Our friends - and fellow roadtrippers Dan and Mare - invited us to meet them in the village of Riverton, CT (population 292), where they have a beautiful, classic, old New England home along the Farmington River. Dan is a veteran (expert actually) trout fisherman, and his location along the river is considered one of the best places in New England for anglers to catch these prized fish. Personally, we'd be happy swinging in the hammock just watching him fish while he waits for a bite.
After catching up on "thangs", we were treated to a guided tour around the Village. It was a cloudy day, but that didn't dampen our enthusiasm for taking in all of the really awesome sights and sounds of the area. But first: time for some chow! Dan and Mare treated us to lunch at their local General Store (built in 1889), where - like in the old television show Cheers - everyone knows your name.
Bart was in the mood for a BLT and asked this fine, no-nonsense lady a REALLY STUPID QUESTION: "Pardon me ma'am, does the BLT come with lettuce and tomato?" She looked at him with THAT LOOK (the same one Rorie occasionally aims his way). She replied "Of course. What do you think the L and T mean?" Needless to say, everyone in earshot had a great laugh - at Bart's expense. Oh well...
The Riverton General Store has the wonderfully warm feeling of times past, where it was (and still is) the social hub of the community.
Rorie and Bart both said they wished there was a general store like this in their neighborhood where you could grab a sandwich and some homemade soup, along with a serving of the local news.
Now that our "tanks" were full, it was time to get out and explore the Village. This faded old sign gave us a hint of what was to come.
If we were Hollywood set designers, Riverton is exactly what we would create to mimic how a quintessential small town must have looked 100 years ago. We love those iconic stone walls.
The historic Hitchcock Chair Company began manufacturing chairs here in 1826. Sadly, the company closed in 2006. Its memory will live on for many years to come...
Bart studies and reports on small town revitalization success stories. He knows that one of the keys to a community's vibrancy is having committed stakeholders who repurpose old buildings and/or open businesses that draw people to town. Peter and Christine Greenwood, artists and founders of the Greenwood Glass Blowing Gallery & School (https://tinyurl.com/25v29xju) are such spark plugs in Riverton. This old and beautiful church, built in 1829, houses Peter's glass blowing business and Christine's fine art painting studio.
This is where the magic begins in their studio.
And, this is some of Peter and Christine's magic.
After a nice chat with Peter, Mare and Dan continued their tour guide duties. Up the block we went together. Well, lookie loo. A small town movie set wouldn't be complete without a gorgeous horse grazing in someone's backyard.
Continuing on, we spotted yet another architecturally interesting church - The Riverton Congregational Church - built in 1843. This one has actual congregants.
There were many more magnificent old homes and buildings, and here's another.
Sadly for us, we couldn't enjoy the festivities here. But, it did inspire us to take in some BBQ later on the Tour.
The quaint Village of Riverton is a MUST VISIT if you are ever near the area. Thanks again Dan and Mare for you great hospitality. Stay tuned for our next exciting small town adventures in Connecticut.