Autumn Harvest in Connecticut

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]Y [/dropcap]et another New England state has gone medicinal thanks to Connecticut’s “pharmaceutical” cannabis program (only pills, creams and edibles are sold). Even though you can’t smoke flower buds, what could be better than orally medicating on a chilly autumn day along a stretch of lonely lake with what seems like millions of orange, red and yellow leaves fluttering in the wind and reflecting back to you upon the still water?

Connecticut is the southerly-most New England state, although some of its most southwestern cities near the New York border are considered part of the Tri-State Area. To the south, Connecticut is known for its maritime past and present as it hugs the more peaceful Long Island Sound in such chic seaside towns as Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, Madison, Old Saybrook, Mystic (as in the Julia Roberts’ classic chick flick Mystic Pizza) and, perhaps not so ironically now, Stonington.

October is the perfect time to visit Connecticut. September’s country fairs have all but vanished from the scene to be replaced with Halloween happenings and holiday boutiques in charming by-the-sea towns and river valley villages. Fall’s raging colors are in full force by mid fall and so are other enjoyable things to do in this vibrant state such as: Hiking, biking, kayaking, sailing, apple picking, art gallery hopping, designer shopping, casino gambling, fine dining, wine tasting and road tripping through quiet and quaint New England-style towns.

Fun-Filled Facts

–Romance is in the air when traveling to Connecticut during the chilly falling of the leaves season. Cozy B&Bs dot the state to provide romantic respites complete with fireplaces, homemade breakfasts and even couples’ massage.

–Skip the shore, and head to the center of Connecticut up river via New Haven and Hartford. This hilly country is not only incredibly scenic, but also full of colonial history, art and architecture as well as such venerable cultural institutions as Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hill-Stead Museum, The New Britain Museum, Yale Center for British Art and the Mark Twain House & Museum.

–Surprisingly, Connecticut is home to 25 eclectic wineries, which together form what is called the Connecticut Wine Trail.

If You Go

Even when offering New England’s only “pharmaceutical” medical cannabis program where no smoking is allowed, Connecticut’s all-organic powdered and edible cannabis dispensaries have doubled their growing customer base since going legal in 2012, so says Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan A. Harris. In fact, medicinal cannabis patients and their advocates have been lobbying as of late to get three more dispensaries licensed and opened as there’s only six “cannabis clinics” operating at this time. The number of doctors dispensing oral cannabis meds is also expanding although they can only prescribe pills, creams and edibles to those who can conform to a list of just 14 medical conditions.

Time to Go: Fall, spring and summer

Weather: Cool and breezy in the fall and spring with hot, humid summers

Budget: $$$$$