Bethany, CT —
A Retreat Away from the Noise of the City

Dreaming about a retreat away from the noise of the city? Consider secluded, affordable, wooded Bethany--Connecticut’s best-kept secret. A sleepy, slow-moving place, surrounded by a rich cultural oasis, Bethany had been named by Connecticut Magazine as among the best small towns in Connecticut. Your neighbor might be a nurse, a professor, a business mogul, a carpenter, but all of them fiercely defend its 58% of undeveloped land and its sustainable agriculture. After all, the town motto is “Rural is Beautiful.” With a population of only 5,500, it was jokingly described as having as many horses as people and there is a Horse Commissioner, who manages the many events available for horse lovers. All this, only 80 miles from New York City and 45 miles from Stamford by car or train.

"buy sustainably grown seasonal fruits and vegetables at Clover Nook farm, one of the oldest continuously operating family-owned and run farms in the state. "

For those who want a more active lifestyle, have a round of golf at the highly rated family-run 9-hole Woodhaven Country Club, where golf fees are reasonable and greens are “challenging but fair.” Hike the Naugatuck Forest Trail and then enjoy a swim in Veteran’s Memorial Park Lake during the summer. Hike nearby Sleeping Giant State Park and fish for trout in its streams. The trail up the mountain ends at a stone observation tower with a magnificent view all the way to Long Island Sound. You also can walk, skate, ski or bike portions of the 50-mile paved Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. Then head to family-run Drazen Orchards in nearby Cheshire, where the owners greet you with a smile and a hello, and you can pick 14 varieties of apples, as well as peaches, plums, pears and quince. (They also have great pies!).

"You also can walk, skate, ski or bike portions of the 50-mile paved Farmington Canal Heritage Trail. "

Also close by are Yale University’s world-class museums and art galleries—all open to the public and mostly free, great for a rainy day. The Yale Center for British Art has the largest collection of British art outside the United Kingdom See the Gutenberg Bible at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript library. The Yale University Art Gallery has an “encyclopedic” collection of art, including works by Degas, van Gogh, Picasso, as well as early Italian paintings, vessels from Tang-dynasty China, masks from West Africa and much more. People of all ages can participate in classes with artists and curators throughout the year. The young and the young-at-heart will enjoy the Peabody Museum of Natural History, which boasts renowned collections that include fossils of our earliest dinosaurs.

After a busy day, head back to Bethany and relax.

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