10 great and fun things to do in LitchfieldConnecticut

Take a train trip to a chocolate factory, check out a bright-red caboose built in 1921, listen to the whistle from a steam locomotive as you glide by scenic woods and through a river valley: Those are just some of the fun experiences waiting for visitors to the Railroad Museum of New England, where you’ll step back in time to the heyday of the region’s rich railroading tradition. Travel on the Naugatuck Railroad in a vintage car, styled in its appropriate era. Special excursions celebrate the Easter Bunny and the winter holidays (with Santa and Mrs. Claus), and take you to a pick-your-own-pumpkin patch. There are also fall foliage, chocolate and spirit-sipping trips. At the Thomaston Station, there are educational exhibits and trains and other equipment to explore.

There are trails that involve walking – and then there are trails that involve sipping. Experience award-winning wines, exquisite scenery and New England charm when you travel the Connecticut Wine Trail. The trail includes 25 wineries from all corners of the state. Enjoy vineyard vistas while sipping reds, whites and specialty wines from rustic tasting rooms, spacious patios and pretty picnic groves. Some vineyards offer entertainment, from comedy nights to live music. Some have their own kitchens or restaurants and even have cooking classes; others have a wide array of food trucks. There are vineyards near casinos, state parks, rivers for canoeing and fishing and seaside villages. A few have pick-your-own fruit trees or animals to visit (including llamas).

Located in Northwest Connecticut, Salisbury General Store and Pharmacy at 20 Main Street in Salisbury is one of those purely delightful stores with merchandise far beyond what the name might imply. Located in the gateway to the Berkshire Mountains, the store welcomes visitors, tourists, hikers, and shoppers looking for gifts. The store stocks specialty soaps and spa products, unique gifts, toys, crafts, cards and party goods, wooden kitchenware like cutting boards, and textile arts. The store features the work of local artisans. Hiking supplies too! 860-435-9388.

You don’t need to be a photographer or painter to appreciate the beauty of farm barns. These icons of farming life have caught the attention of Connecticut historians, who created a Connecticut Barn Trail. Use the trail and its maps to explore this beautiful countryside at your own pace. The trail has seven routes that highlight barns at farms and farm stands, orchards, wineries, and historic sites. 203-562-6312.

Connecticut’s mild climate makes the state a fruitful place for growing grapes, and the state’s wine-making industry has bloomed in the past three decades. A delightful way to sample Connecticut vintages is to take a drive along the Connecticut Wine Trail , a route that bypasses 15 vineyards (and some beautiful countryside). The trail consists of two sections, in the eastern and the western parts of the state. Blue highway signs mark the trail and the state produces a colorful brochure. Remember: the Winter Wine Trail is very active! a winery tour in winter is a great way to lift your spirits. All the wineries have tasting rooms and all offer at least one tour daily.

You never need an extra excuse to take a ride around the lovely country roads of Connecticut, but here’s one anyway: the New Milford Barn Quilt Trail. This trail passes eight farms and consists of eight colorful quilt patterns painted on large wood blocks and hung on antique and vintage barns around New Milford. The trail is fun from explores and photographers and people who simply love the old barns. It honors the state’s agricultural history and the tradition of quilt making. The barn quilt blocks are hung on private property and may be viewed only from public roadsides.