Portland: Rails to trails

Mystic: Cider and Wine

Take in the beauty of fall colors by the shoreline.

Stop by BF Clyde, the oldest steam-powered cider mill in the country, and treat yourself to cider (both regular and hard varieties), apple wine and of course cider doughnuts. clydescidermill.com

More wine awaits at Jonathan Edwards in

North Stonington. There are no tasting events or tours due to the COVID guidelines, but wine by the bottle or glass is available drinking outdoors on the spacious grounds or patio area. The winery also offers cheeses and other snacks for purchase. You can stroll about from noon to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Harvesting has been happening. Wine goes on. jedwardswinery.com

Restaurant recommendations: Engine Room in Mystic, a casual gastropub with burgers and sandwiches, entrees with locally-grown produce, meats and fish; craft beer and creative cocktails (engineroomct.com) or Red 36 in Mystic, with an enviable

waterfront location in the Seaport Marine and a menu full of beachy cocktails and fresh seafood. red36ct.com.

Air Line State Park Trail retains the name of a railroad line that could rush you from New York to Boston from the late 19th century to the mid-20th. The rails were ravaged by natural disasters, then rivaled by interstate highways, and are now part of a greenway beloved by bicyclists and hikers. The trail originally began in East Hampton, but two years ago was extended West to Portland. There are actu

ally two trails: the South section from Portland to Windham and the north section from Windham to Pomfret.

Restaurant recommendations: If you’re on the East Hampton part of the trail, go find Po’s Rice and Spice Asian restaurant on that town’s Main Street (posriceandspice. com). Or ease down Route 66 to downtown Middletown, which offers such singular spots as Tibetan Kitchen (tibetankitchen. us), the iconic ION (It’s Only Natural) vegan/vegetarian/organic restaurant (ionrestaurant.com) or the outdoor seating at Eli Cannon’s Tap Room (elicannons.com).