I honestly love Connecticut.  I may be biased since I've lived here all my life and therefore find it comfortable, cozy, familiar and home...but even objectively speaking, I think it's beautiful.  Today I wandered up to "The Quiet Corner" (which I lovingly referred to as "The Boring Corner" during my UConn Storrs days) to check out Roseland Cottage in Woodstock with Laurie.  I discovered Roseland Cottage's existence online last month while researching various historical New England sights. 

It was cloudy and cool this morning, and on the drive north I noticed that several of the trees had already begun their seasonal change; their leaves glowed red and orange against the gray skyline.  While the Pomfret/Putnam/Woodstock area of Connecticut might not be the most exciting area of the state, I enjoyed the ride because the winding roads, antique shops, apple orchards, and distinguished-looking schools were all new to me, and I liked the feeling of exploration and discovery in my home state.

While the Roseland Cottage tour was fairly interesting, it wasn't my favorite part of the day.  Afterwards, Laurie and I wandered outside to the beautiful garden in front of the house, and we played with a few Colonial toys on the grounds (it happened to be Civil War Reenactment Day).  We checked out the oldest standing bowling alley in the world (part of the cottage, believe it or not), and listened to some Civil War era music on the lawn.  Then we headed up the road to the Vanilla Bean Cafe (a favorite place of  hers, and a long-time memory of mine: the last time I visited was at the end of my freshmen year in 1998). 

We enjoyed our lunch and good conversation, and then headed on to Mrs. Bridges Pantry for tea and scones.   http://www.mrsbridgespantry.com/  Looooved this!  What an unexpected find in adorable Woodstock.  Mrs. Bridges is basically a British Tea Shop, and they also sell my favorite foods from London including Walkers shortbread and Dairy Milk chocolate bars.  We ordered a pot of tea to share (Yorkshire Gold, to be exact) and two blueberry scones (well, one each).  It was the most delicious scone I've ever had in my life.  And just to be sitting there with the tea cozy in front of me, the little silver container of sugar cubes, and lots of old people (hahaha) made me feel all warm inside.  Okay, I know that sounds lame, but seriously, it's how I felt.  I was happy to be having such a fun, cozy, and interesting experience just an hour away from my house even though I felt far-removed from reality for a bit.  Does that make sense?

On the way home, we stopped at an eclectic gift shop called Celebrations where they had quite the selection from hand-crafted wine classes and artwork to inspirational journals, soaps and jewelery.  I wanted to start my Christmas shopping but was almost too overwhelmed.  I retraced my steps a few times before leaving empty-handed.  But I have a feeling I'll be back...

I loved today because it was low-key but it was time well-spent.  I learned a few new things, I enjoyed each small experience for what it was worth, and I feel like I uncovered some well-hidden secrets in my own back yard.  Looking forward to the next adventure.