Are you a Gilmore Girls Fan? Have you ever wished you could visit Stars Hollow, stop at Luke’s for a cup of coffee and sit on the the steps of the Gazebo? Well, unfortunately Stars Hollow is a fictional town that was created by Amy Sherman-Palladino. While on a vacation in Washington, CT, Amy Sherman-Palladino was inspired by the small town and the people in it, and Stars Hollow was created.
So, being a huge Gilmore Girls Fan, and being a resident in CT, I decided to take my youngest daughter on a Gilmore Girls Day Trip!
The Mayflower Inn & Spa
Our first stop was The Mayflower Inn & Spa where Amy Sherman-Palladino stayed. The inn in the show is known as, The Independence Inn. This is where the main character, Lorelai Gilmore, played by, Lauren Graham, worked and raised her daughter Rory Gilmore, played by, Alexis Bledel, for the beginning part of her life. So, it was important to start our Gilmore Girls day where it all began.
On your drive up the hill to the beautiful inn, you are immediately in a peaceful serene state of mind. The grounds are full with lush green grass and gardens filled with beautiful vibrant colors. The gentleman at the door was very friendly as we asked if we could take a walk on the grounds and look around. He could tell by my Luke’s Cafe T-shirt we were Gilmore Girl’s Fans. He said that at least once a week, he has Gilmore Girl fans stop in to see the Inn.
The Inn was actually getting ready for a wedding that weekend, and what a beautiful location for a wedding it was.
Washington Depot
Washington Depot is a few miles down the road from the Inn and a quaint town where you will find many things that resemble Stars Hollow. There are a few places that are a must to stop in and see for sure.
You wont find Luke here, but Marty’s is the Luke’s Cafe of Washington Depot. If you’re a true Gilmore, you need your coffee to get through the day.
Marty’s like Luke’s, offers a full breakfast and lunch menu, as well as pastries. I recommend the chocolate chip cookie for sure.
While enjoying your cup of coffee take a walk around and enjoy the cute shops and gardens. The Town Hall may be the small Town Hall that Stars Hollow has, but just looking at, you could imagine a very fun town meeting taking place with all the characters.
The Hickory Book Shoppe might not have Rori reading inside, like you could find her often at the Star Hollow Book store, but the shop is a must visit for sure.
Before heading to the next location, you must stop in the Washington Food Mart. No, you wont see our favorite Town debater, Taylor Doose, played by Michael Winters, but you will see a cute resemblance to Doose’s Market.
New Milford
Not all of the show’s inspirations for Stars Hollow came from Washington, CT, Amy Sherman-Palladno was also inspired by another small town close by, New Milford. So, we headed to our last stop for our Gilmore Girls Day Trip and took the short drive through the beautiful hills and farms, make sure you have your camera to capture some great shots for sure.
The New Milford Green is the location for the heart of Stars Hollow gazebo. As soon as we saw it, both my daughter and I, felt we were in Stars Hollow for sure. The gazebo in Stars Hollow is where so many important events happen in the show, and seeing it in real life, was worth the trip.
New Milford is indeed, the real life Stars Hollow. The flags waving, the store front buildings and all the people stopping to chat was everything we all love about Stars Hollow. Make sure you stop, shop, and enjoy everything about the small town. Be a Gilmore Girl for the day, be silly like Lorelai and Rory, have fun and laugh like my daughter and I did.
