This post was written in 2012, so some information may be out-of-date. Please be sure to check their website for the latest event details! For the 2016 holiday season, Christmas trees will be available starting November 25, 2016.
Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.
So what do Christmas trees, Manolo Blahniks, and the book “Eat, Pray, Love” have in common? You wouldn’t think much, but let me tell you, they do.
It all starts with a visit to a new-to-me Christmas tree farm located in Litchfield, Connecticut.
When we asked on our Facebook page about where readers went to their holiday pine, we got a few responses. So, I picked one to check out. Much to my husband’s dismay, though, it was the one furthest from our home (hey, it’s for the blog!)
Bees, Fleas and Trees is located in Litchfield, Connecticut, a beautiful holiday destination.
The drive to Litchfield from our home in West Hartford is really not that bad. It takes about an hour and we just jacked up the Christmas music, brought along some snacks and the time went quickly.
{As a side note, we took 44 to 202 on the way there, passing through Avon, Canton and Torrington. On the way home, we took 4. Both were nice drives, but I think the 4 route was a bit more picturesque.}
As we entered Litchfield, we passed through the cute downtown area. There was a nice town green and plenty of restaurants and shops that, if we had time, would have been fun to visit.
Just down the road from the town center was the tree farm. It is a quaint place, which on a normal day you could easily miss, but today there was no missing all the cars parked on the side of the road. We parked and headed towards the farm-house which seemed to be the best place to start.
As we walked up to the area where they trim and wrap the trees, we were greeted by one of the workers who gave us the low down.
There were a variety of trees for sale. 
The trees on the farm ranged in size from 5 feet to 10 feet and you could cut them down yourself, ask one of the staff members to cut them for you, or purchase a pre-cut tree. There were also some 3 – 5 foot trees called “table top” trees located on the other side of the farm-house. Cut trees were $39, pre-cut trees were $29, and table top trees were $19.
We decided we would attempt to cut down our own tree. So, my husband grabbed a saw from the wall and we marched our little group up the hill in search of our new addition.
As we made our way up the hill, the kids had fun running up and down some of the smaller hills and even made time for a little twin wrestling match.
As we reached the top, I turned around to take a few pictures of the view. I noticed that there was a beautiful farm across the street and I thought it looked strangely familiar.
It took me a few moments to place it (I mean this mommy brain of mine is working nowhere near full capacity), but eventually it did click. The farm across the street was Arethusa Farm!
Still not ringing a bell?
Well, this farm was featured in a Courant article earlier this year. It is owned by none other than the head executives at Manolo Blahnik and the farm was described as “the Fifth Avenue of farms, the Barney’s of barns, the Saks of cow stalls.” I mean, the article said that the cows received weekly spa treatments! These cows live the life and, ever since I read that article, I have been wanting to check out their high-end home. Small world!
Anyways, more on the Arethusa Farm later, I needed to get back to our Christmas tree adventure.
After searching and searching, we finally selected our tree.
With the selection made, my husband began cutting it down. While he was occupied, I just tried my best to keep Bruiser and Sparkles in the clear. I mean, saws and toddlers could equal a recipe for disaster, especially with these two!
But before you knew it, the tree was down and we were headed back down the hillside to get it all wrapped up. Aren’t they cute?
Once we got our tree back down the hill, the people from the farm went to work getting it trimmed and wrapped (and they even saved the trimmings for me which I like).
While they were at work, we moseyed inside the garage area to check out what else was for sale. We grabbed a cup of complimentary (and delicious) hot chocolate and took a look around.
There were a few things for sale including their local honey, wreaths, and some holiday accessories. There was also a little area where kids could write and mail a letter to Santa. It was very cute.
We were about to head out and gather our tree, when my husband noticed the display of books and this little sign.
It said, “Family Authors: Elizabeth Gilbert and Catherine Gilbert Murdock”. Then I noticed that “Eat, Pray, Love” was one of the books on display. Family authors? Wait, what are the names of the farm owners. Oh yeah, Carole and John GILBERT. Are they the parents of these famous authors? I’m sure I was no where near the first person to ask them this question, but I had to know the details (it is for the blog, right?)
I found the man in charge, John Gilbert. What a nice guy.
He confirmed that yes, indeed his daughters are both authors. I then realized that they even had signed copies of their books available for sale. How fun! And when I was doing a google search to figure out how the farm got its name, I found this sweet Facebook post about the farm from Elizabeth Gilbert herself.
His wife Carole was there as well and she gave me the scoop on Arethusa Farm. She said it wasn’t opened for visitors on a daily basis but did think there were opportunities for tours throughout the year (I later found out that the dairy farm is open to visitors every Saturday from 12:30 – 2:30. Sounds like a future OAAM outing to me!) She also gave me the scoop on their retail store located one town over in Bantam, CT. We later visited the retail store and got some heavenly ice cream and egg nog, but I will have to save those details for a future post.
I was loving this holiday outing more and more!
It was about time for us to get our tree, pack up the kiddos and head out. The farm was so uncommercialized that I wasn’t even sure where you were supposed to pay for the tree. The owner, John Gilbert, said that we just needed to pay him. Fortunately, my husband had cash on him because they only accept cash or checks, so make sure you come prepared.
Our tree was small enough that we were able to fit it in the back of our car, but they also had roping available at the farm if you needed to tie the tree to your car’s roof.
Though there was a little extra driving involved, I think this Christmas tree destination was definitely worth the trip. The farm had a warm and inviting spirit and everyone there was genuinely kind and helpful. It was small enough to manage with several little ones, yet large enough to provide a variety of tree options. The place was adorable and, if you haven’t purchased your Christmas tree yet, I highly recommend making a trip to Bees, Fleas, and Trees in Litchfield.
P.S. Don’t forget to stop by our 2012 Holiday Activities Page for even more ideas for holiday fun with your family!
Bees, Fleas and Trees – The Gilbert Christmas Tree Farm
Address: 551 South Plains Road, Litchfield, Connecticut
Phone: 610-780-5847 (John) or 610-698-5058 (Carole)
Email: cj@beesfleasandtrees.com
Website: www.beesfleasandtrees.com
Get directions here:
Enter your starting address:
Hours:
Open now through December 23, 2012
Weekends 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Weekdays 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Tips & Things to Bring:
- Dress warmly as you will be outside. I would also suggest boots if you have them as you will be hiking around the farm looking for your perfect tree.
- Bring cash or a check for your purchases.
- Leave the stroller at home and bring a baby carrier for your little one.
- Cut-your-own trees are $39, pre-cut trees are $29, and table top trees are $19
- Saws are provided for tree cutting. You can either cut it yourself or someone will help you.
- Tree trimming and wrapping are FREE services
- Either bring your own rope for tying the tree on your vehicle or they have rope available on site.
- I have no idea about the restroom situation. I forgot to ask. Ooops! For the little one’s, the easiest option is probably just to change them in your car.
- They have free (and yummy) hot cocoa and you can purchase honey, wreaths, tree stands and even signed copies of their daughters’ books (Elizabeth Gilbert and Catherine Gilbert Murdock)
- Located across the street is the famous, Arethusa Farm. This dairy farm is owned by the top executives of Manolo Blahnik. It is open to visitors on Saturdays from 12:30 – 2:30 and you can purchase some of their dairy offerings at their retail store located nearby at 822 Bantam Road in Bantam, Connecticut.
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