Here’s Part Three of our Experience Essex Gal Pal Getaway! You can see Part One and Part Two if you missed them. Helen, Claire, and I started our second day in Essex with a morning sail.
Sailing Aboard “On Rust”
The Connecticut River Museum is a must see when visiting Essex. It’s just down the street from The Griswold Inn. It’s a great way to understand the maritime history of the area. If you are wanting to get on the water, they offer a sail aboard “On Rust” which is a replica of the first ship ever to sail up the Connecticut River.
That morning, we packed our bags for the boat and enjoyed the sights on the water. This part of the Connecticut River goes right out into the Sound and it is lush and green with beaches speckled throughout. It really is a beautiful part of state.
This sail can be hands on if you’d like and we all took our turns hoisting and lowering the sails. Here’s a few snaps from our time on the water.
Getting a Tour in The Griswold’s Antique Auto
After our sail, we got a little tour of the town in The Griswold Inn’s Antique Ford. It was a really fun way to see parts of the town that we probably wouldn’t have known to visit. Also, we learned a little more about this wonderful little village.
If you visit and see it on the street, be sure to say hi to “Gris-ley” Bear and you might just get honk of the horn.
Courtesy of Claire Wiley
A Picnic in the Park with Savour Cafe & Bakery
After getting some amazing views of Essex from the water and on the road, we walked down to Middle Cove Park and were surprised by an amazing picnic lunch from Savour Cafe & Bakery. Savour is a French-inspired cafe and bakery right in the heart of the Connecticut River Valley. Maybe a five minute drive from The Griswold Inn?!
My mouth is watering just thinking about the amazing food they treated us to that day! It is a must stop and taste when you visit. Amazing bakery items and a great lunch menu with sandwiches, salads, quiche, and more! Everything is just simply delicious.
Ice Cream at Sweet Pea’s
We needed to walk off that amazing picnic lunch, so we stopped into some more shops along Main Street. By then end of our last day in Essex, we said our farewells with a little ice cream from Sweet Pea’s. They have a walk-up window and you can sit in the square or walk down to the dock to enjoy your scoop. Also, they offer organic juices if you want to stay the healthy route.
Ice Cream & Inn photos by Julia Dags
Sweaters and Ball Caps all from J. Alden : Flag Sweater , Blue Striped Sweater, Essex Sweater, “SX” Ball Caps
Photo by Julia Dags
That wrapped our time in lovely Essex, Connecticut!!
It was such an amazing Girls Getaway. I was so happy to share it with friends and even during these strange times we find ourselves in—you can safely enjoy a little trip close to home. Every store we went into required a mask and hand sanitizer, people walking on the street were doing a great job social distancing, and The Griswold Inn has top notch cleaning, dining, and safety protocols in place to prevent the spread of COVID.
In case you missed it here’s…
Part One
Part Two
It was really lovely to get an insider’s view of this town I’ve grown to adore so much over the years. Joan from The Griswold Inn and Amy from J. Alden were the perfect hosts. I can’t thank them enough for creating an amazing experience!
Here’s to many more special dinners, sidewalk strolls, and adventures in this beautiful part of Connecticut!