A first visit to Norfolk

As a Yale student, I heard time and time again about Norfolk’s beautiful location, but as of registering for the Chamber Music Festival, I had not actually been there in person.  Since it’s one thing to hear about a place and another to see it, I decided to check things out for myself.  So, in mid-June, I made the drive to Norfolk from New Haven.  My plan was to meet up with some people I knew on staff and in the New Music Workshop and hang out with them for a while.

I arrived to find my friends happy and sweaty, throwing softballs outside the Music Shed.  I parked my car on the grass – because that’s what you do in Norfolk – and occupied myself with spraying bug repellent over every inch of my body. Down with mosquitoes!  Then, when the church bells announced the six-o’clock hour, we all made our way to the cafeteria for dinner.

I can’t remember what I ate, but I’m sure it was good, because the food there almost always is delicious. We stuffed our faces – because that’s what you do at an all-you-can-eat buffet – and then the staff members and I decided to work off the meal by climbing Haystack Mountain.  A mountain in Connecticut?  Yes, it’s true. I guess it’s really more of a large hill, but it’s quite mighty for Connecticut standards.  Haystack’s base is a short walk from the festival, and its peak has a watchtower visible from the ground.  I was excited about the hike though worried that we wouldn’t get back before sunset.  Everyone assured me that we would be fine, so off we went.

There had been a lot of rain that month, so the trail was muddy at times, but the five of us made our way along the path without much trouble.  It was a non-strenuous hike that took about 45 minutes bottom to top, so it was probably about 7:45pm when we arrived at the watchtower and climbed its narrow stairs.

Now, I have seen a lot of really great views in my life, but this one has got to be one of the best.  The watchtower revealed a ridiculously gorgeous 360-degree panoramic view of the surroundings.  We could see well into Massachusetts, the Berkshire range, and we also managed to locate the Music Barn, which was just a speck on the ground.  The sunset was breathtaking, capping off the amazing scene. As I stood there, taking it all in, I thought back to the people who had told me about Norfolk’s beautiful setting and how I never would have imagined it would be so incredible.

We hung around the watchtower for a while, and then we figured that, since the sun was setting, we had better get back quickly.  We began our descent, and the light became dimmer and dimmer.  But, that’s why we have cell phones, right? We all took out our phones to guide the way; one person even had the “Flashlight” application on his iPhone.  They had been right, though; we made it back safe and sound.  And then what do people do in Norfolk after hours? Go to the pub, of course.  So, there we went, ending the day with free popcorn and cheap drinks.  Not bad for a first visit!