Scenic drives in Litchfield, Connecticut, reveal lovely countryside

Barns are the largest tool on the farm. Many are still in use; some are artifacts of a more-rural times in America. Most are catnips to photographers and painters and people simply interested in different ways of living. From 2006 to 2010 The Barns Project catalogued, described, and mapped Connecticut’s barns and distinctive, open-sided tobacco sheds (a crop that arrived in the region in the mid-1800s). The Barn Trail has seven routes throughout the state with sites that are open to the public, including working farms with farm stands, orchards, and wineries. Download the brochure and plan a scenic drive into rural America. More history of Connecticut barns. 203-562-6312. [photo courtesy Historic Barns of Connecticut survey by Preservation Connecticut]

This tour begins in Goshen (Rtes. 63 and 4), noted for its rolling hills and farming heritage. In Goshen center, notice the 1833 Congregational Church and the Victorian Old Town Hall.
To visit Miranda Vineyard, take Route 4 west from the center of town. To visit Sunset Meadow Vineyards, overlooking the Western Connecticut Highlands, take Route 63 south.
Use Route 4 west to pass Tyler Lake and head into the storybook village of West Cornwall. The town has a covered bridge and guided fly fishing trips nearby on the Housatonic River.
Continue on Route 7 north on a scenic road through Housatonic State Forest. At routes 7 and 126, take Route 7 north toward Falls Village. Main Street buildings include Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Queen Anne architecture.
At routes 44 and 7, take Route 44 west to Canaan and then on to Salisbury. Excellent fishing and a boat launch are at Twin Lakes. From Lakeville, take Route 41 south, one of the prettiest roads in the state, to Sharon.
Get onto Route 4 east and pass Mohawk Mountain ski area and Mohawk State Forest. Continue on Route 4 east to Goshen.