Yesterday we visited Topsmead State Park in nearby Litchfield CT.
As it is described on the CT State Parks website "In 1917, Miss Chase received from her father approximately 16 acres on Jefferson Hill in Litchfield. Here she built a substantial summer home in 1923. She hired noted architect Richard Henry Dana, Jr. to help her design and build the English Tudor style house which was completed in 1925."
I had never heard of this lovely place before until I did some research on nearby parks and trails where you can take dogs - poor Holly doesn't have a backyard now that we live on Main Street and I like to take her somewhere she can run and roll in the grass as often as I can.
It was a gorgeous autumn day - the views and the gardens were beautiful. The park is part of the Topsmead State Forest which I believe I read is over 500 acres - the GPS kept leading us to wooded places to park to hike the trails, but I really was not in a hiking mood - I wanted to get to the house and fields! Luckily I spotted a sign and entrance to the house area, which not surprisingly is a popular venue for weddings and photographs (just take a look at Google images and you'll see what I mean).
Now that I am back to painting "en plain air" I'll have to go back with my french easel - and a picnic! If you ever happen to be near Litchfield, CT you should visit this lovely place. There are tours of the house as well - but no dogs allowed inside! You can see more photos in my Beautiful Northwestern CT Flickr album.
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