Essex County

Part 2
In the morning, we awoke to the smell of breakfast cooking. We went back to the dining room and I felt like I had entered yet another fairy tale. This time I envisioned the little elves making shoes in the night. Well, we finally met the elves... our hosts, Barbara and Bob Barlow. The dining room table was set with fine china and was candlelit. Soft strains of classical music were playing as Bob and Barbara served us juice, tea, coffee, fresh fruit compote, a real pancake (2 inches high!), Smithfield ham and sausages. Everything was delicious. I could feel the tension and rush of the workweek melt away, as Don and I were forced to slow down and relax.

At breakfast, I was surprised to meet two other houseguests, as it was so quiet the night before, that I thought we were the only ones in the inn. Diane and Chris from Larchmont, New York come to the Riverwind Inn every year as an anniversary getaway. They shared that they don't bother to sightsee much, but with two young children at home, they relish the time to just relax and be alone.

Our hosts also took this time to give us a little background on their historical home. Then we explored and found that each guest room had a unique name with a decor to match. The Barn Rose Room is naturally filled with roses and an antique 4 poster bed with a lace rose canopy. The Smithfield room is alive in red, white and blue memorabilia inspired by the flag quilt which graces a high maple rose bed. Well, unlike the other guests we had an itinerary mapped out and we were soon off to discover more of the Connecticut River Valley.

We drove to Main Street in Essex and there we boarded the "Cross Rip" for a two and a half hour Eagle Watch Cruise on the quiet Connecticut River. I was not sure if I could handle any more quiet time, but Donald was excited about seeing eagles. It's now that I must admit I felt the same way about eagles as I did about B&Bs.

"What's all the fuss about?"

I realized I was already wrong once with the B&B's so I tried to fake excitement about eagles.

On the boat, Don was at first disappointed that he hadn't remembered his binoculars. But we were happily surprised when they had Swarovski Binoculars there to borrow. A Connecticut Audubon Society guide narrated our trip and helped the passengers to spot birds. When I saw my first bald eagle, there was something so rare and majestic about this large creature that it was truly awe-inspiring. The entire boat of about 70 passengers would watch in hushed silence as one would glide nearby or perch regally in a tree. With that said, I share with you that I was excited and interested for the first hour, but after that my binoculars tended to wander to the different style houses that dotted the shore line. I enjoyed checking them out as the rest of my boat continued to ooh and aah with each eagle spotting.

When we docked, we walked up the street to the 1776 Griswold Inn. Our guide was Deana Jeski from the Visitor's Council. We shared a delicious lunch together. I tried the house special, which is a trio of three different homemade sausages, complete with sauerkraut and German potato salad. Unfortunately it was way too much to finish. Don, on the other hand, considers himself a professional eater and ranks me as an amateur. He ate the scrod, and as he cleaned his plate, described it as flaky with an even color. For dessert we had the fresh fruit cobblers served warm but with ice cream. I had blueberry, Don had apple. Both were excellent.

Next we headed back to the pier where we visited the Connecticut River Museum. Their current exhibit is about the river from A to Z. The displays were alphabetical in design such as Q is for quilt, S is for submarine, etc., and were very informative. They also sponsored another exhibit called "Making Tracks" which features a 26 foot-long toy train layout of the American Flyer line. I saw Don's eyes light up as these are the trains of his youth, and they are in our basement waiting for a future grandchild to find them.

Next we walked up the quaint main street of Essex and browsed in the boutiques and specialty shops. What weekend getaway would be complete without a little shopping! I shopped till Don dropped into a chair and then we returned to the Inn to freshen up.

For dinner we drove to the "Inn at Chester" for another delicious meal. I tried to convince Don that it was a good idea that we walk off dinner by shopping, but he didn't buy it.

Anyway, Don began dinner with the Thai Shrimp which was a shrimp prepared in a spicy sauce with a salsa made of pineapple and red pepper. He could only moan the word "delicious". I had the Mediterranean Fish Soup, which was filled with lobster and shrimp. For dinner he had the Roast Rack of Lamb with pearl onions and fennel over a provencal sauce. His clean plate said it all. I had the grilled pork loin on a bed of braised red cabbage, joined by a twice-baked sweet potato- truly a delicious meal. The executive Chef Lorelei Rice Helfer has come up with a very diversified menu featuring special treats such as pheasant breast and escargot pockets.

It's amazing that stuffed as you think you are, somehow you find room for dessert. The waiter suggested the dessert sampler, which featured four different desserts to share - an orange cream Brule', a chocolate mousse, a caramel torte and a fresh fruit pastry basket. The dish was decorated with fresh whipped cream, a cookie and raspberry sauce. It was truly the topping to a fantastic meal. This is certainly not a restaurant to count or watch calories!

We headed back to our B&B and again were greeted by a dish of homemade cookies. After the meal I just ate, I still summoned up enough nerve to grab one. We ended our long day by relaxing and reading.

Sunday morning we again woke to the smell of bacon cooking. We found new guests had joined us at "our" secret hideaway. We chatted over a sumptuous breakfast of yogurt with granola, a cheese omelet, fresh fruit and juice, muffins in the shape of pigs, bacon and again a tasty Smithfield ham. We learned that Barbara is from Virginia and she serves Smithfield Ham as a tribute to her roots.

We sadly said goodbye to our hosts and promised them, and ourselves that we would soon return. For now, I too know what all the fuss is about when people talk about the warmth and coziness of a B&B.

We spent the morning checking out the shops and the small village atmosphere of some of the local towns of Madison and Guilford, and then headed home.

I thought about our getaway and realized why the eagle comes to this little enclave to soar freely. The Connecticut River Valley is filled with an abundance of natural beauty and an unhurried lifestyle. "Where eagles soar" is a great place for you to land for the weekend.


Read part 1