picture in explaining their (small) chain's demise.
Being opened by the friendly and style savvy Steve Wilburn, Spruce Home & Garden should strike downtown watchers and champions as an oasis and herald---with the former designation stemming from the great merchandise, much of it at nice price points, and the latter role being attributable to its timely arrival to blunt the cold, cold message that the downtown might have been in decline.
Whether cold, hot, rainy or blanketed in snow, New Milford center is a wonderful place in which to work, or otherwise spend time in. As I look west out of my office window, past the Housatonic Railroad tracks that may once again offer passenger service, and across a placid stretch of the Housatonic River toward hills dressed in their roasted coat, I'm sure that New Milford center's status is firmly the opposite of decline---because with a rail line, a river and gorgeous views, the truth (which would be obvious to visionary urban planners) is that it hasn't even scratched the surface of its potential.
The latest entry in the cadre of those working to create a better future for the town center is Spruce Home & Garden. Have a look at what will be open to the public beginning Friday:

For more photos by Walter Kidd and a story, see The Litchfield County Times and The Housatonic Times this week, or online at www.countytimes.com and www.housatonictimes.com.
Until next time.