CONNECTICUT: PLACES & PRICES

The northwest corner of Connecticut, largely in Litchfield County, has attractions for visitors with interests as diverse as geology, horticulture, antiquing, and hiking, as well as four distinct seasons that show off New England at its best. Exploring really requires a car: While the towns are small, there is no public transportation to speak of.

The area code is 860. Prices quoted are for March 2009.

Lodging

The numerous inns include a few that are super-luxurious. The well-upholstered Mayflower Inn, in Washington, has an exceptional spa (868-9466; doubles, $520-$840), as does the somewhat eccentric, even more expensive Winvian, in Morris, a collection of themed small cottages, along with an extraordinary chef (567-9600; doubles, $1,450-$1,950, all-inclusive). Facing Lake Waramaug in New Preston, the Boulders Inn has 20 rooms (including eight cottages) and a beach with canoes (868-0541; doubles, $350-$525). The White Hart, in Salisbury, has 26 vernacular New England rooms and a publike restaurant (435-0030; doubles, $155). Roadside, between fields, Lime Rock's Inn at White Hollow Farm has four comfortable rooms and an odd second-floor kitchen where one can breakfast (435-8185; doubles, $125).

Dining

Among the memorable meals were lunches at Litchfield's West Street Grill, which in summer serves local tomatoes in a caprese salad. The salmon burgers were also a hit (43 West St.; 567-3885; entrées, $21-$38). In Lakeville, Pastorale serves French food: duck confit with lentils, steak tenderloin and frites, and chocolate mousse. Sit at the wood bar or in a booth (223 Main St.; 435-1011; entrées, $14-$27). Have brunch at the casual Wandering Moose Café, near the red covered bridge in West Cornwall. Dine indoors or out, and order the corned-beef hash or the blueberry pancakes with maple syrup (421 Sharon Goshen Tpke.; 672-0178; entrées, $17-$26).

In Bantam, the Bantam Bread Company has terrific breads, focaccia, tarts, and pies, as well as butter and cheeses. Don't miss the dirt bombs (853 Bantam Rd.; 567-2737). In Goshen, Nodine's Gourmet Store has great sandwiches and pork products, including peppered, applewood-smoked, or juniper-smoked bacon (Rte. 63 at North St.; 491-4009). For ice cream, Litchfield's unaffectedly retro Peaches N' Cream has many flavors, available even in sandwich form (632 Torrington Rd.; 496-7536). Kent has two dispensaries of chocolate indulgences. Belgique Pātisserie is definitely High Church, stuffed also with ganaches, madeleines, and fruit jellies (corner of Rtes. 7 and 341; 927-3681). Kent Coffee & Chocolate Co. has a more down-and-dirty approach with, for instance, pretzels dipped in caramel and dark chocolate (8 Main St.; 927-1445).

Agricultural bounty can be bought directly from farms or at several local farmers' markets ((ctfarmfresh.org). Pick whatever fruit is in season, from strawberries to cherries to pumpkins, at Ellsworth Hill Orchard & Berry Farm, in Sharon. In the fall, the place has a corn maze (461 Cornwall Bridge Rd., Rte. 4; 364-0025). Raw milk is sold at the Stone Wall Dairy Farm (332 Kent Rd., Rte. 7; 672-0261) as well as at Baird's General Store, in Cornwall Bridge (25 Kent Rd.; 672-6578). Local grass-fed beef (frozen) can be found at Lakeville's Whippoorwill Farm, where you can taste what's on the grill, including beef, eggs, and pork (189 Salmon Kill Rd.; 435-2089; open Sat.); at (Litchfield's Laurel Ridge Farm (in the Windmill at 66 Wigwam Rd.; 567-8122; open Sat. or by appointment); and at Sharon's Barlow Beef at Wike Brothers' Farm (32 White Hollow Rd.; 364-5765).

Museums

History buffs will enjoy Kent's Sloane-Stanley Museum's exquisite collection of tools, as well as the Connecticut Museum of Mining and Mineral Science, next door (927-0050; ctamachinery.com). Tapping Reeve House & Law School, the nation's first, in Litchfield, is now a museum that revels in the town's early social and commercial importance (567-4501; litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org).

Activities

In West Cornwall, dairy farmer and activist Debra Tyler has organized local experts to teach family-friendly workshops on traditional skills, from raising chickens to weaving to making sausage (672-0229; motherhouse.us/oldstyleskills_2009.htm; $35 per (family). Visit Reggie Delarm at East Knoll Pottery, her studio in Torrington, for yellowware and to learn about making things in clay (46 Albrecht Rd.; 482-0051; eastknollpottery.com). Edith Chase's lavish 1925 cottage in Topsmead State (Forest can be toured on the 2nd and 4th weekends of months from (June through October (567-5694; friendsctstateparks.org). Parks (along Route 7 have spectacular views. In Kent Falls State Park, a half-mile walk takes you to the top of the waterfall. Macedonia Brook State Park's 2,300 acres include well-sited campgrounds, parts of the Appalachian Trail, and interesting geology, hikes, and views. In Salisbury, hike to the top of Mount Frissell, Connecticut's tallest at 2,380 feet. Berkshire Hiking arranges guided hikes in the area (203-788-7765; berkshirehiking.com). Check out the Morgans, the small hardy horses native to New England, at Lee's Riding Stable, on the Windfield Morgan Farm (567-0785; windfieldmorganfarm.com; trail rides, $35 per person). Take a canoe, kayak, raft, or tube down the Housatonic with the help of Clarke Outdoors, in West Cornwall (163 Rte. 7; 672-6365; trips, $40-$90). For higher octane activities, head to the races or learn advanced driving techniques at Lime Rock Race Track, in Lakeville (60 White Hollow Rd.; 435-5000).

(Go hot-air ballooning at dawn with Adventure Balloon, in Plymouth (860-584-1300; balloon rides, $245 per person).

An annual treat over Labor Day Weekend is the three-day Goshen Fair on the fairgrounds off Route 63 (goshenfair.org).

Reading

Echoes of Iron, by Ed Kirby, is a wonderful plainspoken explanation and history of and guide to the local iron mining industry (Sharon Historical Society, $20). For an understanding of local woodworking and the charcoal industry that preceded iron, get Eric Sloane's A Reverence for Wood (Dover Publications, $10).