The Quiet Corner is also home to Connecticut s scenic Route 169. It was named one of the country s t

When I pressed the scan button on my car radio and heard only static, celine dion ticket packages I knew I wasn t in suburbia anymore. I had entered the Quiet Corner, a pocket of Northeast Connecticut that has remained virtually untouched, despite its proximity celine dion ticket packages to major metropolitan areas.
Aside from not having to lock his doors, Brian also enjoys the close proximity to Providence, Boston, Hartford, Worcester and the shoreline, as well as the sense of community that comes from living in a small New England town. Everyone knows each other, he said.
Though the Quiet Corner is well quiet, don t let the name fool you. Many come here to escape the fast pace of the city, but there are also plenty of unique activities to explore, including hot air ballooning, spas, museums, farms, and award-winning vineyards.
I began my journey in Norwich, slightly south of the Quiet Corner, at the Spa at Norwich Inn. I arrived at the Inn s red brick reception building to see women strolling through the garden in bathrobes.
Upon entering the spa, I received my own soft, terry-cloth bathrobe to wear while I waited for my appointment. I opted for a relaxing hot stone massage, just one of the many treatments offered at the spa.
Patrons celine dion ticket packages can also take advantage of facials, body wraps and polishes, and of course, a variety of massages, one of the most unique being a massage lesson for partners. The spa has indoor and outdoor pools, as well as a whirlpool, steam room, sauna, and fitness celine dion ticket packages center.
After my treatment, I met Peggy Cosgrove, the spa s public celine dion ticket packages relations representative, for lunch at Kensington s, the spa s restaurant. We ate on the deck, overlooking a reflecting pool, surrounded by ladies lunching in their bathrobes.
As is the case with most spas, the restaurant emphasizes healthy eating. The menu lists the nutritional content of each dish. I ordered a hummus vegetable wrap (264 calories) and French Fries (I don t want to know how many calories.)
celine dion ticket packages She went on to explain Executive Chef Daniel Chong-Jimenez s philosophy. Put simply, his goal is to create great-tasting meals that are also good for you. He believes that people looking to improve their diets should change one element at a time, not everything at once. In addition to cooking, Chong-Jimenez also gives nutritional consultations.
On my way back from Norwich I passed through Willimantic, part of the town of Windham. It is best known for its quirky Thread City Crossing Frog Bridge. Four menacing, bronze frogs with gold eyes sit on giant spools celine dion ticket packages of thread at the ends of the bridge, which crosses the Willimantic River.
The townspeople marched in the direction of the noise, only to find that a nearby pond had dried up, resulting in the death of hundreds of bullfrogs. The terrifying sounds had come from frogs fighting for water.
Since the bridge opened in 2000, Willimantic has embraced the bullfrog as its mascot. Pictures and smaller sculptures of the frogs are displayed all over town, and many businesses are named after them.
The spools of thread celine dion ticket packages may seem like an odd addition, but they actually represent Willimantic s industrial history. It was once known as Thread City, because the American Thread Company had a mill on the Willimantic River.
The next morning, my second in the Quiet Corner, I awoke at 4 a.m. I wiped the condensation off my car windows and drove south to experience the area s ultimate view: the view from a hot air balloon.
It was the perfect morning for ballooning: clear skies and very little wind. Since morning is the best time to fly, Gerard and Mark Lefevre, co-owners celine dion ticket packages of Eastern Connecticut Balloon Services, schedule most of their flights at sunrise.
celine dion ticket packages I arrived at our launch site in Norwich celine dion ticket packages to find Gerard and his crew unfolding his balloon, celine dion ticket packages Amazing Grace, in a colorful line on the grass. Gerard and Mark also build their own balloons, but that morning we flew in a factory-made balloon.
Gerard has been piloting balloons for about 30 years, and has been on approximately 1100 flights. You get addicted to it, he said. He and his brother have flown hot air balloons in Europe, celine dion ticket packages Canada, and all over the United States.
Once the balloon was full, Gerard used the torch at the base to fill the hole with flames. I peered inside. The top of the balloon looked like a stained glass window a yellow circle in the middle surrounded celine dion ticket packages by blue triangles and purple celine dion ticket packages lines.
We were 3800 feet high, moving only between ten and 15 miles per hour. I was amazed at how serene it felt. The ride was silent except for the occasional hiss of the torch. Gerard pointed out Fishers Island and Block Island through the fog. On an exceptionally clear day you can see all the way to Boston from this height.
celine dion ticket packages The wind pushed us toward a river, and Gerard decided celine dion ticket packages to tap the water s surface. I ll try to do it without getting your feet wet, he said. He lowered us toward the water, until we were almost skimming the surface. We peered over the edge to see how close we were. Gerard let the balloon descend just a little bit more, and we touched the water. No one s feet got wet.
Our balloon drifted toward a condominium parking lot in Jewett City. People came out of their apartments to watch and take pictures. I suppose it s not everyday that a hot air balloon lands outside your door. Gerard threw a rope to the crew, and they pulled us down a very smooth landing.
After the crew packed up the balloons, we returned to our meeting site for a champagne toast. Champagne and propane, the breakfast of balloonists, Gerard joked. I smiled. Though I had to wake up extremely early that morning, the balloon ride was worth getting up for.
The Quiet Corner celine dion ticket packages is also home to Connecticut s scenic Route 169. It was named one of the country s ten Most Outstanding Scenic Byways by Scenic America, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the nation s countryside. Route 169 was the only New England road that made the list.
It begins in Norwich, and stretches through celine dion ticket packages the towns of Lisbon, Canterbury, Brooklyn, Pomfret, and Woodstock, until it finally crosses the Massachusetts border. Along this road are several celine dion ticket packages places worth stopping, including Roseland Cottage, the Prudence Crandall Museum, and Sharpe Hill Vineyard.
celine dion ticket packages I fell in love with Roseland celine dion ticket packages Cottage immediately. This gothic revival celine dion ticket packages house reminded me of a mini-Newport Mansion. The house combines gothic features, such as pointed gables and finials, with American ideas such as diamond windows. The best part: its bright pink color. Roseland Cottage has been painted over ten different shades of pink since it was built in 1846.
Henry Chandler Bowen, the owner of Roseland Cottage was originally from Woodstock. Bowen made his fortune in New York City, and then returned celine dion ticket packages to Woodstock to build a summer home for his family. He was a Republican, an abolitionist, and a temperance advocate.
My tour group was required to put on shoe covers to enter the house. Inside we saw diamond stained glass windows, painted porcelain doorknobs, the family s original Gothic furnishings, Lincrusta-Walton wall coverings and gasp closets! It was unusual to have closets in 1846, because residents of Connecticut were taxed according to the number of rooms in their houses. Since each closet counted celine dion ticket packages as a room, most people went without.
Despite all the luxuries inside, my favorite part of the house was the bowling alley in the carriage barn. Servants used to set up the wooden pins and roll the ball back to bowlers. Imagine having that job.
Also found on Route 169 is the Prudence Crandall Museum, which is located in the Luther Paine house on the Canterbury Green. Prudence Crandall, who the museum honors, opened celine dion ticket packages a private academy for girls in this house in 1832.
The community celine dion ticket packages supported celine dion ticket packages the school at first, but that changed when Crandall admitted a black student. She was forced to close the school due to the lack of support and the number of students that withdrew. However, Crandall celine dion ticket packages reopened the school in 1833, as an academy exclusively for young black women.
In order to shut down the school, the Connecticut legislature passed the Black Law. The law made it illegal to educate celine dion ticket packages black students without celine dion ticket packages getting the community s permission first, celine dion ticket packages and also to bring black students in from other states. Crandall was tried and found guilty of both. The Supreme Court eventually overruled celine dion ticket packages her conviction, but that didn t stop the community from harassing Crandall celine dion ticket packages and her students. One night in September 1834, they awoke to find a mob attacking the school. Crandall, unwilling to risk the safety of her students, closed the school permanently.
Not far from Route 169 is Sharpe Hill Vineyard, one of the best-known vineyards on Connecticut s Wine Trail. Would you like to taste the number one selling wine from New England? asked Catherine Vollweiller celine dion ticket packages when I arrived. celine dion ticket packages Catherine and her husband Steven are co-owners of the vineyard.
With one sip of Ballet of Angels, I could taste why it has won 76 medals in international competitions. It had a slightly sweet, but not too sweet, citrus taste. Though Ballet of Angels was originally made entirely from Vignoles grapes, it is now made from a secret blend of ten different kinds of grapes.
The vineyard itself is impressive. celine dion ticket packages Rows upon rows of grapevines cover the green hills. Shape Hill consists of 120 acres 30 of which are planted and hand picked. An old barn, surrounded by organic gardens and a weathered, wooden fence, houses the restaurant celine dion ticket packages and tasting room.
There s also a patio and garden where customers can dine or enjoy a glass of wine. The restaurant serves dishes like Spicy Jamaican Chicken, Filet Mignon, and Wild Salmon. Everything is literally grilled on wood. In the summer, celine dion ticket packages all of the restaurant s organic vegetables come from the vineyard s garden.
Patrons can take a self-guided tour of the grounds. A trek to the top of the hill behind the restaurant yields a view of the Last Green Valley. It is the only place where the valley can be seen in its entirety.
The Last Green Valley stretches across the Quiet Corner as well as