Bartlett Arboretum

To experience the scenic backcountry roads, take exit/Round Hill Road en route to the Audubon Center in Greenwich.  Explore over 500 acres of trails to enjoy the flora, fauna and birds in this ideal environment.

Back on the Merritt headed North, take Exit 35/High Ridge Road, turning left onto 137 North to follow signs for the Bartlett Arboretum, Stamford Museum & Nature Center, until you see signs for the Arboretum, the perfect spot for fall foliage featuring 63 acres of trails, award winning trees, gardens and greenhouses.

Retrace your route back to the Merritt, take Exit 36/Route 106/124 by turning right onto Elm Street, then left on Main Street, which bends into Oenoke Road.  Here, you will find the New Canaan Historical Society's campus setting.

SoNo

Experience SoNo, Norwalk's trendy waterfront district (exit 39A).  Shop the boutiques or choose from the many restaurants serving diverse cuisine.

Silvermine Guild Arts Center

See the latest exhibit at the Silvermine Guild Arts Center in New Canaan (exit 40A).

Now, onto Easton, Monroe, Shelton & Trumbull--towns that share farming traditions though close to metropolitan centers.  Retaining the countrified character that defined the region in earlier times, these towns cherish their charm.  They also have some of New England's best fall foliage viewing because of its concentration of maple trees.  Farm stands abound and farmers markets are plentiful.  A visitor can experience everything from barnyard animals, pick-your-own produce, October corn and bale mazes or the joy of sharing a hayride to the orchards to pick apples.  Come back for maple sugaring and cut your own Christmas trees.  Follow Route 123 South to re-enter the Merritt Parkway at Exit 38 and turn off the parkway at Exit 45 turining North on to Route 58 to Easton.  Enjoy the picturesque Aspectuck Resevoir en route to Aspectuck Valley Apple Barn for autumnal foods and flowers.

Silverman's Farm

Turn back onto Route 58 heading south and take a left onto Center Road.  Drive through the Easton town center to Route 59, turning left head north on 59.  Shortly thereafter is Silverman's Farm, a pick-your-own orchard with apples & peaches as well as pumpkins, seasonal foods, flowers, cidering and aviary.

Jones, Plasko's, Beardsley Cider Mill and Bennetts, all places where you'll find the farm fresh bounty of Fairfield County.

Indian Wells State Park

Silverman's Farm in Easton (exit 46) delivers the ultimate autumn experience with apple-picking, a pumpkin patch, tractor rides and live bluegrass music on Sundays.

Continue on Route 59 North to a stop sign, turning right onto Route 25 to Monroe, then turn left onto Route 110, till you arrive at Indian Wells State Park for a delightful ramble along shaded paths beside the Housatonic river.  The possibilities for indoor and outdoor recreation are many and the nearby hotels have the kinds of amenities that make travel easy.  Whether you stay overnight or just come for the day, take home delicious, wholesome, fresh produce and the imagery of fall foliage color.