Autumn on the rise

Fall is officially upon us and I couldn't be more pleased. Not only are the leaves changing and falling all over the neighborhood, but it's also a beautiful time of year to go for a drive and see some of the colors washing over the Northeast. With Nacho's aunts and uncle visiting from Madrid this past week, I thought it would be a perfect excuse to show them the beauty of a New England fall drive. If you remember our trip last year (you can click here for the highlights), the route goes all the way to Burlington, VT which is where we ventured before jaunting up to Montreal for a couple of days. I really love that drive and since this is our third time making it, I can say with authority it's a must-do for October if you are looking for fall colors. So off we went yesterday morning for a jog up Route 7 into Connecticut in our rented minivan. Oh yes. We bit the bullet and opted for the 7 passenger car since that's how many of us there were! Could have driven our car too and rented something smaller, but it was kind of fun to truck around in the family car. Nacho might not admit it was "cool" but he did look pretty comfy in his captain's chair. Our first stop was lunch in New Milford at the Cookhouse restaurant, a simple bbq joint with lots of options and space for this entourage. I was able to time Carolina's first feeding with this pit stop, so it felt like the day was already running smoothly. Having a big wooden booth for Elisa to stand and dance around in was an extra perk. She was just coming down with something the night before which was kind of tricky. A low grade fever usually doesn't make traveling all that easy--or even necessary--but I wanted to give it a try. Luckily, she woke up rarin' to go, so I made sure to have her ibuprofen on hand and she was in a pretty decent mood the whole day. Clearly, she enjoyed getting out in the woods for our first walk post-lunch to Lovers Leap State Park.

This was a small turn off I noticed as we neared New Milford and after asking the waiter, I was curious enough to backtrack and take a little walk. The beautiful red metal Falls Bridge was constructed in 1895 and has recently gone through a renovation making it a gorgeous little overlook along the river. It was a perfect place to drag Carolina's car seat since we were only steps from the parking lot and wouldn't be staying long. Sometimes you just gotta get that family pic! Back in the car, we drove on up towards Kent, CT and stopped at Bulls Bridge just before hitting the village. This bridge was a surprise to us the first time we came up Route 7 back in 2005 and it has been a highlight each time. It's just fun to walk through and peek out over the raging waters below.

Carolina stayed put in the van that time and we took turns hanging out with her. She was such a trouper yesterday. It definitely felt like she was making things easy on me since she really ate and slept and slept some more all day long. Only as we neared the end of the day did she get even a little bit fussy as we shopped at the mall in Danbury, but that was okay. She earned it. Most of the day was a delight without having to worry about her needs. Now if only her sister could go with the flow as well. As we drove on to the quaint little village of Kent, I was again reminded of how much I love this part of the country. It's so easy to be in another state in just an hour and you have a totally different feel in that woodsy environment. It's one of the best things about living in New York City--that it gives you a new appreciation for nature and the lushness of an autumn walk in the woods. I still don't think I could move up there, but if I did, Kent might be high on my list of places. It has a small central shopping district, some lovely Victorian homes and two stores with homemade chocolate. Yeah, I could handle that.

After topping off with a mochachino and a look around the shops, we zoomed up the road a bit further to Kent Falls State Park. This was really my focal point for the day, but like all good trips it kind of just became part of a perfectly relaxed plan. Everywhere we stopped felt like a nice little break and we didn't have to rush. We made it there in the twilight of the day when the air was turning a bit cool and Carolina need to eat again. So I sat this one out in the car while the rest hiked up to see the falls and enjoy the colorful views back towards the road. Elisa was taking a turn again with her fever starting to creep back and she was clearly chilled (notice the purplish lips). But she loved the wide open space near the base of the falls. Last year we hung out on that lawn and laughed and played as the sun waned. I hope we can do that with both girls next fall. Yes, I'm already planning the trip...