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We ordered a beer and sat inside at long tables. The first one was Thomas Hooker Brewery - Colt Taproom. Kyle had identified three places for us to try. When we were seated, we ordered up soft shell tacos, sides of black beans, rice, corn, and of course, chips and salsa. It was about two in the afternoon, but there was a waiting list (it’s that good), so we put our names in and waited outside. West Hartford is a suburb of Hartford and a foodie town, with plenty of great places to eat. Eat At West Hartford’s Trendy BartacoĪfter all our hiking and climbing, Kyle suggested a late lunch at a place called Bartaco.

Pets, food, drink, and walking sticks are not allowed in the museum.

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Pro Tip: The Heublein Tower Museum is open seasonally from 10 a.m. On the northwest horizon, the Berkshire Mountains dominate the view. New Hampshire’s Mount Monadnock, some 80 miles away, can be seen on a clear day. The view from Heublein TowerPhoto credit: Joan Shermanįrom a vantage point of 1,000 feet high, the promontory provides panoramic, 360-degree views of the Connecticut landscape. Twain himself had this to say of it: “To us, our house … had a heart, and a soul, and eyes to see with and approvals and solicitudes and deep sympathies it was of us, and we were in its confidence and lived in its grace and in the peace of its benediction.” Beautiful. They are essential reading for generations to come. The writer in me was fascinated, wondering if he had any idea how respected his works would become. Seven years in the making, this classic was written in Twain’s usual process of starting things, letting them sit (ah, the creative process), and then coming back to it.

The guide showed us the room where Twain wrote his classic work The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The choice for décor in an elaborate guest bedroom with a stately four-poster bed and a fireplace was beehive and spider web wallpaper on the ceiling (no arachnophobia here!) I loved the beautiful but small solarium filled with green plants, flowers, and vines. I could also imagine the storytelling that surely went on in the home between Twain and his three daughters. I liked to imagine Twain and his wife, Livy, entertaining guests in the elegant dining room. A beautiful wooden banister and staircase took us to the three levels of the home. Inside the home, I loved the character of the dark wood, wallpaper, and detailing. The first floor is wheelchair accessible but there’s no elevator for the remaining two floors. The house has three floors and a lot of stairs (41 up to the billiard room, the highest point in the tour, and 40 stairs down to the kitchen). It’s been preserved with architectural integrity, looking much the way it did when they lived there. This 11,500-square-foot, 25-room, American high gothic-style mansion was home to Twain and his family from 1874 to 1891. Pro Tip: You can’t take photos inside the home, so take plenty outside and then just enjoy the tour. Some outdoor walking is required to get to the house, and the paths are made of stone and gravel. Pro Tip: Due to capacity limits, advance tickets to tour the home are recommended and can be purchased online. All tours start here, and you walk to the house with your guide and tour group.

It holds the ticket counter, museum store, a historic video, and café.

The Webster Bank Museum Centerįrom the visitor parking lot, take the stairs or use a wheelchair-accessible ramp to get to the museum, which opened in 2003. How often can you tour a home described as “part steamboat, part medieval fortress, and part cuckoo clock?” That’s how Mark Twain’s biographer, Justin Kaplan, described this magnificent home in Hartford, and he’s right! The Mark Twain House and Museum is a tribute to author Samuel Clemens (pen name: Mark Twain), his family, his home, and his life. The Mark Twain House and Museum in HartfordPhoto credit: Joan Sherman 3.