Our Connecticut Adventures - Part 2: Covered Bridges and Maple Syrup

(Originally posted March 9, 2007)

Well, we have now managed to drive almost the entire state of Connecticut.  It was warmer today and got into the 30s. We are getting used to the cooler weather here and I have learned to dress myself in more layers.

Today our adventures took us to the northern part of CT through the Litchfield Hills section of the state and back down by the Connecticut River. It was so beautiful!  Even without the leaves, the snow on the ground was gorgeous.  We drove up Route 7 to visit the covered bridges of the area.  There are 3 - Bulls Bridge (Which you can drive through), the bridge at Kent Falls (that you can walk through), and the covered bridge in Cornwall. We saw some beautiful falls (some more frozen than others), rivers and lakes.  After we got to the Cornwall bridge, we decided to go visit a maple farm to the east.  February and March happen to be maple sugaring season when the maple farms are making fresh maple syrup and candy.  The next couple of weekends most of the farms will be open with special events for families to visit and see how they make syrup.  Had we realized this, we probably would have gone tomorrow, but c'est la vie.

   We made our way to the maple farm and were the only ones there.  We were able to talk to the proprietors and learn all about how maple syrup is made. Did you know the sap is clear when it comes out of the tree?  The farm we visited collects the syrup in big plastic tanks by making a chain of tubing that runs from tree to tree and into the tanks.  It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. Also, the perfect time to visit the maple farm is a day after it has been in the 20s at night night and 45-50 during the day.  That is when the sap flows best out of the trees due to pressure changes caused by the freezing and melting of the sap.
They weren't actually making any syrup today because it has been so cold this week.  Next weekend, the forecast says it should be perfect weather.  Next year we will time our trip to maple farm with better weather conditions. We did manage to leave with a 1/2 gallon of fresh maple syrup that was just bottled in the last couple of weeks.  Pancakes anyone?