At the mere sight of any G. Fox relic, but especially at this time of year, a whole lot of people are stirred to utter almost verbatim: “I remember as a child we would all get dressed up and take the city bus to G. Fox. We’d have lunch and walk around Constitution Plaza to view the lights.”

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but almost all of that experience can still be replicated.

There is nothing to stop you from putting on your finery, including a proper hat, and coming into downtown Hartford. In fact, our bus service today is more robust than it was then. On a weekday, the bus routes available directly in front of the former G. Fox building, or right across the street, include:  32, 34, 36, 40, 42, 44, 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, and 66. This connects downtown Hartford to Windsor, Windsor Locks, East Granby, Bloomfield, West Hartford, and Farmington.

If you can walk five minutes, that brings you to stops for the 30, 72, 74, 76, 80, 82, 83, 84, 88, 94, 95, 901, 904, 905, 912, 913, 921, 926, and 927. In addition to previously named towns, these can connect you to Bradley Airport, Manchester, South Windsor, East Hartford, Vernon, Glastonbury, Avon, Simsbury, Canton, New Hartford, Barkhamsted, Winsted, Torrington, Enfield, Marlborough, Colchester, Chester, Essex, Old Saybrook, Granby, Bolton, Tolland, Coventry, and Mansfield. You can also walk a couple minutes to reach a DASH shuttle stop, which would connect you to Union Station.

Walk just a couple minutes more and you have access to routes 31, 33, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 53, 55, 59, 61, 63, 69, 87, 96, 902, 909, 914, 918, 923, 928, 950 along with 101, 102, and 128. In addition to all the aforementioned towns, these routes connect you from Hartford to Newington, Wethersfield, Berlin, Rocky Hill, Cromwell, Middletown, East Windsor, Andover, Columbia, Windham, Brooklyn, Killingly, Meriden, North Haven, New Haven, Bristol, New Britain, Southington, Cheshire, Waterbury, and Plainville.

That’s over 50 towns you can reach in a single seat ride from Hartford.

Your range expands when you connect to other buses, train, or the airport. For instance, someone in Beacon Falls could travel the Metro-North Waterbury Branch and then transfer to the 928 bus once in Waterbury. Ironically, you can’t travel from Washington Depot to Hartford on public transportation, no matter what Gilmore Girls led us to believe about bus service existing at all in small towns.

Gone are the days when to find out bus routes you’d have to make a phone call or send away for a trip planner; the ease of information today removes barriers to indulging your childhood nostalgia.

For those who have not been on or really looked at a bus in the last 50 years, they are accessible to those using wheelchairs and other mobility devices, either through a lift, or more commonly, with the bus “kneeling,” which you can request from the driver even if you aren’t using a mobility device but would like less of a step up. Payment: cash (need to use exact change), paper tickets, Go CT Card (card or mobile app), or Token Transit app.

Once you have disembarked, you can begin looking at how buildings have been re-imagined for modern use.

You can enter the former G. Fox building when it’s open, now occupied by various tenants including Capital Community College, and at minimum walk through the atrium and ride a set of escalators. There are a few (literally, just a few) G. Fox objects on display, a map of G. Fox, and the chance to see some of the building features that haven’t been renovated out. Sadly, many schools and colleges have restricted the ability for the public to just wander around and take a look — even when these are publicly funded facilities. Unless you can sweet talk security or schedule your visit for when there’s a public event, you’re unlikely to go up to the 11th floor and reminisce about how that felt as a child.

There are numerous restaurant options in downtown — fast food, fancy, and mostly, a lot in between.

City Steam Brewery, in the former location of Brown Thomson’s, offers glimpses of older architectural features that can be enjoyed over pretzel bites and mac-n-cheese.

Take a moment to remember that you aren’t worrying about the meter running out or trying to recall which of the thousand cookie cutter lots you parked in. You’re free.

You can go shopping on Pratt Street.

Instead of department stores, we have pivoted toward smaller shops with more character and the ability to specialize.

There’s cards and gifts, plants, vintage clothing, upscale clothing, sneakers.

By the time you make this trip the comic book store might be open.

Turn the corner onto Trumbull Street and visit Emrey’s, a soda fountain that recently opened and serves egg creams, among other treats.

If you’re craving light pollution, there are decorations in downtown.

Why lament the lights on soulless Constitution Plaza when there’s the option to walk through a park where people are skating at the rink, riding the carousel, using the playground, and playing cricket?

Another option: visit the Wadsworth Atheneum.

It looks nice whether it’s 20°F and windy or 55°F and rainy, and you don’t have to wear a coat.

You don’t even have to go during the Festival of Trees and Traditions when the museum tends to be more crowded. Enough decorations remain after that event for the galleries to be festive.

What’s actually better than any of that, though, is walking around outside and looking up into the buildings and seeing people’s homes decorated . . . because there are people living in downtown Hartford.

When you’ve had your fill, get back on the bus. Tell your friends you can still get dressed up and ride the bus into downtown Hartford. It won’t be what you remember from childhood because memories are distorted and, thank God, change is constant.

Climate Possibilities is a series about climate mitigation, along with resilience, resistance, and restoration. It’s about human habitat preservation. It’s about loving nature and planet Earth, and demanding the kind of change that gives future generations the opportunity for vibrant lives. Doomers will be eaten alive, figuratively. All photographs are taken in Hartford, Connecticut unless stated otherwise.