Not as adventurous as heading to Providence or Mystic, but much easier to get to and still enjoyable. A local bus will take you here if it’s too far to walk or bike. But proximity to Hartford is not the reason this place is being suggested. It’s surprisingly peaceful when compared to Hartford or even other parts of Wethersfield, like the Silas Deane Highway corridor. Much of that quiet is thanks to the buffer created by both the Wethersfield Cove and Folly Brook Natural Area, land that contains trees at-risk of being cut down to accommodate a small airport in Hartford.

For the average person, a few hours in Old Wethersfield ought to do it, but I can see a history buff spending a weekend here. Historical sites and plaques are everywhere! There are museum tours to be had, but if you are like me, you’d rather move at your own pace and go the self-guided route. The Wethersfield Heritage Tour is just that — a three-mile walk with 22 interpretive markers.

Where you start is really going to be where you are at. If you need food, start at Main Street, where you have a handful of places to choose from, most of which have patio seating. Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre prepares soups and sandwiches, in addition to offering many seeds and locally grown produce, honey, flowers, and so forth for sale. Lucky Lou’s stays open late — late by small town Connecticut standards — and has quite the patio.

There are not many places for shopping — a gallery, an antique store, and a gift shop — and that’s just fine. Part of what makes this area charming is that it’s not overflowing with advertisements and a compulsion to spend.

If you happen to be in town on a Thursday from mid-May through late-October, there is a farmers’ market at the Solomon Welles House.

If you’re simply meandering about, maybe with an ice cream cone in hand from Main Street Creamery & Cafe, you can read all those interpretive markers and take in the sight of many beautiful old buildings. You will see Temple Beth Torah, a synagogue housed in what was formerly a Methodist church building. There is an Ancient Burying Ground behind the First Church. If you’re looking for a bathroom or some sense of direction, you can get that in the Visitor’s Center (200 Main Street).

To get more out of the trip, you can actually go into the museums: