The Ultimate Foliage Tour - Western Connecticut

This foliage tour begins at the beginning of Route 45, where it runs north from Route 202 in New Preston, a small village of the town of Washington. You’ll go through the charming little town of New Preston (there are shopping opportunities) and you can opt for taking the 8-mile loop that runs around gorgeous Lake Waramaug and past Hopkins Vineyard and through Lake Waramaug State Park before you once again rejoin Route 45.

Now continue north on Route 45, a beautiful rural stretch past farms, the center of Warren (note the stately Congregational Church above the green) and handsome country homes. The road ends at Route 7, on which you will head north.

Here’s a road that’s very well known for its lovely views, historic points of interest and overall charm. It’s a US highway that runs 308 miles, nearly all the way to the Canadian border in Vermont. The Connecticut stretch winds along the Housatonic River, and you’ll wind with it, through Housatonic Meadows State Park and past West Cornwall’s Covered Bridge (or over it, if you make a tiny side trip), all the way up to Falls Village, where the waterfall in the middle of town is worth another brief side excursion.

Next, continue north a short way on Route 7 until it connects with Route 63 south, which you will take down to Litchfield. On the way, be sure to stop in Goshen at Nodine’s Gourmet Store, where smoked meats are a longtime specialty.

The tour ends in the center of Litchfield, where a booth or bar stool beckons at the end of the day. Try The Village Restaurant or At the Corner Restaurant for that.