Courtesy of Hayrullah Gozcu
Fall has officially arrived in Connecticut, the leaves are turning, and pretty soon students will start to get bored of campus. While there’s lots of fun fall things to do on campus, like check out the foliage in the arboretum, or head to one of our coffee shops to get some work done and sip on a pumpkin or apple flavored drink, it’s easy to get a little claustrophobic. Luckily, Connecticut College is surrounded by historic New England sights and cities that entertain any sort of person desperate for an escape back to the real world.
Located in Mystic, a classic reigns supreme on a list of cozy fall activities. Visiting Clyde’s Cider Mill for some apple picking, historical sightseeing, or pumpkin perusing would be the perfect activity on a nice fall afternoon. Clyde’s originally opened in 1881, making it the oldest cider mill in the country. Surrounded by beautiful fall foliage, Clyde’s cider steaming facilities are located in a historic white New England cottage style house.
Stone Acres Farm is located in coastal Stonington and is surrounded by beautiful rolling hills, picturesque gardens, and farm-to-table restaurants. If you want to stroll the gardens for a change of scenery, take part in some community events, or a nice lunch with your friends, you might as well spend your whole day at Stone Acres. The roots of the farm itself date back to 1765, consisting of a barn and other antiquities used during the Civil War and greenhouses that send out produce to local Connecticut businesses. Stonington is a 20 minute drive from our campus and is wonderfully close to the water.
Another farmstead stop you could make if you’re looking for some fresh flora and fauna is Whittle’s Willow Spring Farm. Located in Mystic and home to a huge pumpkin patch and a market stand selling fresh homegrown produce and goods, Whittle’s Willow is very quaint and a perfect place to take photos, get a pumpkin, or try some foods not from a dining hall for a day.
Scott’s Yankee Farmer is another pumpkin patch with a stand for produce. Similar to Whittle’s Willow but located in East Lyme, this farm has peach and apple trees for picking, as well as a corn maze and some miscellaneous classic autumnal activities. However, this farm is only open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. It’s always good to support local businesses while you’re off campus!
If you’re wanting something a bit further away from campus, maybe on your route driving back home, Greenwich Polo Club is a massive, old preppy-styled mansion with a green for scenic polo matches and other events. Open only on Sundays, there are food trucks and shopping booths that you can peruse during downtimes of the matches. The building on the property is a cobblestone backcountry estate overlooking the vast polo field.
If you’re looking for something indoors, like some shopping or a restaurant, New London and Mystic are bursting with all kinds. Start with a quick Sunday morning stop at Lighthouse Bakery, a cedar-shingle shack with comfort and character, or maybe head to Washington Street Coffee House or Muddy Waters Cafe for a sandwich and some Connecticut scenery. If you’re looking to step up your fall wardrobe at places a little off the beaten path try somewhere like Red Door Boutique with a boho feel or Serendipthrifty.
However, maybe you are sick of Connecticut all together. Remember that the New London train station is only a drive away. You can check out Boston and spend a perfect fall day around century-old brick apartments and historic landmarks; outside of Boston there are other picture-perfect New England towns with just as much culture and history to explore and revel in.
Now that you have all this inspiration for ideas for a charming fall day, you should never be bored on weekends! Not only are there all sorts of hidden gems on campus, but our town’s wonderful history is definitely worth exploring.
