Now that the weather is getting better, what are your favorite day trips? Not only in Ct but how about you border town (NY,Ma, RI) people? I do a western loop from Bethel area to Southbury and up Rt 6 to 4 west and down Rt 7. Sometimes I hit Rt 8 to 44 west to NY 22 and back down here.
Also, where in Ct are you from? border people included. I'm from Bethel.

 

That sounds like a nice trip!!!I gotta try it out this spring!

 

Waterbury. I like Rt7 alot. Also go up Rt63, and 202. Rt 109 passed the Morris dam to 202 to 341 to Rt 7 and then back on Rt45 to 202. Very nice.

 

When I was living in Carmel, I would frequently hit RT7 going north to Kent. Grab a sandwich there and head up to the falls to eat it. Pick up 44 going west over through Millbrook NY, then zip down on the Taconic or RT 9 (stopping in Cold Spring for a beer) to RT301 East, back to Carmel.

 

I live in Litchfield county, and just about any road heading West is good. Probably my favorite though is out to Millerton NY (where there is a great little Tex/Mex place with outdoor tables on the corner of 44 and 22) and then North on 22 to Hillsdale. To get to Millerton, sometimes I take 4 to 128 over the covered bridge (good breakfast with outdoor seating by the bridge in West Cornwall at the Wandering Moose), then North on 7 to 112 through Lime Rock, which puts you out on 44 pretty close to the NY line. Sometimes I just go up 44 all the way. You can get a great breakfast at the old Collins Diner on 44 in Canaan, a place that looks like it hasn't changed since 1950. You can also come up 7 from the South. Sometimes I go out 202 to New Milford and head North on 7 from there. There's also a nice cutover from 202 to 7 via 341 and 45 through Warren. The old general store at the junction of 7 and 4 in Cornwall Bridge is another great place to stop for lunch - they make excellent fresh giant grinders and you can sit out on the porch and watch all the bikes go by on 7 as you eat.

Heading north from Millerton on 22, the road itself is great, and the scenery impressive, with farmland rolling up to the base of the big hills there (Bear Mt, Mt Everett, Mt Frissell). From Hillsdale, 23 in either direction is a nice ride. You can go West towards the Hudson, The Chief Martindale, a cool old diner, is at the junction w/the Taconic Pkwy. An even cooler diner, with the coolest neon sign ever, is just one exit South from there on the Taconic Pkwy in West Taghkanic. 23 East is a nice ride into Great Barrington where you can pick up 7 South back into CT, or you can cut back down 41 into Salisbury.

As someone else mentioned, 63 is a nice road all the way form Watertown to Goshen. If you're headed North on 63, a nice detour is West on 109 through Morris and then North on 209 around Bantam Lake. The best BBQ in CT is at Wood's Pit BBQ in Bantam just North of the lake. 209 then puts you out on 202.

 

I got out briefly after work last night for the first time this year. Took 202 into Torrington, then up 8 to 44 in Winsted. 44 West to Norfolk, and then down 272 through Drakeville and into Torrington. 272 is in bad shape; the harsh Winter has done a number on the pavement. What used to be a rather pleasant, narrow, twisty two-lane is now a mess of frost heaves, potholes and huge cracks, some of which looked big enough to swallow my bike whole.

A slight exaggeration, but you get the point. A jolting experience. Steer clear of this road for a while... It's warm out again today; supposed to be around 65! Can't wait to get out of here and back on the bike.

 

I ride 272 to Dennis Hill park. Real nice lookout on top of mountain. Then Rt 44 west to Rt 7. Rt 7 south to Rt 67.

 

I'm in Waterford...down here next to New London, on the shoreline.
Lots of nice shoreline roads to ride on.

Heading inland just a bit....cruise through Old Lyme, Chesterfield, Salem, Hadlyme (Devils Hopyard area). Basically east borders of the Connecticut River. (Careful in Old Lyme...esp the quaint downtown area...it's 25mph STRICT and keep pipes quiet). I frequent the 156 loop. And a great stop is 5 Guys Burgers in Flanders 4 Corners of East Lyme. For a brew....in down town Niantic...stop at The Black Sheep. Also Burkes Tavern.

Crossing over to the east side of the Thames River (New London to Groton)...head through Ledyard, North Stonington, Voluntown, Preston, etc. North of Route 2 (Foxwoods Casino)....some gorgeous country roads up there going through rolling hills and farmland.

Rhode Island...shoreline...east of Westerly...head to Watch Hill/Misquamicut..and work along Route 1A north towards Newport. Lots of great summer riding...and roadside places to grab seafood eats.

 

I like NW CT also, I live right on the border... Off of Rte 4 is Mohawk state forest, there a paved road through the park to the top of Mohawk mountain, great views to the Catskills and to Mass... I also like taking 44 out to rte 8 to the Colebrook Reservoir... Then continue up into Mass to rte 23 them back to 7 back into CT.... Mt Greylock in Mass is another great place to ride to also..

 

I went up Greylock just a few days after the re-built road was opened in 2009. Great ride indeed.