I always love coming to Lyman orchards to get the fresh baked pies and pastries. Around the…read moreholidays it tends to be busier. A lot of quality farm fresh food and local produce

Lyman Orchards is a popular fall destination in Connecticut. I had read that it's impossibly busy…read moreon weekends so I visited on a weekday with my sister for lunch. It was still busy but probably not as hectic as on the weekends. They sell fresh fruit, produce and bakery items so we bought some things while there. The sandwiches were pretty good. Lots of outdoor seating to enjoy your lunch.

Unprofessional, irrational, not maintained, overpriced are what come to mind when I think of…read moreLyman's golf course. Tuesday of this week booked the back 9 of the players for 7:10am. Tee time was confirmed and Saturday comes around drove all the way to the course to which I check in at the pro shop. Good to go right? Nope. Pull up to the 10th hole tee box and tee off walking back to the cart the ranger pulls up and starts yelling at us like we are in the wrong. I get it Mr ranger you have the most difficult and highest standard job in the world your more important than even a police officer apparently the way you have to confront someone as if they are breaking a law? Don't know if it's ego or if your just a jerk in general but no need to start yelling at a group that did there due diligence booked a tee time, signed in, told we were good to go, and watched us head up to the back 9. The ranger starts yelling at us that we need to get off the back 9 we are booked for the Jones course for 6:57 all of which was incorrect. We try having a rational conversation to which you need to assert dominance and act like your some kind of a tough guy and want to swing your weight around but you tell us to get off the back 9 we are wrong and we're supposed to be teeing off on a completely different course at a completely different tee time. So we say alright no problem we're going to grab our tee shots and we'll be down. To which you yell at us "I better see you two down on tee box one!" Rude and a bit of a overreaction but whatever. We decide we want to just get a refund to which you start hobbling across the sidewalk from your little hut yelling that we need to get on tee box one. I tell you we're getting a refund. A rational and respectful employee then apologizes to which we appreciated I mentioned the ranger didn't have to be aggressive to which the ranger snaps back at me that he wasn't aggressive and starts talking s**** to other golfers near the ranger hut? Super unprofessional, rude and not worth the time or effort for some guy that's living in his own world maybe take the ego down a couple notches if you wanted to be a cop you should have done that instead of acting like one on a golf course. . If you want to play golf go play at Indian Springs, Portland golf course or even miner hills is better than Lyman's. Lyman's doesn't take care of there rough it's near impossible to find a ball more than 2 feet from you. It's over priced. Unorganized and after today's bad experience which wasn't the first with there staff all I can say is I highly recommend any other course until they actually think about the people paying all this money to play instead of lining there pockets and sitting back. Have some respect for the people giving you a job Mr ranger. I know you think you're the most important person out there but you're not you're just some old dude driving a golf cart with a red flag on it. Lyman's you should really rethink how you run your course because it's the talk among golfers that it's overpriced and overvalued for what people are getting could be a lot better and maybe some staff training on how to talk to people like a reasonably respectable person when your staff is the reason today went so wrong.

This course is not worth what they charge. The rough hadn't been cut in 2 weeks +. Crabgrass…read moreeverywhere including some of the approaches. Very disappointed that they have let this place go.

Jones Winery is one of my new favorites in CT! I went for the first time the other day, and…read moreinitially went to the wrong place! Keep in mind that there is a "Jones Family Farm Pumpkinseed Hill" at 120 Beardsley Rd., and then the "Jones Valley Farm/Jones Winery" at 606 Walnut Tree Rd. My GPS accidentally took me to the Pumpkinseed Farm at first, but it wasn't a big deal because the winery is just a few minutes away. Once I was in the right place, a staff member greeted me and gave me the wine/food menu. They have a lot of different areas to sit, including a patio with tables/umbrellas (where they had live music playing), a pavilion with tables underneath, an upper patio that was covered by a pergola with leaves/vines on top, and an inside bar area with seating. The inside bar area has garage doors that were open, leading out to the upper patio. Even though it was a hot day, I sat under the pergola and it was surprisingly cool underneath! After sitting down, a staff member quickly came over and took my drink/food order. I tried a glass of the Sunshine White, which was delicious! It was on the sweeter side though. Keep in mind that they only sell wine by the glass on the menu, but they do have a store where you can buy bottles to go. I also ordered the Simply Cheese Plate, which came with sharp cheddar cheese, Jones Berry Chutney, and sea salt crackers. This was excellent! They also do have a "Light Fare" menu with things like a hummus plate, cheesecake, popcorn, etc. The service was fast and the staff were friendly. They had a "Bouquet Bar" set up where you could buy fresh cut flowers, as well as a small gift shop. Overall a very cool winery in Shelton, I would definitely recommend!

I love strawberry and blueberry picking at Jones during the summer! It is such a great…read morefamily-friendly outdoor activity. You can check their website for the field locations for picking, call their number for the daily crop report, and make your reservation online. We usually get the large berry box. It is quite large and takes my family of 4 adults a long time to pick, so take that into consideration when deciding what sized basket/box you get. In addition, since the large box can fit so much, be prepared to bake with your fruit or feed many hungry guests!

Enjoyed a free historical tour of the Lyman Homestead, led by historian Diana Ross McCain…read more The Lyman homestead (1741) is the 15th oldest running farm in America and has been in the family for 8 generations. In 1864, The Lyman Homestead house (the original) moved from the homestead location to across what is now the apple barrel David Lyman 2nd being a prominent Lyman heir to the property, was many things, including an abolitionist who was part of the Freedom trail, aiding run away slaves. Part of the Underground Railroad, the Lyman family would house those seeking refuge. David Lyman the 2nd is also responsible for the completion of the Airline trail (due to their farm productions/supply/demand), an innovative and state of the line washing machine (for that time) and the production of the train tracks that cross the Connecticut River in Middletown. In 1917, a massive frost killed all the peach trees, but they converted to apple trees, which is what took off the Lyman's famous apple picking today! They also had cattle, but unfortunately the barn burned down and was replaced with the golf courses that are here today

While I have yet to tour the Homestead, I have attended 2 events in the general area, adjacent to…read morethe Golf course. The first was in the summer for a sound/ gong bath outdoors. Peaceful, quiet surroundings to fully immerse into complete relaxation. I believe this was Lyman's first event of this kind. To celebrate the Lunar New Year 2023, Lyman's had a wonderful display of lanterns of all kinds to view on a half mile stroll on its grounds. Fabulous. I believe they have this every year. Remarkable artistry and really unique and beautiful. Check out their website for a variety of events (outside of pick your own).

You can practically buy anything in the food department here. They have Prepared food and…read morewonderful pies , breads and desserts here. You can buy wines from Bishop's and all of CT's vineyard wines. They have a wonderful ice cream shop.

I bought a bottle of the Stonehouse white. I did not taste it before I took it home. It was…read moreterrible. tasted like supermarket, cooking wine.

I love their chocolate milk! The parking was a bit of an adventure, because you pull in and back…read moreout into the road. It was very cute though, very New England. There were lots of greens for wreathes... And somewhere emu? Must be summer attractions. But for winter, half the store was filled with cute items made in China. The other half had fruit and baked goods. The donuts are famous for a reason, caked with sugar and they stayed fresh for several days. My favorite part was the flavored milk. Mint, eggnog, of course chocolate..... Yum. Give a good shake and enjoy!

Visited in the first week of September, so it was very early in the apple season. The orchard only…read morehad small bags available for purchase at $10..I wish they offered larger bag options. Parking was plentiful across the road, and a tractor ride is required to get up to the apple trees, which was fun for kids. They only had two types of apples available (McIntosh and Gala), along with the last of their peaches. The apples closest to the drop-off point didn't look great, but the trees further up the slope had much better-looking fruit, likely because the slope deterred pickers. The store was stocked with fresh baked goods and, of course, apple cider donuts. There's also an animal farm on-site, which costs extra for big kids and adults (I believe it's free for kids under three). Overall, it was an okay experience. The limited apple selection and condition of some of the trees were a bit disappointing, but the tractor ride and fresh baked goods added some charm. I'd recommend going later in the season for a better variety and quality of apples.

I had such an amazing time at the Beardsley Cider Mill for apple picking. This was my first time…read moreand I couldn't have asked for a much better experience. It was a beautiful fall day with clear skies and lots of apples to choose from. Definitely plan to come early as parking can be limited. It cost $20 for one bag of apples. The bag is pretty small and you're not able to bring in your own personal bags. This wasn't a big issue since one bag was enough for both my husband and I. Also, they have a small shop that sells the best apple cider donuts! This is a must try!!

Classic New England cider Mill with a pleasant retail store. Jams, applebutter, applesauce, pies,…read morecider donuts, etc. And fresh apple cider made on the premises. Half dozen variety of apples sold per apple or per bag.

I enjoyed going to blue Hills Orchards this afternoon with my daughter. We had no problems parking…read more We had no problems getting to the Orchards we were actually brought there by a tractor. What a fun afternoon and we brought home probably five or 6 pounds of apples. My daughter is making apple bread right now. Should be delicious I can't wait.

Good apple orchard with tractor rides to the picking areas. Seasonal shop with apples and other…read morefood items.

I love this location because it's a step away from some larger, more commercial and brand-based…read moreorchards you might find around CT. This spot would be a great place to take small children, people with different ability levels, etc. It's not over-stimulating and busy/crowded, and it offers a large span of options so there's an intimacy you might not find at other orchards.

Great pawpaw fruit from a working farm. The farmstand has a variety of healthy produce, juices and…read morechestnuts that they farm themselves.

Very nice orchard, not overcrowded at all. Has a nice market that sells a little of everything!…read morePies, chips, jams, fruits, ect.. and nice for those who enjoy fruit picking! Definitely a place to check out! They don't serve donuts or food to sit and eat there. But the store is nice to pick up fresh items!

The PYO apples were great! The people were friendly and it was a fun time! Only issue was $3.00 a…read morepound to pick your own apples- a bit pricey!!