Guests Hear Otherworldly Whispers at 18th-Century Inn

Before he died at sea, captain William Gonzales Grant erected a palatial manor in 1754 in the woods of southeastern Connecticut for his wife, Mercy Adelaide Avery. Over the next two centuries, family, Revolutionary War soldiers, and Civil War runaway slaves set up camp in the estate. With such history, Captain Grant’s, 1754 abounds with ghost-spotting potential, as guests say they've heard whispering voices during evening hours. During an included ghost-communication lesson, inn staff members help guests to connect with paranormal residents and give tips on how to speak to those beyond the grave.

Restored to their original states, the guest rooms exude charm through centuries-old décor and full private bathrooms. The Adelaide room features 1800s Gothic furniture, and the Elizabeth room, named after the last woman to reside at the property, is blanketed in hardwood floors crafted from now-extinct hard-heart pine. Inn staff provides firewood for the Margaret room’s marble and mahogany fireplace and the Holly room's reproduction of an 18th-century hearth.

Captain Grant's all-you-can-eat country breakfasts come loaded with hearty, seasonal recipes; in autumn months, chefs draw on freshly harvested, local ingredients when concocting egg dishes laden with mustard and swiss cheese. Winter breakfasts warm up diners with whiskey-soaked peaches and homemade corned-beef hash served next to the crackle of the dining room's fireplace. In the spring, fresh fruit and the inn's homemade jams and jellies—from pineapple rhubarb to arabian peach—complement Connecticut's blooming foliage. Complimentary wine is uncorked nightly.

New London County, Connecticut: Colonial and Native American History in Forested Landscape

Stone walkways wind through Poquetanuck Village, the historical district where Captain Grant’s, 1754 resides. Museums throughout the county focus on the area's colonial-era maritime history, including Mystic Seaport with its wooden-shipbuilding yard. The county also boasts dozens of historical districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and relics of the native Mashantucket Pequot nation can be seen in artisans' shops and galleries. Three golf courses within a 10-minute drive from Captain Grant’s, 1754 take advantage of the picturesque forest landscape, and modern-day coastal cafés serve fresh seafood in warmer months and during lobsters’ spring breaks.