My dad’s birthday was a few weeks ago and he had one request: a family foliage drive through upstate Connecticut. Leaves were at their peak — bold hues of orange, yellow, and crimson dotted the rolling hills around our state. Plus my sister added in a few surprises to our itinerary… a short walking trail at White Memorial Conservation Center, a visit to Lime Rock Park race track (our dad loves cars), and lunch at Berkshire Country Store.

Here’s the birthday boy on the actual anniversary of his birth (October 16th):

My mom made her specialty dessert — cake with Magnolia Bakery frosting (recipe found in their cookbook). SO decadent, and so worth the calories.

Our dogs were eager to spread birthday cheer — that’s my sister’s newly adopted pup Oscar on the left, and my parents’ adorable Bichon named Bijou on the right:

Mom, Beth, and Oscar:

Fish-eye family portrait:

We woke up early the next morning and took meandering backroads to the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield.

There’s a little hut for watching birds (one of my parents’ favorite pastimes) so we hunkered down and quietly observed as birds flocked to nearby feeders.

More pretty foliage at White Memorial:

We popped into the museum / gift shop to ask advice on which trails to walk. The woman behind the counter said she could offer us a dozen recommendations, but that the Little Pond Boardwalk Loop is always a favorite. It’s just over a mile through pretty terrain with water views. Sold! We drove a mile or two to the trailhead and set out along the path. I don’t have much to add in the way of commentary, but photos tell the story of how pretty this place is:

The couple on the bridge were doing an engagement photo shoot — nice place to consider if you’re looking for scenic spots in Connecticut.

The leaves were floating down like snowflakes as we strolled back to the car:

Next we drove to Berkshire Country Store in West Cornwall to get take-out sandwiches for lunch. For many years during our childhood, we would pass by this place en route to summer camp in Sharon, CT — it was nice to finally stop for a bite to eat.

While waiting for our sandwiches, the signage by the gas pumps caught my eye… I went down the list in my head: “Ha, I’ve gone sky diving. Oh, I’ve climbed to Mt. Everest Base Camp, too. WAIT A MINUTE, I’ve also gone swimming with sharks!” So by eating at Berkshire Country Store I have officially crossed each item off of their random Bucket List.

Next we drove past the West Cornwall covered bridge, but did not stop because we were eager to get to the race track and eat our sandwiches.

Gorgeous farm en route to Lakeville, CT:

My dad was most excited about this next stop, as he loves cars and had never been to Lime Rock Park before — it’s a natural-terrain road racing venue. Since there weren’t any major races going on that day, entrance was free. My sister had called in advance to find out the schedule and knew there would be a low-key race that afternoon, so we signed in at the front gate (guests must sign a waiver to enter) and scouted out an area to watch the track. We had brought plastic chairs along just for this purpose and hunkered down to enjoy lunch as vehicles whizzed by below us.

Next we had tentative plans to drive up to the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts but it was late afternoon by that point so we scrapped that idea. Instead we crossed over into nearby New York for a quick visit to the charming town of Millerton.

Not your standard variety of animal-heads-on-a-wall in the local tea shop (the unicorn is my favorite):

Next we stopped at Irving Farm Coffee House for a caffeine fix…

And Oblong bookstore is always a favorite… they have the best knickknacks.

I spotted these coloring books we got hooked on at summer camp last year!

Speaking of summer camp, next we drove around Mudge Pond in Sharon, CT — the same lake where our camp is located. It’s been forever since I’ve seen it in the fall, and the views were breathtaking.

A few more shots from Sharon, CT:

That evening, we ordered take out pizza:

And we played a new board game that proved really addicting — it’s called Ticket to Ride and we woke up the next morning to play another round. The idea is to build train routes across the country and, depending on the length of the route, score as many points as possible while blocking other players at strategic junctures.

That afternoon we went on a short walk with the pups in town before reluctantly admitting the fun part of the weekend was over and attended to chores (groceries, laundry) in preparation for the upcoming week.

Thanks for being born, Padre! Love you so much!