New York to Connecticut: A Quick, But Wonderful Overnight Trip

Yup! Another overnight with my beautiful daughter. This time we headed to Connecticut. We had an overnight planned at The Inn at GrayBarns on the Silvermine River, but along the way we made some stops!

Of course my daughter had it all worked out-where we’d stop and what we’d see and honestly, I could not have planned it better myself. She’s pretty amazing!

Our first step was in Greenwich. We drove around a bit and then stopped on Greenwich Ave. She knew I’d love it as there is incredible shopping along this street! We also found some beautiful buildings and churches (you know I love churches!) and took some outfit pictures using these as our backdrops! I’ll be heading back to Greenwich for the shopping, the restaurants, and the beauty of the town, plus it’s only an hour drive from the city.

Next we headed to Browne & Co., an adorable gift shop with a delicious bakery in the back. We wandered around the store for a bit and then gave in to temptation. I ordered a vegan brownie and it was beyond delicious!

At The Beehive we found beautiful gifts, home accessories, jewelry, you name it they probably carry it. Their store felt so comfortable-like we were welcomed to a friend’s home! Once we’re further along on the apartment renovation I’d love to go back to The Beehive and find some goodies for our new place. 

We stopped at another home design and decor store, Bespoke Designs, and here I fell in love with their candles. I know that sounds weird, but the colors and the way they were displayed was just perfect. I know they were displayed for the store, but it looked so pretty I just want to do the same display at home! 🤣

Our next stop was one I could have spent hours and hours in! Terrain Garden Center was simply amazing. I fell in love with all the plants, planters, and the way they were displayed. I grew up in a house with a ton of plants-my mom has always had a very green thumb, mine is greenish! So having plants in a home is something I love. I wanted everything from Terrain, including the outdoor furniture, table decor, bath and body care-I think you get the picture-they carry everything! At one point I heard water and followed it to a beautiful garden display. If you’re in the area you need to visit Terrain Garden Center!

Fairfield County Antique & Design Mart was another stop and it was so much fun to wander through with my daughter. I think she got sick of hearing me say “I had something like that growing up.” or “Grammy & Zeyda had that in their house.” As I’m writing this I’m realizing I saw this stuff I grew up with in an antique store—uummmmm, yikes I’m getting old. 🤣

So our trips often revolve around shopping and food so of course our next stop was food related, I mean we hadn’t gotten any food in a couple of hours! We spent a good amount of time exploring Stew Leonard’s largest store and it was an experience! It reminded us of Ikea in the way it was set up. As we were walking through it was so much fun to find things we hadn’t seen in years-dunkaroos anyone!! Or find some new and unusual foods. The store was massive and if I lived nearby I’d have bought so much. Since we were just visiting we made one purchase-ice cream of course! Stew Leonard’s Norwalk location is known to be the world’s largest dairy store. I don’t think I’ve had as much fun in a grocery store in a long time!

We next decided to get something to eat and bring with us to the hotel. We went to Greens on the Go and I had the most delicious bowl. I ordered the Brussels & Butternut Bowl which included brussels sprouts, butternut squash, pecans, and cranberries. It was so flavorful I didn’t even use the dressing. I’m drooling thinking about it, it was that good!

Graybarns on the Silvermine River was our next, and final, stop. We pulled up and immediately fell in love with the Inn and the surrounding area. The history behind Graybarns is so interesting and the Inn itself is welcoming, charming, and just perfect. From the decor, which utilizes reclaimed wood from the original buildings, to the fireplace (you know I love a fireplace!), to the incredibly nice staff, our stay was perfect. 

The Inn has 6 rooms, each a little different, but all charming. After settling in our room we headed over to the Mercantile, which is a really cute cafe. We tried a few different dishes including the carrot & harissa tartine, a bagel, lox, & cream cheese, and a cheese & salami plate. OMG was they good! Behind the Mercantile is Graygoods, their dry good gift shop where they sell all the beautiful things you see around the Inn including delicious smelling candles, the cozy robes in your room, linens, pillows, and more. Next we walked over to the Tavern to check out the menu (always thinking about food!) The menu looked delicious and the view of the Silvermine River is just beautiful. We also had the opportunity to visit the Barn, a reclaimed structure that was disassembled in upstate New York and rebuilt on site. The Barn is the inspiration behind the name “GrayBarns”. It is a beautiful space for any event. 

We hung out in the room that night, eating, talking, and enjoying the fireplace and ambiance of the room. After a good night’s sleep, we enjoyed breakfast in our room and then took a nice walk down the road to see the waterfall before heading back to the city. This was the icing on the cake! Graybarns on the Silvermine River is the perfect spot for a quick getaway or hosting your next event! 

Another perfect getaway with my daughter! Can’t wait to see where we go next. xo