Connecticut offers socially distanced fall fun
Despite the pandemic, tourism is flourishing
Growing up in New England, fall has always bestowed a certain warmth despite the new chill in the air. Sweater weather and cozy nights by the fire are near as the leaves begin to turn to warmer hues that characterize the region’s season.
But with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, autumn activities such as leaf peeping and apple picking have drawn renewed interest as they provide opportunities for socially distanced fun.
While there are plenty of opportunities around the Northeast in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, there are also great spots in Connecticut, which was an easy pick for a two-day escape from New York City – and one that was not included on the state’s quarantine list.
Over the course of the pandemic, the state has seen more than 59,000 cases of COVID-19, according to state data.
On Thursday, the state entered “Phase 3” of reopening which allows restaurants to fill 75% capacity for indoor dining, indoor performing arts venues to operate at 50% capacity and outdoor venues to move to 50% capacity, as well. Bars are to remain closed.
I drove to the state and my destinations, avoiding public transportation. While private transport like driving is convenient and safe right now, it can make tracking tourists tough, Randy Fiveash, director of the Connecticut Office of Tourism, told USA TODAY, and that’s what “a larger percentage” of visitors have been doing.
But there is evidence that despite the pandemic, the Connecticut tourism sector, which has implemented statewide safety precautions for each type of business, is flourishing.
“We’ve heard from a number of businesses, including orchards, B&Bs and restaurants, that they are having a great fall,” Fiveash said. “Connecticut’s renowned foliage and outdoor recreational opportunities – and travelers’ desire to stay closer to home – are helping to drive the activity we’re seeing.”
Here are a few fun activities and destinations to add to your itinerary while on a socially distanced escape to the Nutmeg State this season. Attempt these only after grabbing a pumpkin spice latte from Essex Coffee and Tea Co. – it is fall, after all.
Go apple picking
Apple picking has always been one of my favorite fall traditions, and it’s one that can be done easily while staying socially distanced outdoors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that visiting pumpkin patches or orchards is a moderate-risk activity if people use hand sanitizer, wear masks and are able to maintain social distancing.
Among rolling hills in Middlefield, Lyman Orchards has been farmed for more than 275 years. Members of the Lyman family, who bought the plot of land in 1741, still work there. It’s one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the United States, according to the orchard’s website.
Lyman grows around 20 varieties of apples and nearly 100 fruit varieties in the June-to-October season.
While the apples are delicious, the farm has more to offer than its fruit. In the fall, it also features a corn maze – which, this year, features markings reminding visitors to wear their masks and social distance, along with signs posted to share facts about nurses and their contributions over the centuries – a nod to the nurses fighting the pandemic on its front lines.
Leaf peep while hiking
Leaf peeping is a New England pastime that can’t be beat.
While the 2020 foliage forecast was deemed to be “abrupt, punctuated and spectacular” regionwide, Connecticut’s foliage season was expected to start early but last longer than usual, according to the state’s website, leaving visitors a wider range of time to visit.
The vibrant tones that take us on a gradual descent into cooler temperatures are often best seen from heights, making a hike the ideal, naturally social-distanced activity to see fall foliage.
On a brisk Wednesday morning, I visited Hubbard Park, located in Meriden, where hikers can trek to Castle Craig, a stone observation tower that overlooks the Merimere Reservoir, according to the state’s website.
The route provided spectacular views and was doable in sneakers.
Enjoy a cider
There are more than 110 operational breweries in Connecticut that provide plenty of hop-filled joy year-round, but what says fall more than hard apple cider? Or regular apple cider? Or an apple cider slushie? And what if you had a cider doughnut to go with it?
Connecticut is home to B.F. Clyde’s Cider Mill, the last remaining steampowered cider mill in the U.S., according to the company’s website. Clyde’s, a National Historic Landmark, presses apples from local orchards into juice used for their wines and ciders after fermenting for a year in oak casks in the cellar of the mill. Clyde’s first started producing hard cider in 1881 before Frank and Abbey Clyde bought the machinery that remains in-use now in 1898.
Tucked into Mystic, Clyde’s is open seasonally from September through early December and offers socially distanced tables outdoors for visitors to enjoy fall delights such as cider donuts, pumpkin bread, apple wine, hard cider and more or to simply take home.
While the press wasn’t operating during my visit, it was lovely to explore the property, which features the mill, a store and a tasting room. Like other mask-adorned guests, I was able to take a peek at the cider-pressing equipment through open doors at the mill. I also had the chance to enjoy a sampling of apple wine that boasts names such as “Mystic Mango” and “Clyde’s Blackout” and have a very different flavor than grape-based wines. I also sampled the apple cider slushie, which I didn’t expect to like but loved.
While Connecticut is in the middle of hosting fall visitors, tourism professionals are looking to the winter ahead and how to be properly prepared to host tourists in the colder months.
“In addition to implementing new safety measures, we know our ski areas are adding enhanced guest services,” Fiveash said. “Our restaurants, attractions and lodging properties are getting creative, too, finding new ways to entertain both outside and indoors.”
But the preparation doesn’t stop at tourism alone. Holiday events, many of which are traditional, are being reimagined too, Fiveash continued.
“Winter is a beautiful time to get away to Connecticut, and we’re focused on ensuring it’s a safe and enjoyable season for all,” he said.