While I love living in Santa Barbara, California, there are some things that just can’t be duplicated here on the West coast. A part of me will always love New England…Connecticut to be specific, where we still own a home. Here are a few recent glimpses of some of my favorite things about Fairfield County, Connecticut.
While we are not on the ocean, the Long Island Sound has it’s own quiet beauty.
Shingled homes dot the shoreline…
The shoreline made even more beautiful by an abundance of blooming baptisia…
Shorehaven golf course overlooking the water
Our old hometown of Westport sits on the Saugatuck River which is beautiful in the summer. It has a vibrant downtown full of restaurants and shops.
Westport, Connecticut
While my favorite shops to visit in Westport are Terrain (see my blog east coast girl ) and Serena and Lily, I was excited to check out the brand new Anthropologie Home store. It is situated in a historic building in the heart of downtown in what used to be the old YMCA. I was so happy to see that they kept the beautiful old facade!
The brand new Westport Anthropologie Home store
A unique back wall made up of suitcases in Anthropologie
One of the many room vignettes…
A beautiful display of stag horn ferns graces a wall inside the store
All of that shopping can make a girl hungry! One of my favorite meals when back East, is a good old fashioned lobster roll. The Lobster Shack in Westport, CT did not disappoint!
A feast for the eyes and taste buds!
While California has gorgeous ocean and mountain vistas, it is not known for vast expanses of green lawns. There is plenty of green to be found in Connecticut at this time of year. One of my dear Westport friends has one of the most charming homes and gardens. I helped her plant the garden several years ago and love visiting to see how it has grown! The lush green lawn is a feast for the eyes!
Quintessential New England home
It’s heartwarming to see the hostas and boxwoods we planted several years ago are thriving!
Being an avid gardener while living in Westport, Connecticut, I knew all the local nurseries near and far but there is one that will always remain my favorite. And while our beach bungalow has a petite garden, I couldn’t resist a visit to Oliver Nurseries. Oliver Nurseries in Fairfield, CT, has been in business for over 50 years and it’s stunning display gardens have been around as long. It’s like going to a botanical garden with knowledgeable staff, rare specimen plants, and a park like setting that you will want to lose yourself in as you wander the grounds. While I was busy shopping for a few clematis vines and reveling in the beauty, my daughter Kelsey, snapped some photos…
A plethora of plants!
A gorgeous shade of pink on this rhodie…
Planters in front of the shop…
One of the many clematis varieties to be found at the nursery.
Large trees provide shade for the sun sensitive plants…
On the way home from the nursery, we stopped at The Fairfield County Hunt Club where Kelsey practically grew up. Our daughter was an avid equestrian as a child, and we owned many show ponies over the years. Her horse still lives at the hunt club and no East coast visit would be complete without seeing McClane and bringing him his favorite treat…a Dunkin Donuts coffee roll!
A girl and her horse…
There is much to see and do in Fairfield County, but one of my favorite things is simply taking in a sunset by the water near our home…the perfect way to end the day.
