My planned destinations were a stop on the Connecticut wine trail followed by a visit to Mohegan Sun Casino for a concert. It was a day to let my curiosity decide where I stopped along the way.

I could feel the muscles on my neck relax as I noticed a red barn-like structure and decided to turn into Sankow's Beaver Brook Farm. It was off-season and my car was the only car parked outside the store. They had an amazing array of artisan cheeses and I bought a few. I learned that I had landed at...