For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Laura Soll, Public Relations (860) 688-4499, lsoll@aol.com

New, Free On-Line Fall Foliage Driving Tours Brochure
For Connecticut's River Valley

HARTFORD, CONN., October 13, 2009 – During the next month, leaves throughout Connecticut will be at their peak of countless beautiful hues, making the River Valley/Connecticut region perfect for Fall foliage “leaf peeping.”

A colorful, free on-line brochure, produced by the Central Regional Tourism District, home of River Valley/Connecticut, is available to add to the pleasure of these trips by offering nine different self-guided driving tours. The “River Valley’s Fall Driving Tours” brochure is a companion piece to the “2009 Visitors Guide to Greater Hartford & Connecticut’s River Valley”. The new Fall Foliage brochure can be viewed or downloaded from the Central Regional Tourism District’s website, www.visitctriver.com.

"Each of the tours in this guide offers detailed driving directions to spectacular views of the changing Connecticut landscape,” explains Paul Mayer, Executive Director of the Central Regional Tourism District. “This year, we include a section on special events at the Essex Steam & Riverboat attraction that offer wonderful ways to enjoy the foliage, both on land and on the water.” The River Valley/Connecticut region covers 46 towns and cities and is located along the Connecticut River, which winds its way from the Long Island Sound over hills and rolling valleys, through Connecticut’s capital city of Hartford, and up to the Massachusetts border.

The nine different self-guided driving tours in the River Valley’s Fall Driving Tours brochure are:

1. Connecticut River – Metacomet Ridge Tour;

2. Tobacco Valley Driving Tour;

3. East of the River Driving Tour;

4. Farmington Valley Tour;

5. Quinnipiac River and Metacomet Trail Tour;

6. Central Connecticut Tour;

7. Old Wethersfield, Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry and Brownstone Quarry Tour;

8. Gillette Castle and Devil’s Hopyard State Parks Tour; and

9. Connecticut River Tidelands Tour.

The Central Regional Tourism District, home of River Valley/Connecticut, works to promote national and regional awareness of tourism in Connecticut’s River Valley. Its goal is to increase the number of visits to the area, thereby resulting in revenue growth. The region covers 46 towns and cities and is located along the Connecticut River, which winds its way from the Long Island Sound over hills and rolling valleys, through the capital city of Hartford, and up to the Massachusetts border. The 46 towns and cities are: Andover; Avon; Berlin; Bloomfield; Bolton; Canton; Chester; Cromwell; Deep River; East Granby; East Haddam; East Hampton; East Hartford; East Windsor; Ellington; Enfield; Essex; Farmington; Glastonbury; Granby; Haddam; Hartford; Hebron; Manchester; Marlborough; Meriden; Middletown; New Britain; Newington; Old Saybrook; Plainville; Portland; Rocky Hill; Simsbury; Somers; South Windsor; Southington; Stafford; Suffield; Tolland; Vernon; West Hartford; Westbrook; Wethersfield; Windsor; and Windsor Locks.

To view or download a free copy of “River Valley’s Fall Driving Tours”, go to www.visitctriver.com.

For more information about the Central Regional Tourism District, (860) 256-2777 or visit www.visitctriver.com.