Connecticut

Fortified by our BBQ excesses the previous evening, we enjoyed a light breakfast of mostly fruit before setting out west in search of Rory and Lorelei. I did my research on the Gilmore Girls and identified three towns in the Lichfield Hills of western CT which are linked with the series and from which the author drew inspiration.
Our first stop was Litchfield. We visited the historical society's museum and saw the site of the first ever law school in the US. We also saw The West Street Diner, which is supposed to be the prototype for Luke's Cafe. One summer, a college student got a sign made for Luke's Cafe and got a series of cafe owners to hang it outside their place for a few days. He got a share of the increased profits when throngs of Gilmore Girls fans flocked to each cafe. All different places in different local towns. Litchfield holds an annual 10k run.
We finally secured a postcard for Tom, having held out in the vain hope that we might see one with a pig on it. We had to give up that quest or we would have been at home before the cards arrived in Ireland. We posted all three cards in Litchfield. I'm sure it was the same post office which appeared in Series 2 Episode 8.
Next to Washington and Washington Depot which is where the railway station for Washington was. All the business moved down the hill to the depot leaving the village itself frozen in time. We met the pastor of the church. She let us in the side door to admire the newly restored interior. She pointed out that there is no stained glass or any religious imagery. There is a cross on the pulpit. It was put there in recent times after a parishioner who is a former Catholic insisted there should be some symbol. But it is on hooks, so it can be removed at any time. The church recently revived an old tradition of distributing oranges to children at Christmas services, in particular throwing oranges up to children in the balconies which run the length of the church on both sides.
Washington was where the Gilmore Girls' author got the idea for the series, sitting in Marty's cafe. The Hickory Stick bookshop was the basis for the series' bookshop.
The final leg of our Gilmore Girls' tour took us to New Milford. The gazebo on the town green was the inspiration for the one in the series. The photo MTC took of the band-stand / gazebo will be an inspiration in itself!Read more