In 1718, 22-year old Israel Putnam moved from MA to CT to be a farmer. He ended up in the military…read moreand served with distinction during the French and Indian War, rising to the rank of captain, and then major. But his greatest glory lay ahead. When British bullets killed Massachusetts colonists at Lexington and Concord, legend has it that Putnam became so enraged that he abandoned his plow in the field, jumped on his horse, and rode 100 miles to Boston to join the Revolution. He rose to the rank of Major General and led his troops in the Battle of Bunker Hill (where legend also has it that he uttered the immortal words "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes") and the Battle of Long Island. This fabulous monument has an 8 foot tall bronze statue of General Israel Putnam on his horse. The statue is mounted on s 20-foot tall granite base. It was dedicated on June 14, 1888 and it marks Putnam's grave. Check out the detail of Putnam's Revolutionary War uniform. You'll see boots, a tri-cornered hat, knee britches, and a coat with fancy epaulets. Of course he has a sword dangling from his belt. One interesting detail I saw on the base was a wolf head. Supposedly, as a boy Putnam crawled into a wolf cave and killed a wolf! Plaques on the base are inscribed as follows: Sacred be this Monument to the memory of ISRAEL PUTNAM, Esq. Senior Major General in the Armies of the United States of America, who was born in Salem, in the Province of Massachusetts on the 7th day of January, A.S. 1718 and died on the 29th of May A.D. 1790 Passenger, if thou art a soldier, drop a tear over the dust of a Hero, who ever attentive to the lives and happiness of his men dared to lead where any dared to follow. If a Patriot, remember the distinguished and gallant services rendered thy country by the Patriot who sleeps beneath this marble; if thou art honest, generous and worthy, render a cheerful tribute of respect to a man whose generosity was singular, whose honesty was proverbial; who raised himself to universal esteem and offices of eminent distinction by personal worth and a useful life.

It's 126 years old…read more It has a cannon. It has a 6 foot tall statue on a 24 foot tall base. It has 162 names inscribed on it. In front of the post office in Brooklyn, CT you'll find the very impressive Soldiers and Sailors Monument that honors the town's citizens that served in the Civil War. It was dedicated way back in 1888. The statue on top of the granite base is made out of bronze and it depicts a uniformed Union soldier. He is holding his rifle by its barrel. Check out his uniform - a cape, a long overcoat, and a cap. He has a bayonet hanging from his belt, and he is sporting one very impressive mustache. There all sorts of inscriptions on the base, such as the seal of the State of Connecticut, a sculpted panels of an anchor and crossed canons, and the names of Civil War battles (ANTIETAM, GETTYSBURG, COLD HARBOR, NEW BERN, WINCHESTER, DREWRY'S BLUFF, PETERSBURG, CEDAR CREEK). Then there the names of the soldiers - a plaque with four neat columns of 162 names. Imagine that, 162 Civil War soldiers from this tiny little town. The main inscription reads: ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THE BRAVE MEN OF BROOKLYN WHO FOUGHT ON LAND OR SEA FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE UNION Another inscription reads: PRESENTED TO THE TOWN OF BROOKLYN BY THOMAS S. MARLOR

His exploits remind me of a comic book super hero…read more In childhood he crawled into a wolf den to kill a wolf. He was minutes away from being burned at the stake by Indians. He was farming at his CT home when he heard of the killings at Lexington and Concord. So what did he do? He abandoned his plow, jumped on his horse, and rode 100 miles in 18 hours to join the revolution. This monument in the form of boulder and bronze plaque commemorates the patriotic life of General Israel Putnam and is located in the center of Brooklyn, CT. It was dedicated on the 200th anniversary of his birth, close to where he operated a tavern with his wife. the plaque's inscription tells his glorious story, his rise to command colonial forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and his subsequent promotion to become George Washington's second in command. The full inscription reads: In the field behind this stone after the close of the French and Indian wars, returning from many expeditions to ticonderoga, fort edward, quebec, montreal, havana, detroit, and new orleans lived col. israel putnam here, with his wife (2nd) mrs. deborah (avery gardiner) putnam he dispensed a famous hospitality at the general wolfe tavern near this spot, also, april 20, 1775, putnam received news of the battle of lexington. leaving his plow in the furrow with his son daniel, he rode one hundred miles in eighteen hours, reaching cambridge the next day. there soon after he planned and on june 17, 1775, commanded at the battle of bunker hill receiving thereafter from the continental congress by the hand of washington the first commission of major general (and the only one unanimously voted) which made him second in rank to his chief ----- placed by the town of brooklyn and the colonel daniel putnam association inc. 1918 the 200th anniversary of his birth ----- patriot, remember the heritages received from your forefathers and predecessors, protect and perpetuate them for future generations of your countrymen. The plaque has become difficult to read because of the copper patina over time. Maybe a restoration should be in order for the 300th anniversary of his birth in 2018?

A good book is the…read more best of friends The Brooklyn Town Library is a strange place, but then most of the libraries around here are pretty strange. That's probably because most of the buildings that the libraries now occupy were originally built for something else. The building that the Brooklyn Library is now in was built as a bank way back in 1821 and it still looks kind of banky. Huge walls, small rooms and not really much open space. The building received an addition a few years after it was built but still looks a lot bigger on the outside than it appears once inside. The building was bought and donated to the Library Association in 1913 and has served as the town library ever since. The library does have a unique charm to it due to the banking ancestry but it does make getting around the library difficult. Small hallways, very crowded areas and strangely shaped and very cluttered rooms makes navigating around a bit of a challenge. Of course this is pretty cool if you are just looking around but makes doing any real work a bit of a bother. It seems this library has a lot more stuff than room to put the stuff. Everyone I met here was extremely nice, very friendly, talkative and accommodating in the typical small town way and the library offers some very cool programs and events. The library itself has a decent collection of books, magazines and the usual library items but finding a comfy spot to sit and read might be hard. Definitely not your ordinary type of library, this place has be serving the town for decades and will probably continue to do so for a long time. It still has that massive banky and secure feel to it. It's a cool place to look around, get information, find a book, or do some local research. It's not the place to spread out and occupy space, you might end up in a swarthy corner or tenebrous hallway with a ghost sitting next to you.

From the owner: The Brooklyn Town Library has been serving the community of Brooklyn, Connecticut since 1893. Prior…read moreto that, the building was home to the First Banking House, 1822.

I've been to most country and Renaissance fairs in CT, RI, and MA. This one is one of the good…read moreones. The pros: Plenty of goodies to snack on at a fairly decent price. You can bring your own water bottles in which are much needed on a hot summer day. There are plenty of places to sit and relax. Concerts are included in your entry price and there are no bad seats. Farm animals everywhere. Great rides. Lots of bathrooms. The Cons: You see repeat vendors selling junk. Most vendors don't take debt or credit. You will need a car wash after parking in the grass lot. $5 to park plus $10 admission fee. Lots of religious "vendors"... at least 3. Overall it's a great fair for young and old.

This is a fantastic fair.It's the longest operating agricultural in America. It's a great…read moreexperience every year.

My husband and I had planned a two hour cruise in Mystic on the Argia on the day we were…read morecelebrating with our family visiting from California. We were looking for an activity that would be fun for a multigenerational group of 23 people with toddlers, seniors, and everyone in between. We had been in communication with Oliver for months in advance. About two weeks before the big day, we saw that the forecast called for showers throughout Memorial Day weekend, particularly the Sunday of our planned cruise. We monitored the weather and decided to make a decision closer to the day. Throughout the entire process of planning, Oliver was responsive, reliable, accommodating, and kind. On the morning of the trip, Oliver gave us multiple options and worked with us to make sure that we could cancel and get a full refund due to the inclement weather. He provided us with agency up to the last hour of decision making. On a day that could have been really stressful, Oliver alleviated some of that stress. That is exceptional customer service, and that is the reason we will be coming back to the Argia for another special occasion. Highly recommend working with Oliver and his team if you get the chance!

We took a sunset cruise on the Argia, which is the last commercial sailing ship left in Mystic,…read morewhen we were visiting Mystic with a couple of friends on the Fourth of July. The boat has different seating options - wooden benches and cushion seats without backrests. We reserved two of the cushioned areas and showed up ready to check in on time (they ask you to show up about 30 minutes before boarding to check in). You board at the dock just next to the bridge in Mystic, so it couldn't be more convenient if you're exploring Mystic for a day or a weekend. The Argia allows you to bring alcohol (wine and beer) on board (although they ask that you not bring large coolers - there's no room for them), so we brought a couple of bottles of wine bought from the great wine shop down the street. The sail is partly narrated. Our sail was two hours long, and the staff narrated for some of the sailing time - pointing out historic and interesting sites along the sail (islands with an interesting history, homes with interesting architecture, etc.). Between the gorgeous scenery, some narration of fun and interesting facts about Mystic and its harbor, the great wine we'd brought aboard, and great company - it was the perfect way to spend a couple of hours in Mystic. What a beautiful way to enjoy Mystic and its harbor!

Lorraine Whittemore is the most outstanding travel professional I have worked with. Once you…read moreexplain your vision for your next adventure to her, you can relax and let her do the planning. She is meticulous in attending to all the details to make this the vacation of your dreams. She has planned many trips for me and I have not been disappointed. I recently went to Scotland for the first time and had the bucket list trip of a lifetime. Let her work some magic for you!

We used Lorraine for a family vacation to Arizona. We started in Phoenix, while there went to the…read moreApache Trail and Scottsdale. We then went to Sedona, the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. It was a one of the best trips we ever took. The hotels were excellent. All of her suggestions for sight seeing were excellent. I highly recommend Cruise Planners and would use them again for future trips.

Michelle was absolutely AMAZING! She has the perfect combination of being incredibly knowledgeable,…read moregenuinely sweet, and absolutely hilarious! Her personality made the entire experience so much fun, and you can tell she truly loves what she does. She made everyone feel comfortable, kept us laughing, and shared so much interesting information along the way. She wasn't just a tour guide; she made the whole experience memorable! If you get the opportunity to take a food tour with Michelle, DO IT! You won't regret it. She's truly a gem, and she deserves all the recognition for the incredible experience she provides!

Went on the Newport food tour and had an engaging fun time and learned many fascinating facts about…read moreNewport interspersed with sampling of very tasty food that were beyond the typical Gilded Age Mansion variety.

Peter came to our company picnic and entertained our tough crowd for about an hour. He was early…read morewith no pressure for us to get started, he had great energy and from the moment we shook hands I knew I made a good choice. He has a great demeanor and was really able to make our toughest nuts crack. Very different than what I had originally imagined or expected, which was entirely OK because his show exceeded my imagination. He included humor, thoughtful insight, and sincerity into the show. If you are second-guessing or wondering if you should book him: DO IT! It is well worth it! I highly recommend him!

We hired Peter for an intimate client event and he was even better than we imagined. Seamlessly…read moreinteracting with all of our guests and making a point to engage with everyone at one point in the night (even the tough ones!). Everyone was raving about his tricks, he truly worked the room! But in a very discrete, sophisticated way - which is exactly what we were looking for when we hired him for "strolling" magic. We even had clients inquire for his contact details after the event. 10/10 all around!