B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill — Attraction in Stonington

This was a wonderful and fun fall experience to visit the oldest working steam powered cider mills. We went on a Saturday morning just around opening (9am). Parking on the premise is limited, they allow street parking (following appropriate signs), and additional parking down the road but that is a bit of a walk. The main building is handicap accessible with a ramp, and the tasting room is semi accessible through the grass, however they do require steps (about 2-3) into the cider mill house and the gift shop, as well as the hard cider hut. There are currently no paved walkways and their driveway is not paved either. If willing to put in a little arm work a wheelchair and walker could get around. They had a lot of tables for seating as well as some chairs on the porch around the main house and some near the tasting room, and a few just outside the cider mill. They do have free wine tasting of the variety of wines and hard ciders they make and carry. When going through the main house to grab some of their very tasty cider doughnuts, they also have a wide selection of baked goods, sauces, dips, pickled items, and salsas and much more for purchase. Even being there quite early at opening, still expect a line to order any of the number of things available for purchase in the house. This cider mill has now been in their family for 5 generations and still make it how they originally started. They will run the cider mill on Tuesday and Thursday and also on the weekend however can carry based on need so can be more or less often. The kiddos were not too fond of the wasps around the property but they weren’t too much of a bother. Everyone whom I had an interaction with working there were super pleasant and informative. The kiddos asked questions and they were more than ok with answering them. They had corn hole and yard connect four available to play. The cider slushy, doughnuts and maple cream were some of the things we enjoyed the most. The doughnuts have more of a cake like texture and more on the dense side than light and fluffy. It’s an experience overall, so be prepared for lines. But we...

The little shop is very cute and has a wide variety of really neat things to buy. Items are pricey, but I expected that. When I came mid week on a Wednesday late morning they were not very busy, but the actual mill wasn't running. If you want to see that you need to call ahead and ask about days and times it will be running. Everything in the little shop is breakable so if you have small children like I do its not impossible to navigate, but it's not easy either. They have Porta potties for restroom amenities so if that's not your thing be aware before hand to make a pit stop. I made my purchases and grabbed a dozen doughnuts to bring home for my husband and kids in school who couldn't come to be able to enjoy them tonight and two for me and my youngest to sit and eat on the big porch they have. We could not enjoy sitting there and eating the doughnuts longer than it took me to take 2 pictures of her before several bees started buzzing around, they seem very attracted to the sugar and they were persistent. She was scared and I didn't want her to be stung or for me to be stung. I would say there were 5 bees or so around us and then when we called it quits and started eating and walking to the car one still followed and I ended up throwing down my doughnut and it still ended up in my car and I had to swat it out. I had to buckle her from inside my car because I didn't want bees flying in. I'm definitely not opposed to bees and I get it bees like sugar, but if you happen to be allergic bring an epi pen with you or maybe this...

My first trip to the mill was with my husband and a friend. The mill is only open for a few months each year, which creates a frenzy when they are open. The parking lot is a zoo and most people skip it and instead park in the street. With cars parked on both sides sections of the road are down to one travel lane with no room for oncoming traffic.

We were there on a Saturday and it seemed like there was a small fair going on. There were several vendors under tents and sitting at tables with syrup and other items for sale. The line for donuts and cider - the thing the locals rave about the most - was through the shop and out both doors. We waited in line for 30 minutes before I became bored and walked in to see what was in the shop. It was more jams, jellies and syrups like the vendors outside had. Sections of the shop were completely impassable because of the lines for the registers. I went back to the where my husband and friend were still waiting in line and we waited another 20 minutes or so before it was our turn. We bought cider and donuts. They were good - but I'm not sure they were wait an hour good.

We didn't go to the mill. There was a sign advertising that if you wanted hard cider then you had to purchase it in the mill so it had another huge line. since none of us were interested in hard cider we...