Last week my mother and I made an all-too quick trip down to Salisbury, Connecticut. Our visit was postponed a day because of Tuesday’s blizzard and then cut short by another because of Friday’s snowstorm, but we still managed to fall in love with this area of Litchfield County in seemingly no time at all. The village of Salisbury is absolutely charming, with bucolic horse farms scattered along winding country roads, and classic homes and shops filling the quaint downtown. It’s an area I can see myself returning to time and time again.
White Hart Inn
Located right in the center of the charming village of Salisbury, Connecticut, the White Hart opened its 19th century doors for business late this past summer after being closed for four years. The inn’s clean, classic elegance was accented by hardwoods, bold art, and strong patterns. Its rooms were lovely and luxurious, and everyone we encountered on staff was delightful. Photographing the details of the sitting room and reception area, including artwork by Jasper Johns & Frank Stella, was an absolute pleasure. Read more about our stay at the White Hart here.
At Home in the Country
We walked around downtown after our dinner at the White Hart’s Tap Room, selecting which shops we’d like to visit the next day, and At Home in the Country made it to the top of our list. This darling shop is filled with great gifts, home accessories, and even works of art, like the beautiful paintings I spied by Joan Badner, an artist with ties to Maine.
Peter Becks Village Store
Northwestern Connecticut has an abundance of state parks, land trusts, and trail systems, (the Appalachian Trail runs through Salisbury) so it’s only fitting that the town has an equally impressive outdoors store to match its environmental charm. With brands like Patagonia, Filson, and Smartwool, Peter Becks has an excellent selection of both technical gear and lifestyle apparel.
Joie de Livres
Tucked in the back of Salisbury Wines, Joie de Livres is a gallery of books, many of which are collectible fine art tomes. So many titles caught my eyes, I could have spent hours browsing the fantastic collection, and the fact that it is literally inside a wine shop had me dreaming up my own version of a store filled with two of the things I love most in this world – art books & good wine.
Salisbury Wines
Visiting a wine shop while traveling will always be one of my favorite travel rituals, as I love seeing what other shops in different areas have to offer. Salisbury Wines was written up on Find.Eat.Drink., a travel app that Michael & I swear by, so not stopping in as my mother and I walked past the shop on Main Street was simply not an option. I was more than happy to pick up a bottle of Banshee – a favorite from our trip to Sonoma – on my way out the door.
Salisbury Breads
Another Find.Eat.Drink. recommendation I insisted we visit (even though we were still full from breakfast at the White Hart), Salisbury Breads has an abundance of freshly baked breads, pastries, pies, soups, and even gluten-free treats – not to mention that distinct, heavenly aroma that all wonderful bakeries have in common. The croissants looked exceptionally tasty to me, but we opted for two of the smaller apple pastries to tide us over on our ride to Hudson.
If our trip hadn’t been cut short, we would have had dinner at The Woodland in nearby Lakeville, sipped tea at Harney & Sons in Millerton, and explored one of the many trail systems in the area. Needless to say, I’m hoping to plan a return trip to Salisbury with Michael & Orvis – there’s just so much to see and do. Of course, I’d appreciate any tips you all might have on exploring Northwestern Connecticut for our next visit.
All photos taken by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.
Ahh I miss CT. How beautiful!
These are fabulous images. The Chamber of Commerce needs to hire you to market their village!
Wonderful!