Northwestern Connecticut is known for its bucolic setting: rolling hills, outstanding vistas, and abundant greenery. It’s no surprise that some of the most gorgeous flora, fauna, and scenery can be found here. From farms to nurseries to preserves, this region has it all for outdoor lovers. Although we live pretty close to some great nurseries, hiking spots, and restaurants here in the Hudson Valley region of New York, it’s always nice to get out and explore what else is out there. So, we decided to embark on a Northwestern Connecticut day trip!

The weather was calling for some heavy rain in the afternoon, so we got on the road early and made it to White Flower Farm by 11 a.m. It was a lovely Spring morning, with partly cloudy skies and a very comfortable (and welcome) upper 60s reading on the thermometer. The perfect weather for a Northwestern Connecticut day trip.

Opened in 1950, this 250-acre property in the Litchfield Hills has been owned by the Wadsworth family since 1976.

Customers can shop at the nursery and also mail-order items. I don't know about you guys, but when I can, I always like to see it before I buy it.

We started with a walk around the property to get a lay of the land.

There are gorgeous stone walls and stone steps throughout. You can even take a seat in the garden. There are several greenhouses here that we walked by, although none were open when we visited. By now, you’ll probably be able to get veggies, herbs, and hanging baskets. From a variety of delicious types of tomatoes to asparagus, peppers, zucchini, and herbs, this is a one-stop shop for your vegetable garden needs.

Be sure to stop and smell the flowers as you move along!

From purples, pinks, oranges, yellows, and reds, you'll find a cornucopia of colors within the flowers for sale.There are perennials like roses, coral bells, daffodils, tulips, foxgloves, and hydrangeas, and annuals like begonias, dahlias, petunias, and zinnias. There is also an assortment of potted plants available.

Aside from all the plants and flowers available, you’ll also find Cretan pottery and even the highly coveted Whichford Pottery out of England.

The store is also the sole US distributor for B&L begonias.

New or intimidated by the world of nurseries? Not to worry! You don’t have to be a horticulturist to shop here. Not only are there signs everywhere indicating what each and every plant is and how to care for them, but there are also several gardeners walking around the nursery, ready and willing to answer all of your questions.

In fact, we learned all about this European beech tree that was planted in 1958 from one of them.

When you're finished shopping, head inside the gift shop to pay and browse a variety of beautiful glassware and décor to display inside or outside your home.

There are also garden items for sale, from tools and seeds to garden ornamentation, containers, and more.

Visit often as the gardens are always changing. We'll certainly be coming back to grab some veggies. For now, the weather is still holding out, and we are off to Hidden Valley Preserve to explore!

The drive from White Flower Farm to Hidden Valley Preserve in Washington Depot took about 15 minutes on country roads, with scattered farms, small shops, and lots of open space.

And, of course, me in the passenger seat ooh-ing and aah-ing at each adorable landmark we pass. I was more than impressed so far with our Northwestern Connecticut day trip. We parked at the lot off Bee Brook Road, where there were plenty of spots. We grabbed our waters, re-tied our hiking shoes, and headed to the map of the preserve.

Hidden Valley Preserve consists of 700 acres with 17 miles of trails. There are 11 trails in total here, with varying lengths of .4–3.5 miles.

We decided to get the most bang for our buck by taking the 3.5-mile yellow circle trail, known as the Van Sinderen Trail. It is named after the family that donated this land to Steep Rock Association in 1963.

The trail goes from crushed rock to dirt to sand. You quickly move away from the road and its sounds to be met with only the sounds of rushing water and birds.

Views of the Shepaug River dominate the trail as it begins. There are even some short, unmarked side paths that will take you to some lovely, close-up water views.

You'll also get a nice aerial view of the Thoreau footbridge. If you have some extra time, be sure to take the President's Trail (orange square), which will take you right to it.

The trail was well-marked and included indications of where you can connect to other trails if you want to extend your hike or see other points of interest.

Not only did the the terrain change quite a bit, but so did the surroundings.

We knew we were getting to the first point of interest when we started seeing white rock on the ground. Follow the quartz mine road (trail)...

And you’ll end up at – you guessed it – a quartz mine!

From the 1800s until 1915, this mine produced quartz which was taken to the Hudson River. Today, you can view the remains.

After admiring the unique rock for a bit, we continued on our way. Suddenly, we heard pounding sounds in the distance. As it got closer, we realized it was a horse!

We shared the trail with a horse, and other trails allow bikes as well. These

shared trails truly are spectacular.

Next up, we hit our second point of interest, the Hidden Valley Overlook. Stop for a moment and take in the views to the west from this semi-circular terrace.

Hidden Valley Preserve is operated by Steep Rock Association, which manages three other preserves in the area. Check out the Steep Rock Association website to learn more.

It was starting to get a little buggy and we were getting hungry, so we finished up the hike and headed straight for G.W. Tavern.

We arrived within minutes. Just one mile from Hidden Valley Preserve on Bee Brook Road, you’ll find this circa 1850 Colonial home. It has housed the G.W. Tavern since 1996. Head to the website for the G.W. Tavern for the most up-to-date hours and menus.

We sat outside on the side patio and enjoyed idyllic views and sounds of the Shepaug River.

You'll discover beautifully manicured open space out here, but because we had a long, active day, we tore ourselves away from the grounds and got down to business with the menu.

Many ingredients are sourced locally, and the cocktail and food menu change seasonally. When we visited, there was a special vodka cocktail, which I highly recommend!

The lunch menu featured sandwiches, burgers, and fish options. For appetizers, there were choices of soups, salads, and other fan favorites, like potato skins.

I chose the Shaved Steak Sandwich and was in the middle of devouring it when the rain began.

We were quickly ushered inside by our waiter and settled into a booth in the bar area as it was quieter than the main dining room.

Both are very cozy and decorated with Americana murals and many monuments, portraits, and busts of George Washington. There’s even a lovely fireplace. We finished up our meal inside and with bellies full and happy, headed out to the car.

Head to the website for the G.W. Tavern for the most up-to-date hours and menus.See our full adventure here:

All in all, despite the rain snafu, this really was a glorious Northwestern Connecticut day trip! What do you think? Have you ever been to any of these spots? Share your thoughts in the comments and check out these Connecticut day trips.

To discover more incredible boots-on-the-ground adventures across America from our team of local travel experts, check out all of the articles in OnlyInYourState’s Everyday Explorers series. What destinations would you like to see featured next on OnlyInYourState’s Everyday Explorers? Tell us where we should go on our nominations page.