A couple of weeks ago, I took a work trip out to Connecticut. Despite everything currently going on in the US, I am still obligated to travel for work reasons. I’ve visited Connecticut in the past, but this time around, I chose to fly in to New York (La Guardia) because it was a bit easier than flying in to Connecticut. Since I didn’t need to be in Connecticut until later in the evening, this meant I had an afternoon free in New York. Of course, I had to pop in for a New York minute before spending the rest of the week in CT! Read on for the fullll recap of my adventures in NYC and CT.
New York CITY!!
Like a crazy person, I decided to do some exploring of NYC with the few hours that I had in the city! It was my first time in New York and I decided to go wild. First, it took me 100000 years to find parking, which I paid an arm and a leg for – but I was in NYC so who cares!! Of course, I went straight to the belly of the beast: Times Square. Not going to lie, at first I found it very overwhelming. I found it very dirty and SO busy, with an insane amount of people everywhere. It was still cool to see Times Square and some of the theatres in the area, but pretty soon, I left to explore other spots.
I went to Bryant Park, which was located beside the New York Public Library. The park was cute, and there was a lot of seating around, enjoyed by everyone soaking up the sunshine! The library took the cake though, I absolutely loved it. It was free to enter and walk around, and absolutely gorgeous. I was there for a looong time soaking it in. Next, I explored a couple of spots nearby that I personally found underwhelming: Rockefeller Centre (where the Christmas tree and skating rink are in the winter), Radio City Hall (for music legends), and NBC Studios (talk show stages). I feel like Rockefeller would be more wow-worthy during the Christmas season, and since I only walked around the other buildings, I didn’t get the full experience of exploring inside. It would be better to book a tour of these spaces if you have more time.
Afterwards, I decided to go to Central Park, which I honestly should have just done in the first place because it was amazing! I took the bus there – big deal I know – then walked around The Ramble, a nature area located in kind of the middle of the park. It was honestly the perfect day to be walking around the park due to the weather. It was a gorgeous day and so many animals were around. There was a great view of the lake, and people had rented canoes to paddle around, which was adorable. I walked around a ton and was exhausted by the end of it – but I still probably only saw not even a third of the park. It’s truly massive!
To cap off the adventure, I saw The Met, and just had to sit on the steps for my Gossip Girl moment! It was fun, but unfortunately I had to go and make my journey towards CT. I grabbed some pizza on the way out, then drove to CT which took just over an hour to reach the edge of the state. It was such an interesting experience for me being in NYC for the first time! I’m glad that I did it, but it was definitely quite the whirlwind!
Connecticut
Norwalk & Greenwich, CT
Off to CT we went. The journey began in Norwalk, an area I hadn’t been to before, but I booked a stay at a really nice hotel called The Watershed. They had lovely wood carvings in the lobby, and a lot of wooden beams throughout, with a view overlooking the river nearby. My room and bathroom were both absolutely stunning. I would have done something more exciting in the area, but I was so exhausted from gallivanting around NYC the day before, that I decided to take a bath. It wound up being much needed and very relaxing, topped off with some excellent room service after. It was the perfect relaxing night. I strongly recommend checking out The Watershed if you are staying in the Norwalk area!
I really kicked off my week the next day with a visit in nearby Greenwich. I had a recommendation to visit Aux Delices in downtown Greenwich, and it did not disappoint! It’s an adorable Parisian café, where I had a breakfast sandwich, incredible coffee, and sweet treat for later. I walked around Greenwich for an hour, and was glad for the opportunity to explore a little bit. Shortly though, I had to head off to New Haven for my next visit. After that, I headed north towards Wallingford for another visit. My busy day came to a conclusion in Plainville, where I was staying the next couple of nights. Unfortunately, the hotel was not nearly as nice as The Watershed, but c’est la vie!
West Hartford, CT
The next day I had a few visits before settling in to explore West Hartford, a very nice area. Somehow, the weather managed to get VERY warm and we hit 30 degrees Celsius!! It was MUCH hotter than I had expected, and I did debate for a moment if I would need to go shopping to update my wardrobe. Instead, I opted for ice cream to cool down. Thankfully my hotel had AC! The following day was similar and also VERY hot. I had booked a yoga class midday and was a bit nervous about it, given how hot it was outside, but the studio was nice and cool. It was a super cute space in Newington, and the yoga itself was much needed!
Cornwall & New Milford, CT
My next destination was the Cornwall Inn. I stayed here last year and loved it, and wanted to stay here again! The Cornwall Inn is the cutest bed and breakfast located in Cornwall, close to the edge of the state. There isn’t a ton of cell service in the area, so the inn provides you with physical maps. Being so tech-dependent, there’s something about having a physical map – it’s a cool feeling to navigate in this area of the state. After some visits nearby, I stopped by a café in Watertown to do some work for a bit. I wound up staying there for hours, and had this iced blueberry cheesecake latte that was divine!!!
For my last day in CT, I got to visit New Milford, the self-proclaimed town that inspired Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls. I explored here a lot last year, and was hoping to do more this year – but alas, I only had a short time to do so. The iced honey and lavender latte that I got was exceptional though! I visited a couple of shops, then unfortunately had to head out to make the drive back to New York to fly home. It was a bit hectic getting there, so I’m glad I had some extra time for the drive. Once finally arriving back at La Guardia airport in one piece, I treated myself to a nice dinner of fettucine and aperol spritz. It was expensive, but worth it. And that’s a wrap on my week in CT, and my New York minute!!
Recommendations
So, after my CT week AND a New York minute, what do I recommend?! Well, if you’re visiting NYC for the first time like me, and you at least somewhat enjoy nature… I recommend skipping all of the chaos and going straight to Central Park. Especially if it’s a nice day. You could easily spend the entire day in the park and not even see all of it. If it’s not a nice day, I recommend visiting nearby museums or libraries instead.
For Connecticut, I surprisingly liked the areas of Norwalk and Greenwich that I saw, so I’d recommend exploring that area of the state. If you do, make sure to stay at The Watershed! I also really like the Kent and Cornwall area of the state, which is a bit further north from Norwalk. This area is much more rural and cell service is limited, but it’s worthwhile to explore. I recommend staying at the Cornwall Inn. And of course, if you’re a Gilmore Girls fan, you have to visit New Milford. Happy exploring!! 😊
