Running through Bristol, there's a stretch of Route 72 named Memorial Boulevard. It's pretty much…read morebetween Main Street and Blakeslee Avenue. It's a lovely area with parkland and trails on both sides of the road. Memorial Boulevard is quite the appropriate name for this stretch, because the grassy areas bisected by the boulevard contain eight monuments honoring veterans from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. This review is about one of those monuments; but trust me, this gets confusing. "The Hiker" statue is a copy of a pre-existing statue depicting a soldier from one war, but it's dedicated to the soldiers of a different war. Confused? Yeah, I was too. Let me explain. This "Hiker Statue" on Memorial Boulevard is a 1983 replica of the same statue used in Bristol's 1929 Spanish American War monument over on Park Street at Muzzy Field. When the Memorial Boulevard version was dedicated in 1983, it was meant to honor all soldiers killed in WW II. It's a very detailed bronze statue of a Spanish American War soldier hiking with a rifle held in his right arm. He's dressed in the manner of his time (1898), wearing a wide brimmed hat, a military jacket, and knee high boots. Check out the jaunty angle of his hat. He looks like a bad-ass Indiana Jones. The plaque's inscription reads: The Hiker Spanish American War Soldier Given By The Vanesse Family In Memory Of Deceased World War II Veterans November 12, 1984

Memorial Boulevard Park is a beautiful spot both to walk your dog, or just to walk through by…read moreyourself. One of the parking lots has a large picnic table if you just want to stop by for a quick bite instead of eating your car or at work. All in all, it is maintained beautifully MOST of the time. BUT Bristol's goose population keeps getting bigger & bigger and they do have a hard time occasionally, keeping up with the droppings, mostly near the East end of the park (by the pond). It is usually very well maintained though. If you walk around the whole three to four block area, it's approximately 2 miles from Barnes Spring to Downes Street. Personally, since getting my high energy doggie, just from walking this area, I've lost 52 lbs (& have clocked 1350 mi per my GPS). It's especially beautiful in the Spring & Fall!!

I did not come to tour the museum, but did get to see part of it as part of a hearth cooking class…read more The Stanley-Whitman is part original house arranged how it may have been with the original owners, and part new structure with a gift shop and modern restrooms. There is also an herb garden outside, and an apple tree grown based on the teachings of Benjamin Franklin. Apparently having fruit took more than a grocery store way back when. The house is very interesting to experience. Everything was smaller back then, and cooking was a task and a half. The employees/docents are obviously learned about their subjects, and you'll learn a lot. Definitely check out their special programs - parking may be a challenge (so carpool!) but if they're food related they'll be delicious.

Stopped in for a short tour during the day. The docent was very knowledgeable. It's a small place…read morebut tons of information. Great way to spend an hour.

I came here on a fall afternoon as the sun was setting. It's a bit of a drive up to the castle from…read morethe entrance of the park but not too bad- about 10-15 minutes. I like that there are stairs inside the castle. What a beautiful view from the top! The foliage was a bit past peak but still gorgeous. It was windy and chilly but totally worth the views!

Yesterday my dog Brody and I decided to visit Castle Craig which is perfectly situated high above…read moreHubbard Park in order to gain a view of both the park and much of Meriden. Though this year's peak fall colors were muted and a bit past, it was still highly enjoyable.

Connecticut trivia for $100, please…read more Q: What is CT's state animal? A: The Sperm Whale. For bonus points--where can you find a 60-foot long replica of such a creature? The answer is on the grounds of the CT Children's Museum. This iron and cement whale model even has a name - "Conny". It was built between 1975 and 1976 -the result of thousands of hours of volunteer labor. Conny is hollow, so you can enter and exit Conny's innards via two doors carved into its blubber. Be sure to check out Conny's impressive fluke and lower jaw. All in all, quite a bizarre but wondrous site..

This statue is located at the start of Rockwell Park, on its own island of grass. The top is a…read moregentleman (presumably a soldier) with his rifle at his side. The cross below reads, "Cuba, Porto Rico, U.S.A., Philippine Island", and inside the cross reads "Spanish War Veterans 1898-1902." There is an image of two soldiers and a woman in the center. Below that is a plaque that reads "To perpetuate the memory of the citizens of Bristol who served in the war with Spain, Philippine insurrection and China relief expedition.1898-1902. Dedicated September 14, 1929. G. A. Hadsell Camp No. 21". It's not a war you hear about often, although obviously it was a huge deal at the time. Definitely interesting to see!

Bizarre with a capital "B"…read more There is a Timexpo Museum in Waterbury that tells the story of the Timex company, and the history of watches and time. But as important as that might be, they are nothing when compared to the totally cool 40' tall Easter Island Moai statue that graces a strip of grass in front of the museum. What exactly this statue has to do with the history of time, I don't know. What I do know is this- I pity the poor drunken fool who might be unfortunate enough to be stumbling down Union Street when he glances up and sees this 40 foot tall beast blocking his path. I think that would sober up our poor guy pretty fast.

Discover the Easter Island Moai…read more Forget your bucket list. Don't wait till you can't climb the hill at the quarry to one of the world's most amazing places, Rano Raraku on isolated Easter Island. A giant Moai is waiting to be freed from a thousand years of captivity. What was the last carver's thoughts as he walked away from his final creation? Take a flight or a cruise to French Polynesia and visit Easter Island. Sign up with Tiare Edmunds of Easter Island Guides for a one or two or day tour and see what time left behind. Tiare is the only Rapanui native guide with direct descendents to the original natives. She leads you on an adventure back in time in her air conditioned vehicle. Easter Island is situated on a triangle of volcanic rock in the South Pacific over 2,000 miles from Tahiti and Chile. It's a living outdoor museum and Tiare has the E ticket pass. We were picked up at the pier and spent two incredible days exploring and learning about what might of happened to a thriving culture that almost lead to extinction. While historically no one knows exactly what happened to leave behind over 900 massive Moai, Tiare will help you understand the culture and the people. She also brought along a picnic lunch on both days of arugula from her garden on fresh sandwiches and olives and Rapa Nui locally brewed beer. What a treat. Looking out over the ocean, drinking a cold beer, having a great lunch and talking with a real local historian about her family's history. A truly memorable time. Don't wait.

City of Bristol is located 20 miles southwest of Hartford and has a population of approximately…read more61,000. It incorporated as a town in 1785 then as a city in 1911. Lake Compounce opened in 1846; which makes it the oldest operating theme park in the US, is located there. The American Clock and Watch museum is also popular landmark. In history, the city is known for clock making. It was nicknamed "Mum City" because it used to be a mass producer of chrysanthemums. It was also known as "Bell City" because of doorbell production. I was exploring the area and it seemed like a decent area. I really enjoyed going to their town libraries. I gave it 3 stars when compared to neighboring towns and cities as well as overall statistics with crime, education, etc. This is more of a dense suburban area; there are also large employers such as ESPN and Bristol Hospital to name a couple, which provides plenty of jobs for residents.

Dedicated in 1884, this is an absolutely beautiful monument. It is a stunning 48 feet tall. It has…read moreornate and incredible detailed sculptures on all sides. I saw an old grizzled exhausted soldier sitting to catch a few minutes of rest. A grim looking citizen soldier holds his rifle in his right hand while his left hand is clenched in a fist of fury. A seated woman holds a book while two children crowd around her. A blacksmith stands tall and proud. The monument is capped by a Greek goddess holding her crown of laurels. There is artwork everywhere- sculpted panels and lamp posts made of rifles. And of course, there are inscribed plaques with the flowery language of the day. One reads: In honor of the patriotism and to perpetuate the memory of the 900 brave men who went forth from this town to fight in the war for the union. This monument has been erected by their townsmen that all who come after them may be mindful of their deeds, and fail not in the day of trial to emulate their example. 1861-1865 Another one reads: Brave men, who rallying at your country's call, Went forth to fight - if Heaven willed, to fall! Returned, ye walk with us through sunnier years, And hear your nation say, God bless you all! Brave men, who yet a heavier burden bore. And came not home to hearts by grief made sore! They call you dead and lo ye grandly live. Shrined in the nation's love forevermore! 1865-1885 So many of Connecticut's old towns have a monument or two like this. They are so easy to overlook, so easy to drive by without even realizing what they are. Look at the statues, look at the sadness in the faces. These are treasures.

This museum is adorable! I came because of a Groupon, and parking may be an issue for events. It…read morewas very limited on the property itself, although there is handicapped parking right next to the main house. Outside there is a barn and old outhouse, and a beautiful garden display. it's very well maintained. The entrance is off the front porch, where you're greeted by a docent or intern. Tours of the house are 20-30 minutes, and it contains so many original items from the original family who owned it (it went right from the last surviving to a museum), and the last generation was into collecting. There's a lot of local history, many dog decorations, and GOBLETS. There's over 1,000 goblets, and most seem to be single styles. They are working on cataloging them. The house is beautiful, and the history is fascinating. If you live in the area, you'll pick up pieces of Southington back in the day. Children would even enjoy seeing the cases of old products and what names they may recognize. And the goblets are breathtaking. This is a great value museum! (They also sell postcards for a great price)

This guy never…read more threw out anything The Barnes Museum, formerly known as the Bradley Homestead, is a cool old house that serves as a historical library and is open to the public. It was built in 1836 and for five bucks you get to see and hear about another time and way of life. The first thing you notice once you are inside the house is that there is a lot of stuff. Lots of lots of stuff. All kinds of stuff. Stuff everywhere. It turns out Bradley Barnes, a son of the original builder of the house never threw out anything. He collected and kept all kinds of stuff. Some very cool stuff but also a lot of crap. It seems every single receipt, letter, photo, magazine, toy, knick knack and doo dad he every owned he kept. Perhaps some serious OCD going on there. It almost seemed like he knew the house was going to be a museum and wanted it well stocked with stuff. Of course all this stuff makes the house interesting to tour. The lady bringing us around seemed to know exactly what every single piece in the house was and where it came from. Pretty cool and amazing. All the stuff isn't from Bradley or from one temporal moment. Leela Barnes, Bradley's wife was a prolific painter and many of her paintings are scattered throughout the domicile. She also had many collections and also seem to keep just about everything she ever owned. You can definitely see what the attraction between these two was The house was being lived in until the 1970's when it was donated to the town so there were modifications and changes to the original structure and items from different decades. Going through the place is almost like a walk through time. Shifting back and forth through different years ands individuals. Of course you inevitable go back to Bradley's stuff. A great old house that is in absolutely pristine condition. It's filled with lots of very cool and some not so cool stuff. So much stuff that you have to thread carefully in places so that you don't end up breaking some of the stuff. I have a feeling that Leela and Bradley were a couple of crazy sob's but because of them we have a great old historic house filled with lots of very interesting stuff.