It has been several years since we had seen some of our family members in Connecticut, so the weekend after Independence Day we traveled up for a quick overnight visit.
Our 9:30am ferry out of Orient Point was smooth but foggy – we barely saw the Bug Light!
It was a bit brighter sailing into New London but still mostly overcast.
Wanting to get a little further into our drive before breakfast, we opted for the Red Rose Café in Colchester. There was plenty of parking and we snagged a corner table. I got the egg platter with ham and extra crispy seasoned home fries while Leandra got an everything bagel with lox and cream cheese. I also checked out the pastry case before we paid, so we got a peanut butter Blondie to go!
We had some family time in the afternoon, then dinner at Zohara in West Hartford. With six people we did some sharing of plates (hummus and Moroccan cigars) but Leandra and I focused on the Muhammara and crispy chickpeas for our starters and the chicken schwarma and green falafel for mezze. We also split a bottle of rosé cava. While others were finishing up, we took a brief walk around downtown – lots of people out and about, the shops and restaurants were bustling on a warm Saturday evening.
On Sunday morning we got up and walked around downtown West Hartford checking out several murals.
Along the way we stopped at Bloom Bakery on Pratt Street for a cinnamon bun and chocolate chip cookie.
We walked about two miles and Leandra was drenched – the humidity was brutal. After cooling down by the AC unit we went back to my uncle’s house for brunch with family and more conversation.
With a 6pm ferry reservation we bid our goodbyes in the late afternoon and drove back toward New London. Along the way we stopped at Fox Farm Brewery, a short detour. We were surprised at the number of reserved tables, not something you see at most breweries. I got the Consonance and Dissonance (spontaneous ale with grapes), then the Pozar (a smoked polish lager). Leandra went for the Stet, an altbier, and my parents tried the Roam, a peacharine-hopped ale, which was quite pleasant. We sat under the roof of the second barn which had a nice breeze making it a relaxing outside experience.
Our return ferry had a few more waves but was otherwise uneventful. However, this time we were on the Cape Henlopen which took part in the D-Day invasion of Normandy at Omaha Beach!
