Kent, Connecticut

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Beautiful Kent, Connecticut truly has it all. From trails that wind through colorful fall foliage to art galleries and charming pastry shops, this town is an absolute wonderland. Whether you're looking for outdoor adventures like hiking, fishing, and horseback riding, or for museums and cultural festivals, romantic Kent has just what you're after.

Set on Highway 7 near the border with New York, Kent lies in the far western part of Connecticut. This town is famous for its arts scene, and visitors can easily jump into the fun by touring the Bachelier-Cardonsky Gallery, the Morrison Gallery, or the Ober Gallery. Follow the Connecticut Impressionist Art Trail through nine museums to see some of the best American Impressionist paintings found anywhere. Throughout the year, Kent also hosts a number of musical concerts, jazz festivals, and antiques shows.

For a more active adventure, you can hike along a section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail or trek past the rivers and streams of the Litchfield Hills and Berkshire Mountains. You'll find excellent bass fishing and boating at North Spectacle Lake. And donít miss the idyllic 1.5-mile hike through an old apple orchard and over the summit of Ore Hill at the scenic Iron Mountain Preserve.

At the 2,300-acre Macedonia Brook State Park, you can follow the Blue Trail as it crosses Cobble Mountain and several other peaks, showing off amazing views of the Catskills and Taconics. You'll also find nearby areas that are perfect for fishing, canoeing, horseback riding, hunting, and water sports. The Kent area has four public golf courses, great fishing at the Kent State Falls trout park, and bike paths that lead to local waterfalls and other scenic sites. Enjoy fabulous bird watching at the Sharon Audubon Center and Litchfield Hills Audubon Society, looking for scarlet tanagers, northern orioles, eastern bluebirds, yellow warblers, and many varieties of colorful butterflies.

With the number of local farms set around Kent, it's no wonder that their farmer's market is one of the finest events you'll find anywhere. Local vendors offer real maple syrup, goat cheese, apple pies, berries, pumpkins, and pressed apple cider. You can pick your own apples in the fall, then head out for a scenic drive through blazing fall color. The fall foliage is at its best in early October when the trees explode with vibrant red, russet, and gold. Youíll find maps and directions to the very best fall-color walks and drives around town.

For a romantic get-away, be sure to check out the Kent wine trails or plan a carriage ride at Loon Meadow Farm or Wood Acres Farm (sleigh rides are also available for winter visitors). You'll find a number of romantic lakes for lakeside picnics, country walks to take, and historic farmhouses everywhere you look. You can dine in the historic Cornwall Inn, the Bulls Bridge Inn, the charming Gourmet Palette, or the elegant Fife 'n Drum Restaurant in the Litchfield Hills.

History lovers won't want to miss Bull's Bridge, a covered bridge with roots that date back to the American Revolution. You can tour the Kent Antique Machinery Museum, the Museum of Mining and Mineral Science, or the Seven Hearths House Museum that was built in 1751. With re-constructed buildings and homes that were built in the 1700s, history truly comes alive in the delightful town of Kent, Connecticut.