Travel Spotlight on Kent, Connecticut, and Its 5 Best Attractions

Kent is the perfect place for hikers and lovers of the outdoors. Adventure-chasers can find plenty of opportunities on offer in the green forests and natural cliffs. To get to Kent you can drive 90 minutes from New York City, 75 minutes from Hartford, CT, three hours from Boston or three hours from Philadelphia. The lush scenery is a big draw to the region, and it has even been named the place with the "best foliage" by Yankee Magazine – another reason it’s so popular with hikers. It’s ideal as a day trip where people can go for a hike, do some biking, go camping or hang out fishing for the day. There are also unique restaurants and boutique shops in the town.

Go for a hike in Kent Falls State Park

Starved for fresh air? Kent Falls State Park welcomes city-slickers and locals to its quiet and scenic quarter-mile trail up along the falls. The magnificent Kent Falls forms a dramatic cascade approximately 250 feet on its way to the Houseatonic River. The state park itself occupies 250 acres of lush greenery, forests, streams and a covered bridge that casts gorgeous views over the Housatonic. The park is so beautiful that it has been the site for many marriage proposals and and wedding pictures over the years.

Visit the Eric Sloane Museum for art and more

Eric Sloane was an artist, author and illustrator of over 30 books. After he died in 1985, his works, along with his impressive collection of Americana, were taken to be displayed in a purpose made museum, the Eric Sloane Museum. Here you can see paintings, antique woodworking tools and many more assorted objects in this collection which gives you an insight into the history of American craftsmanship. Unmissable is the recreation of Sloane's last studio, at the center of which is the remains of a 19th-century iron furnace.

Take advantage of a photo-op on Bull's Bridge

Covered bridges are not something you get to see everyday anymore, so when you have a day in the countryside it’s worth paying a visit to one if there’s one there. Bull’s Bridge, a single-lane vehicular bridge built in 1852, included in the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only three remaining covered bridges in Connecticut.

Katie Holmes cools down at Annie Bananie Ice Cream

For ice cream that’s worth the hike out of the city (even Katie Holmes has been known to stop by on a hot day), head to Annie Bananie Ice Cream. Flavors include vanilla bean, coconut, cookie monster and many other speciality flavors that change every day. There’s also protein shakes for Kent Falls State Park hikers as well as refreshing drinks like homemade lemonade, and deliciously buzzing coffee beverages including hazelnut espresso.

Sleep in country luxury and dine on gourmet Americana at the unassuming Fife'n'Drum Inn

Equally known for their award-winning restaurant as they are for their romantic inn, Fife ‘n Drum Inn offers the perfect combination of a good hotel with great food to boot. The main inn houses the restaurant, gift shop and eight uniquely appointed rooms while their gorgeous 1880 Victorian House comfortably sleeps four more couples. Located across from Kent Green, the main inn appears unassuming from the outside, but the doors open up to an exquisitely cozy and rustic accommodations, replete with hardwood floors and roaring fires.

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