Over the past couple of years my husband and I have opted for a weekend away to celebrate our birthdays, sans kids, over giving each other gifts. On his most recent birthday, he organized his entire celebratory weekend! Our getaway was for just one night, but we managed to make it a great 24 hours in Hartford County, Connecticut.
Where to Stay:
We stayed for one night at the Truman Gillet House Bed & Breakfast in Granby, CT. This historic home, built circa 1805, has just two guest rooms. I recommend the Connecticut Room Suite, which can sleep up to four. It has its own private bathroom, which includes a large whirlpool tub. One of the perks of staying at a bed and breakfast is the complimentary homemade breakfast that is served. During our stay, we were treated to a fresh fruit salad and homemade blueberry pancakes. The Truman Gillet House was super affordable at just $140/night.
Where to Eat:
We celebrated my husband’s birthday with dinner at Present Company in Tariffville, Connecticut. This restaurant is just a 10 minute drive from the bed and breakfast. Located in a 19th century mill, Present Company serves French-American cuisine. They have an open kitchen concept with a large dining room. The restaurant serves either a 3 course prix fixe $75 dinner menu or a 5 course chef’s tasting menu for $120. Wine pairings are available for an additional cost. Our dinner was delicious. Each dish was so complex with layers of flavor! Portions were large and not only tasted good, but were plated beautifully as well. I highly recommend this restaurant and wish it was closer so we could visit more often!
We enjoyed a late lunch at Gio’s Brick Oven Pizzeria in East Granby, Connecticut before heading home. We shared the eggplant parm with pasta and the eggplant with fresh mozzarella, marinara and roasted peppers specialty sandwich. This pizzeria/restaurant has an extensive menu that includes a variety of specialty pizzas, salads, sandwiches, pasta and entrees.
What to Do:
The primary reason for our visit to Hartford County, Connecticut was to visit the New England Air Museum. My husband is a history lover and one of his hobbies is building model airplanes. He had been wanting to visit the museum for awhile and knew that this was not an attraction that our two teens would enjoy. His birthday weekend was the perfect opportunity for just he and I to visit. The museum is less than 10 miles away from the Truman Gillet House Bed & Breakfast.
Over 55 aircraft are displayed at the New England Air Museum in exhibit hangars and outdoors. When the museum isn’t too crowded, visitors are able to sit in the cockpits of several aircraft! We spent a good 2 1/2 hours wandering the museum. For those with kids, there are flight science demonstrations and a play area.
Unfortunately, we only had 24 hours to spend in Granby and did not get to explore all there is to do in the area. There are parks and hiking trails, antique shops, wineries and farms nearby. There’s enough to do to make an entire weekend visit and we will have to plan another trip to Hartford County, Connecticut soon!
