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Former Admin
09-10-2002, 07:04
Info, questions, comments, experiences (good or bad) regarding - Salisbury, CT

Past/Present hikers - what can future hikers expect here? Have any good stories or memories, would you suggest a maildrop here?

Future hikers - any questions?

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Hammock Hanger
09-10-2002, 07:12
Finding any thing affordable in Salisbury, CT is out of the question. However, Maria McCabe a local resident has dedicated the upstairs of her home for hikers needing a place to stay. There are 2 bedrooms, one with 2 twin beds and one with a queen size bed. There is a full size bathroom between the two. I believe that the twins go for $25.00 a piece. The bigger double room goes for $50.00 that includes 2 people. I stayed in the double alone and she only charged me $30.00. There was AC and a TV. Maria will take you to the laudromat in the next town, pick you up and bring you by the restaurant or grocery store. Maria is a sweetheart of a lady. Be sure to call before showing up as she does have limited space. (860-435-0593) She will take reservations but please stay if you reserve. HH

wacocelt
09-10-2002, 07:46
Thinking about Salisbury literally brings tears to my eyes. This is the town that I ended my 2000 SoBo attempt in because my kidney stone was hurting too, too bad. I do recall the over priced but excellent selection at the grocery there. A very peaceful nights sleep in the cemetary. As well, and most of all, the post mistress that drove me to the Amtrack station to begin my miserable journey 'home'.
I intend to sleep in that very same spot on my NoBo hike, if it isn't occupied ofcourse.

hikerat2002
09-16-2002, 06:34
Mile for mile, CT has the best town layout for resupplying and great hiking. Very rewarding hiking w/ terrain being varied. Salisbury is OK. The people there don't bother me much. Actually, they ignore hikers, trying to not look like they are interested in you, which is good. The Epicure grocer is a good spot to resupply. I do not know if it is expensive as food is pretty good to have available like they have there in CT. You can resupply A-OK there. Of course, alot of thru-hikers are way over 50% depleted in funds once they are in CT so, the food may look pricey. I was out of money by CT and had to call the folks for more $$ when I was in Salisbury. Like being in college when you hike ' cept you do you clothes wash in any sink that has running water. Cabot Cheese is the best!

Peaks
09-16-2002, 07:35
I'd say that the Connecticut Section of the AT was the best maintained section of the entire AT. Thank you Connecticut Section of the AMC for all your fine work.

(Think you can show New York how to do it?)

Marketman
10-11-2002, 15:34
One of my favorite town stops. Yes, it was a little pricy but worth it. Stayed at the White Hart Inn. 5 Star Inn at hiker prices. $69 for a suite (tell em your an AT hiker for that price)and all the gourmet coffee you could drink. I checked in at 8 am and checked out at 1pm the next day..29 hours....There was a well stocked grocery store, funky little book store and a high end bakery featuring soups and sandwiches to go...As for the town folk, they seem to be quite friendly especially the staff at the White Hart....Hated to leave...

Hammock Hanger
10-11-2002, 16:13
I inquired at the White Hart and was told like $100 something a night. Maybe it was the wrong time of year, June? HH

Marketman
10-12-2002, 14:37
Ya, I was there late Oct., must have been a cheaper time of year...

AmazinGrace
04-02-2003, 09:55
I camped behind the library in Salisbury. It was safe and quiet (except for the bells in the clock tower), and there's a public spring right across the street where water flows out into a stone basin. Camping there is illegal, but if you set up after dark, no one will know.

The cemetery is also a good place for free illicit camping in Salisbury--again, be stealthy and leave no trace.

Happy hiking!
Amazin' Grace

fancyfeet
04-03-2003, 21:54
I really loved Salisbury, but I only spent the day there. I was there in '02, which was very, very dry, so the water fountain was welcome. I spent the night .03 mi north at a really crappy campsite (don't remember the name), but loved my time in town. About every 2nd person I saw asked me about my trip. When it started to rain, a woman invited me to go into the Episcopal church to organize my gear and rest. It's open all day and a good spot to sit and write postcards, repack your supplies,etc. I did resupply at the trendy grocery, which was a little expensive, but pretty much par for the course for those little AT towns. I found it real friendly and had plenty of amenities - pharmacy, grocery, food, church, library (with internet), post office, etc. A great spot for resupply since the trail goes right through town and right by the post office. My favorite item was a house on the way in to town (going south) with awesome rock formations instead of a lawn. Look for it on your way in or out ( not far from the cemetery).

Presto
04-04-2003, 18:07
Very expensive for food / gear / to breathe, etc. - I formed a theory about this place that only "pretty" people were allowed to live in town. Even the grungy little alternateens looked like poster models for the next Pearl Jam. Stepford Wives? Maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe good for a quick stop but I wouldn't plan to stay there. The $10 hamburger at the inn was only worth the money because I had no other option than cooking lipton noodles. Library has internet access. If I could do it again I would probably skip this town - but it was about 100 degrees when we went there so the air-conditioning was delightful.

Wish I would have known about HH's recommendation. I also heard that the inn was $100.

Cabo
10-22-2003, 16:11
I'm new to this site and saw that this thread has been dormant for quite a while. I hope my information can help someone planning for 04.

I grew up near Salisbury and spend 1-2 weeks there every summer (wearing my hiking boots as much as posssible). I can understand the varied opinions stated about this town and how they were formed. Salisbury has evolved from the mid 1700's to mainly serve the people who live there. Some of the more famous residents are Harrison Ford and Merril Streep. The town is very expensive for just about everything and luckily I do not have to pay for lodging there as I stay at my in-law's.
It is unfortunate that Salisbury, called the quintesential New England Town by some, is not the quintesential AT refuel and recharge town. There is a pharmacy, liquor store, clothing/sporting goods store, post office, library with internet access, coffee shop, ice cream store and grocery store there. The clothing/sporting goods store (The Village Store), has limited hiking supplies. I have heard the post office had a good reputation dealing with AT thru hikers by holding unwanted mail drop items and offering them to subsequent hikers. The ice cream at Bev's very good and I see many hikers with a cone.
I got married and had my wedding reception at the White Hart Inn, but did not stay there because they wanted something like $175 per night for their smallest room. The $100 seems like a bargain when I compare it with my rate from 1995, but is still unreasonable. And yes, the Le Bonne grocery store is very expensive. The people in Salisbury are for the most part very friendly. However, there are quite a few people who have either transplanted there or weekend/summer there and don't know anyone. I have found that they don't seem too outgoing.
If you stop in Salisbury and can catch a ride, the next town west on Rt 44 is Lakeville and offers a pizza restaurant (Brother's) with decent food. Additionally, a restaurant called the Boat House is in Lakeville and is very good. It offers everything from Hamburgers to Sushi to Hit The Trail Ale.
Another alternative would be Great Barrington, Ma. about 20 miles north. While not on the AT, I believe the AT passes a few miles east of town where it crosses RT 23. If you decide to enter Great Barrington, you will travel west on RT 23 and come to the junction of RT 7. South on Rt 7 brings you into downtown GB with the following available: Restaurants including Pizza, several diners, Subway, a cheesecake place, a coffee shop, a motel and some other stores. North on Rt 7 will bring you to a retail district offering 4 motels (Barrington Motor Court, Briarcliff Motor Lodge, Lantern House Motel and the Monument Mountian Motel). Prices unknown. Restaurants include Friendy's, Four Brothers Pizza, Mcdonalds, Catherine's Chocolate (candy shop), Barrington Brew Pub and more. There is a shopping center which includes a Radio Shack and a Price Chopper grocery store. The prices at Price Chopper are much more reasonable than at Le Bonne in Salisbury, but it is a little out of the way. I do not know how reasonable the motels are. Last I checked they were more than I wanted to pay. :mad:
Hopefully this info will help the planners of the 04 trek. Last summer while in Salisbury I had the opportunity to meet some of the thru hikers I read about at the Trailjournals site. The only trail name I remember now is Diesel, but it was pretty cool putting a face with the journal entry.
I mainly day hike when in NW Ct with my 7 yo son and we enjoy meeting the hikers while in town. I'll be up there the end of July and beginning of August in 04. Looking forward to hearing more about the NOBO trip to Maine.
If anyone wants more info on the area, please ask.
KB

alanthealan
08-09-2005, 15:13
NoBo with chef-boy-ar-dee. We just got washed up at Maria McCabe's, room for two $50. Ate at Holly's behind Post Office. Wonderful food with special care taken with each plate by the charming owner and chef. Lovely waitress too! Interesting and varied menu, much less expensive than the White Hart Inn. Everything convenient in town. Only problem, no laundromat. Brian Dillon

Jack Tarlin
08-09-2005, 16:14
Amazin' Grace:

Most of us, at one time or another, have probably camped somewhere we shouldn't, but advertising stealth sites on the Internet is probably not a good idea, unless you want these areas posted and patrolled. It should also be pointed out that when hikers get caught blatantly illegally camping in Trail towns (like behind libraries, markets, restaurants, churches, etc., or in cemetaries where the people in these towns have loved ones buried), this does NOT endear these towns or their residents to hikers, and also makes for a non hiker-friendly police department. I know of four hikers in Hanover who in this week alone were caught overnighting where they shouldn't have been:
One in a cemetery, one on an athletic field, one in the Outing Club basement, and one in a wooded area of campus. None were arrested or fined, but both the Hanover and the Dartmouth College Police are getting a bit fed up....if you're gonna stealth camp somewhere, be smart about it, avoid doing it if it's
at all possible, and for heaven's sake, don't publicly (like on the Internet!) tell people how and where they can go about it.

A little common sense goes a long way.

neo
08-09-2005, 22:56
i stopped at salisbury ct.to resupply,i only went to the grocery store,i talked with a really nice lady that thru hiked in 2003,she celibrated her 65 th birthday near harpers ferry that year,:cool: neo

jackiebolen
08-11-2005, 01:46
I just stopped at the grocery store there for lunch and went to the post office. Definitely head there for lunch if you're not going to stay the night, it's a nice spot.

Gonzo!
08-11-2005, 08:34
Things must be getting better in Salsbury. Hiker Bob "Rerun" Sparks once had a bag of garbage thrown on him from a passing car as he hiked along the road in Salsbury back in 1989. He was 72 years old at the time. We thought about writing the governor of the state about that to let them know what we thought about some of it's citizens, but never did. Glad to hear it is not like that anymore.

kyhipo
08-11-2005, 08:43
personally little yuppie town with overpriced food but like most new england towns, pretty, people kinda friendly,i have been thru ther 3or 4 times thru the yrs.:dance ky

Sorcerer
08-11-2005, 09:00
I enjoyed my stay in Salisbury this summer on my trip from DWG-Hanover.

I stayed with Maria McCabe at her residence. She had just got home from a trip overseas and was fighting a bad cold. She wasn't planning on taking anybody in for a few more days, but she said I sounded tired and desperate on the phone!

$30 and I got a bed, shower, and a bucket with some Tide to do my laundry in the bathtub. Seeing as I hadn't had a shower in 13 days (since I left DWG) it was a real bargain compared to the $100 at the White Hart Inn.

The library folks were nice to me even though I hadn't had my shower when I went there.

Labonne's Grocery store was great. I went to the deli and told the guy just to make me "something the locals would eat". He made this great big grinder with all kinds of stuff and it was $4.99!!! I ate half for supper and ate the rest for breakfast. Admittedly I don't eat quite as much as the average thru-hiker, but I think it would have been at least filling for a single meal even for you bottomless pits out there!

There is even a liquor store in town if you're in need of those kinds of supplies. :p