Home Care In Washington, CT

You probably plan your lake trips the same way every time: pick a spot, drive up for the day, swim until you're tired, and head home. That routine works perfectly fine for Lake Waramaug State Park, which packs a sandy beach, paddle rentals, and some of the best bass fishing in Connecticut into its popular state park. But just 15 minutes away lies a small village near Lake Waramaug State Park that makes a strong case for extending your stay. Washington Depot is brimming with local shops, cozy restaurants, and scenic trails that can easily fill an entire weekend, so make time to stay and explore it rather than drive right past.

Why Washington Depot Is the Perfect Base for Lake Waramaug State Park

Washington Depot sits about eight miles from the park. From the village, follow Route 47 north to Route 202, then continue west toward New Preston. Turn onto Route 45 and follow North Shore Road around the lake to the entrance at 30 Lake Waramaug Road. The drive takes about 15 minutes through the scenic Litchfield Hills.

That distance matters most during the busy months. The park's lot is small and fills fast on summer weekends and holidays. Staying nearby means you can arrive early, spend the morning on the water, and come back into town for dinner instead of making a long drive home.

Once you're there, the park gives you a few different ways to spend the day:

The town of Washington itself has about 3,600 residents within 38 square miles and is made up of five villages: Washington Depot, Washington Green, New Preston, Marbledale, and Woodville. Each has its own character, connected to the others by short drives through the Litchfield Hills. Washington Depot is where much of the town's daily activity happens. Together, the village and the park make a well-rounded getaway.

What to Do in Washington Depot

Start at the Hickory Stick Bookshop, a fixture in the village for more than 70 years. It sells books, gifts, its signature hickory walking sticks, and free detailed trail maps for the surrounding preserves, handy to grab before you head out. Cell service can be spotty once you're on the trails, so having a paper map is helpful.

Take a walk through the rest of the Depot, and you'll pass the Washington Art Association, along with shops like Pasquale et Maurice Home, George Home, Five Janes, and Eckert Fine Art, selling everything from European antiques and contemporary artwork to home décor and small souvenirs.

Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens is where a lot of the village comes together. Throughout the warmer months, you'll find outdoor movies, live music, and a farmers market every Saturday from May through November. Just down the street, Bryan Memorial Town Hall hosts the annual Community Block Party each June, with food samples, games, and other family-friendly activities.

When it's time to eat, Marty's Café is a favorite for coffee and breakfast before a day outdoors. The Pantry, a community staple since 1977, bakes its own bread and stocks prepared foods, cheeses, and picnic supplies if you're planning lunch by the lake. When evening rolls around, G.W. Tavern has dinner by the river or a seat beside the fireplace.

Explore Trails Beyond the Lake

Lake Waramaug State Park doesn't have hiking trails, but you can head over to Steep Rock Preserve, which begins right at the edge of the village. The 3.7-mile Pinney Loop passes through a 235-foot railroad tunnel built in the 1870s by Pennsylvania coal miners. The curved passage cuts through chiseled bedrock walls, where the air stays cool and damp even on warm days.

About 10 minutes away, Hidden Valley Preserve offers another option, with nearly 20 miles of trails leading through forests, across a suspension bridge, and up to the Pinnacle, which tops out at 820 feet with a 270-degree view of the valley.

For a different perspective, Macricostas Preserve in nearby New Preston leads to Waramaug's Rock, one of the best overlooks of Lake Waramaug. Hopkins Vineyard sits above the lake's north shore in Warren and pairs well with an afternoon exploring the area. Kent Falls State Park in Kent is about 15 minutes north if you're in the mood to chase a waterfall. During foliage season, make time for Averill Farm back in the Depot, where you can pick your own apples, sip fresh cider, and try its well-known apple cider donuts.

Where To Stay Near Lake Waramaug State Park

Washington Depot is a small village, so you won't find a long list of hotels right in town. Most visitors stay at nearby inns, private cottages, or vacation rentals that put them close to the lake and trails.

The Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington is the area's luxury stay, with a full spa, gardens, and a classic New England setting. It also has a connection Gilmore Girls fans will appreciate: Amy Sherman-Palladino stayed here while writing the pilot, and the inn is often cited as part of the inspiration for the show's Independence Inn (fittingly, the whole village is often pointed to as a real-life Stars Hollow).

Closer to the water, the Hopkins Inn in neighboring Warren overlooks Lake Waramaug's north shore. The historic inn has welcomed guests since 1847 and has lake views, a private beach area, and an Austrian restaurant with dining on a stone terrace.

If you'd rather have a place to yourself, Litchfield Hills Country Hideaway is a two-bedroom cottage on 10 acres just a two-minute drive from the village. Posh Pads' hilltop cottage sits on 25 acres less than half a mile away.

Stay closest to the lake by booking a campsite at Lake Waramaug State Park. The campground lets you wake up near the water and enjoy the park before the crowds arrive.

What to Know Before You Go

Lake Waramaug is the reason most people find this corner of Connecticut. Washington Depot is the reason they stay longer than they planned, with walkable streets, independent shops, nearby trails, and easy access to the water all within 15 minutes of each other. It's one of the more overlooked hidden gem towns in Connecticut, sitting next to one of the best state parks in Connecticut.

For more on planning your visit, events, and everything else the area has to offer, check out Explore Washington CT.

(WFSB) - Speed cameras continue to appear across the state.

Cameras are already approved in 15 towns and cities, but an I-Team investigation raises questions about whether the data used to justify them is accurate. A local researcher says the data doesn’t add up.

ROUTE 109:

Phil Dutton grew up on Route 109 in Washington, Connecticut. He still lives there, decades later.

“You’d be taking your life in your own hands,” says Dutton.

That’s how Dutton describes driving on the long highway, also known as Old Litchfield Road.

“Speeding like you wouldn’t believe,” says Dutton. Dutton says he’s witnessed several serious accidents himself.

Until, he says, the town began using speed cameras in May 2025. One of the two cameras the town has, sits up the road from Dutton, at Route 109 and Wkyeham Road.

“People are driving slower. It’s a godsend,” says Dutton.

Washington was the first municipality in the state to have speed cameras. The state has approved the use of speed cameras individually, in 14 other towns and cities, so far.

But Patricia Peiffer has questions, and serious concerns over how and why some of these cameras were approved.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DATA:

“Much of that data is inflated, there’s misinformation, there’s wrong information,” says Patricia Peiffer. Peiffer is a research analyst, she’s worked for trade commissions, universities and more.

She lives in Litchfield and as a member of the (now-disbanded) Traffic Action Community Group there, she was asked to see if cameras could work for Litchfield.

“I started looking at the data,” says Peiffer.

The plan was later scrapped, but Peiffer started looking at the municipal plans, town and cities that were approved for cameras, submitted to the state. The plans detail where those municipalities want to put the cameras and why. She says she found problems.

The state requires each submission for speed camera approval includes:

Speed studies, measuring how fast cars are going and how often, a history of traffic crashes caused by speeding, average daily traffic, and a history of traffic stops, at each proposed location.

Peiffer found problems across many plans, but the ones submitted from Washington, the first town approved, got her attention.

“I thought, well this isn’t right,” says Peiffer.

For example, in Washington’s approved plan, there is a map, outlining where crashes happened in Washington, and how serious they were. The map uses 2015-2017 data. Washington submitted their plan in late 2024. Peiffer thinks that was intentional. In that time period, there were three fatal crashes. There’s been one since. The town even notes more current data, from 2020 to 2023, in other areas of their plan, when talking about crashes. “That’s what I mean by this inflated data,” says Peiffer. Peiffer also pointed out a section that details what crashes happened at each location, and what kind of injury (if any). The law says the plan should include whether speed caused each crash.

Washington’s submitted plan doesn’t specify whether speed played a role. Peiffer looked up the data herself, using the same system towns and cities are encourage to use, the UConn crash data repository.

“There’s crashes recorded in this because a deer ran out,” says Peiffer.

There’s also a section for the number of speed-related traffic stops, Washington used data from all of Troop L’s coverage area.

“All of Troop L would also include Route 8, that goes through all of Litchfield County, Torrington, Litchfield data,” says Peiffer. “That’s what I mean by this inflated data.”

WASHINGTON RESPONDS:

Jim Brinton is Washington’s first selectman. He says the cameras work. “It has had an impact. We needed these cameras, there’s no doubt about it,” says Brinton. “In the local area, people are becoming more aware of it so they tend to slow down.”

Brinton sat down with the I-Team to answer questions about the plan. He says DACRA, the company that installs and runs the cameras, created their municipal plan.

“They filled out the application for the town, on behalf of the town, submitted that to the state, did data collection to make sure these roads did indeed warrant a speed camera,” says Brinton.

But when we asked about using data from ten years ago on the application, he told the I-Team. “The only thing I can imagine is it was the latest available,” says Brinton.

He stands by the plan, and believes DACRA followed state law. State law is silent on whether a vendor can write the plan.

DACRA has not responded to our emails.

We asked Brinton if this was a conflict of interest, considering DACRA benefits monetarily from the cameras. Brinton said, “we vetted everything with our attorney and there were no issues obviously them submitting on behalf. Almost like a CPA submitting your taxes on your behalf.”

When we asked more specific questions, Brinton said, “I’d have to defer to the DOT. You know, they gave approval for those three roads.”

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:The I-Team went to DOT, specifically Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. When we asked, he did say it’s okay for DACRA to help with plans, adding “it doesn’t change how we review what is submitted.”

He says everything in Washington’s and the other municipalities’ plans, is above board. He says DOT verifies all the data in the plans.

We pressed Commissioner Eucalitto on the specifics, including Washington’s use of Troop L data.

Eucalitto says municipalities themselves must consider data, like traffic stops and traffic enforcement due to speeding, when picking locations to place cameras. The DOT doesn’t use it for final approval. The state statute doesn’t make that clear.

“What we look at is speed and crash history,” says Commissioner Eucalitto.

The Commissioner showed the I-Team the pages of the plan the DOT is mostly concerned about: where the crashes are happening, and speeds at the specific proposed locations.

“What’s the average speed that 50% of the vehicles are traveling in this location? What’s the speed that 85% of the vehicles are traveling at this location? That is you know, used to determine are people blowing way past what the speed limit is in that locations,” says the Commissioner.

We asked the Commissioner if it was normal for Washington to use 2015-2017 crash numbers.

“It depends on each individual municipality and when data is available. There probably is some updated data available,” says Commissioner Eucalitto.

The Commissioner says his engineers do look up more recent numbers when approving plans.We asked if there is any talk about changing how municipalities apply for the cameras, after pointing out the confusion between municipal plans and the statute.

“Not yet. I mean, it’s very, it’s been around for less than a year and a half,” says Commissioner Eucalitto.

He says the state will wait for municipalities to file their 18-month status reports, as required by law.

Peiffer would like to see more immediate action.

“I would say take that technology down. It’s up there under false pretense.” She wants those towns and cities to rewrite and resubmit the plans, and, “follow the state statute.”

But Phil Dutton of Washington says, the cameras are finally making people follow the laws of the road, by slowing down. He wants them to stay, and he wants more of them.

Marlborough was the second municipality in Connecticut to put up speed cameras. In their plan, it says they were also assisted by DACRA.

Some of the issues we found in Washington’s plan, were also in Marlborough’s, including using 2015-2017 data and Troop K data.

The Public Safety Director there currently, was not here at the time of the plan’s submission in 2024, so could not answer our questions. The Town Manager did not respond.

The DOT Commissioner says his ultimate goal is that municipalities will not need cameras, because drivers will stop speeding instead.

Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.

A Connecticut hiker who fell, dislocated his shoulder, and injured his back while hiking Mount Washington continued hiking for about 7 hours and reached the summit on Tuesday, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said conservation officers responded to Mount Washington after another hiker called 911 around 3:15 p.m. to report that the injured man, identified as 61-year-old Connecticut resident Kurt Siuzdak, was going up the Crawford Path between the Lakes of the Clouds and the summit.

The hiker who called 911 put Siuzdak on the phone, and Siuzdak told officials that he had fallen, dislocated his shoulder, and injured his back. He said he still intended to reach the summit, and conservation officers told him to stick to that plan, Fish and Game said.

Officials on the phone also told Siuzdak that they would respond to make sure he made it out safely, according to Fish and Game.

Two officers arrived at the summit around 5 p.m. and hiked about a third of a mile down the Crawford Path, where they met Siuzdak. They accompanied him as he slowly continued up the trail, and he reached the summit under his own power around 5:30 p.m., officials said.

After Siuzdak reached the summit, an officer drove him down to the base of Mt. Washington Auto Road, where emergency medical services evaluated him. Fish and Game said Siuzdak was able to relocate his shoulder and told medics that he wanted to return to his vehicle and drive himself to an urgent care facility.

He was given a ride back to his car near the Cog Railway, Fish and Game said.

Officials said they later learned that Siuzdak started his hike on the Ammonoousuc Ravine Trail at 4:00 a.m. that morning and slipped on wet granite slabs near the Lakes of the Clouds around 10 a.m.

Before setting out, Siuzdak had reviewed recommendations on the New Hampshire Fish and Game website and packed extra equipment, including warm clothing and a first aid kit, according to officials.

"These items turned out to be much needed after his accident, and he was thankful that he had heeded the recommendations," New Hampshire Fish and Game wrote on its website.

New Hampshire conservation officers came to the man's aid on the trail to the summit.

A Connecticut man fell and injured his back and shoulder while hiking up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire Tuesday, but he still made it to the top hours later.

Sgt. Matthew Holmes, a conservation officer with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, identified the man as 61-year-old Kurt Siuzdak.

Conservation officers responded to the mountain to assist the injured hiker, who had fallen and hurt himself around 10 a.m.

Around 3:15 p.m., an unrelated hiker called 911 to report an injured man was making his way up the Crawford Path between the Lakes of the Clouds and the summit, according to Holmes.

The unrelated hiker put the man on the phone, and the injured hiker said he had fallen and dislocated a shoulder and injured his back, Holmes said.

The victim said he intended to try to get to the summit and then figure out his options. Officers advised him to stick to that plan and told him they would respond to make sure he made it out safely, according to Holmes.

Around 5 p.m., two officers arrived at the summit and hiked a third of a mile down Crawford Path to meet the injured hiker.

Siuzdak continued to hike slowly and was flanked by the officers to make sure he didn’t fall. Siuzdak arrived at the summit under his own power at 5:30 p.m., officials said. Mt. Washington, at 6,288 feet, is the tallest mountain in the Northeast.

An officer then drove Siuzdak to the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road, where he was assessed by Gorham emergency medical personnel.

Siuzdak had been able to relocate his shoulder, and he told responders he wanted to get back to his vehicle and drive himself to an Urgent Care facility. After being checked by medical personnel, the hiker was given a ride back to his vehicle, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

According to conservation officers, Siuzdak had started up the Ammonoousuc Ravine Trail at 4 a.m. Around 10 a.m., he slipped and fell while on a portion of a trail with wet granite slabs. The hiker had packed extra gear, including warm clothing and a first aid kit, as recommended on the New Hampshire Fish and Game’s website.

“These items turned out to be much needed after his accident, and he was thankful that he had heeded the recommendations,” officials said, in an announcement Wednesday.

In his 18th sonnet, William Shakespeare wrote “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” In Connecticut, summer’s days are when Shakespeare plays are performed.

Outdoor local Shakespeare productions have been a part of summer theater in the state for most of the past century, from the internationally renowned American Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Stratford (where everyone from Katharine Hepburn to James Earl Jones to Margaret Hamilton performed in the 1950s and ‘60s), to youth theater companies, experimental companies, puppet companies and more.

Most are amateur or community-based companies, but some use Equity actors in lead roles and professional directors, designers, composers, choreographers and fight coordinators. Some companies have been staging Shakespeare outdoors for decades. West Hartford’s Capital Classics is marking its 35th year.

The 2026 summer Shakespeare season began last month with Shakespeare on the Sound doing “Much Ado About Nothing” in Rowayton. That show closed June 28. Several other Shakespeare shows have just opened or are happening in the next few weeks.

The New London-based Flock Theatre generally does two Shakespeare plays each summer. The first one this year, the comedy “Twelfth Night,” ended a month of performances in three different locations (two in Connecticut and one in Rhode Island) last week. The company now moves on to darker fare, staging the romantic tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” at Connecticut College Arboretum July 23-26 and July 30 through Aug. 2. Tickets are $25, $20 students/seniors/military or $100 for family of four or more.

Capital Classics, the oldest currently operating outdoor Shakespeare company in the state, used to do one Shakespeare play per summer then contemporary plays or radio theater-type shows at other times of year. A few seasons ago, Capital Classics switched to doing two Shakespeare shows in repertory instead of one, with some cast members appearing in both shows, similar to how Flock Theatre does it.

This year, Capital Classics productions of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “Measure for Measure” alternate performances through Aug. 2, Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 5:30 p.m.

The remaining performances of “Measure for Measure” are July 22, 24, 26, 30 and Aug. 1. Labeled one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays” for its intriguing mix of comedy and tragedy, “Measure for Measure” is directed by Sasha Brätt, the busy local freelance director who was just named co-artistic director of Playhouse on Park in West Hartford. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which for obvious reasons is the Shakespeare play most frequently done by outdoor summer theaters, still has shows July 19, 23, 25, 29, 31 and Aug. 2.

There are special preshow performances from the New England Ballet Theatre on July 24, 25, 31 and Aug. 1 at 7 p.m., a scholarly talk on July 19 at 5 p.m., music from Christopher John on July 29 and Aug. 2, plus Family Day Activities, including an appearance by the Hartford Yard Goats mascot, on Aug. 2. All performances are on the lawn outside the University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford. Tickets are $25, $20 per tickets for groups of 10 or more and free for children under 12.

“Measure for Measure” was also this year’s choice for the Shelton-based Valley Shakespeare Festival. The final performance is July 19 at 7 p.m. at Quarry Walk, 300 Oxford Road in Oxford. The show is free with a suggested donation of $20, $10 for children.

Another Shakespeare show ending July 19 is the Stamford community theater company Curtain Call’s annual Shakespeare on the Green production. This year it’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The final performance is July 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Curtain Call’s Sterling Farms location, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford. Free; suggested donations are $20, $10 seniors and children.

The touring Hudson Shakespeare Company is performing “Othello” at two locations in Stratford this month: Boothe Park at 5800 Main St. in Stratford with performances through July 26 on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. plus a single performance July 25 at 2 p.m. outside Stratford Library, 2203 Main St., Stratford. The library performance is free, with donations solicited. The Boothe Park shows are $15. Othello is played by Joshua Eaddy, a busy Connecticut actor who has worked with the Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival, New Haven’s Collective Consciousness Theatre and numerous other local theaters.

There’s a new entry in the summer Shakespeare season this year, though it’s not part of a regular Shakespeare series and it’s not exactly outdoors. Madison Lyric Stage is doing its own “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” through July 26 at the Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society, 297 Boston Post Rd, Madison. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m. The shows are indoors, but Madison Lyric Stage said “the evening will be preceded by a festive outdoor preshow of merriment with roaming musicians, madrigal singers, food and drink.” Tickets are $45.

A local summer Shakespeare tradition that may not be outdoors but certainly colors outside the lines is the annual Breakdancing Shakespeare youth theater show from Hartford Stage. The summer theater program has been active for decades, devising short, highly physicalized modern adaptations of Shakespeare stories. The classes culminate in a weekend of performances. This year, the Breakdancing Shakespeare show is “Romeo & Juliet” and the performances are July 24 and 25 at 7 p.m. and July 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10. Not only is “Romeo & Juliet” one of the most popular outdoor Shakespeare choices, Hartford Stage did its own grown-up rendition of the play in its regular season just last year.

August begins with Eastbound Theatre doing “The Tempest,” the stormy island drama about magic, shipwrecks and families rent asunder, Aug. 1 and 2 at 5 p.m. in Eisenhower Park, 780 North St., Milford. Eastbound ordinarily performs indoors at the Milford Arts Center.

The moody classic “Hamlet,” the fifth annual offering in Shakespearience Productions’ Shakespeare in the Litchfield Hills series, has five free performances Aug. 5-9 at 7:30 p.m. at River Walk Pavilion, 11 School St. in Washington Depot with picnicking on the lawn starting at 7 p.m.

Time’s Fool Company is presenting Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale” Aug. 5-9 and 11-15 at Keeney Center Lawn, 200 Main St., Wethersfield. Shows are at 6 p.m. with special lamplight performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays. Admission is free, and donations are graciously accepted. “Bring your lawn chair or a blanket, a picnic and the whole family.”

The outdoor summer Shakespeare season in Connecticut usually ends with the annual production from Elm Shakespeare, a professional non-profit theater which has been staging Elizabethan dramas in Edgerton Park on the New Haven/Hamden line since 1995.

The cast is a mix of professional actors in the Equity union, local talent plus children and teens adding to a fuller ensemble. The 2026 Elm Shakespeare show is the comedy “Much Ado About Nothing,” Aug. 20 through Sept. 6. The play’s romantic and military adventures are enlivened by the two squabbling supporting character, Beatrice and Benedick. Elm Shakespeare performances are free. Donations are encouraged.