Charming location, incredibly friendly staff, what more could you ask for?…read more Every possible resource is available or can be located. This is what small town America is all about. It encourages happiness and contentment.

The road to…read moreknowledge The Gales Ferry Library is a quaint little library located in the quaint little village of Gales Ferry. The first library was started back in 1917 when a bunch of donated books were just shoved on a shelve in a country club and the first real library was constructed shortly after in 1921. The diminutive library continued pretty much unchanged until 1971 when it was moved to a larger facility next to the community center and was expanded once again in 1991. The most distinctive feature of the library is the wonderful balcony with the lattice railing. It gives nice views of the downstairs as well as a nice place for some peace and quiet. The library has a very obvious small town feel to it and is friendly and inviting. It's not nearly as architecturally stunning as the nearby Bill library but is warm, cozy and unique. A very pleasant library in a very pleasant location.

Bond Pond is adjacent to the Farmington Valley Greenway Trail; I stumbled upon it while walking on…read morethat path. It's a beautiful pond with houses lined up along it. It's near the intersection of route 44 and 177 in Canton. It's also popular with boating, kayaking, and fishing. It's a watershed for the Farmington River and Rattlesnake Snake Brook. I am not sure if there is public access. There is a bench right on the trail to sit and view the pond; I'm sure there are ways to walk to the water but I don't know if there is any public parking.

The architectural details of this wonderful institution are unconditionally impressive…read more Thank goodness Hartford preserved this building that has been used as a city hall for many, many decades.

Unfortunately, I am disappointed with City Hall for not making it known that a silent, recorded…read moremeeting would be going on the day of my wedding. As someone completely new to this whole process, I was under the impression that I would have access to all parts of the second level for photos but that key piece of information was not relayed to me or my partner during the long process of planning. There were multiple but minor errors as well that gave me the sense that communication was not a strong suit within the event planning department. Upon confirmation for my wedding date, the wrong time frame was made for the reservation. It was quickly resolved so I thank them for that but then the number of attendees on the City Hall Rental form was also wrong. I was constantly double checking their work and what I needed was for all my information for my wedding to be handled with care and looked over with more detail. However, because the wedding was small we were able to find spots to photograph everyone without disrupting the guests and still enjoying the special moment. Also big shout out to the sweet security guard Jeff for being so helpful and welcoming on our wedding day!

While driving down busy Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Center, or trying to find a coveted…read moreparking space on a Friday night, it's difficult to imagine that West Hartford really does go way back to the 1670's. This one-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission has the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on the busy corner of Main Street and Farmington Avenue in the heart of West Hartford. The marker relates the origins of West Hartford, how it was carved out of an area of Hartford and bounded by the neighboring towns of Bloomfield and Newington in the 1670's. West Hartford's first settler was believed to be Stephen Hosmer, and he built a mill on Trout Brook Drive in 1679. It was officially named as West Hartford in 1806 and was the birthplace of Noah Webster, the father of American scholarship and compiler of the first American dictionary. The marker was dedicated in 1970 and still looks great.

Town of Berlin, CT was incorporated in 1785 and has a population of approximately 20,000. It is…read morelocated in the center of Connecticut and it also has a train station; the train station serves the New Haven and Springfield line. It's a mix of residential and industrial. There is the Metacomet ridge to the west side. There is hiking at the Ragged Mountain Memorial Preserve. The term Yankee Peddler came from this town; peddlers would travel throughout and sell their tinware. Schools are good and there are many small businesses such as cafes and restaurants. My family and I enjoyed exploring the town.

A historically beautiful structure that houses Connecticut's Supreme Court and the state library,…read morelocated in the Capitol area of Hartford. This would be a great place to learn and view some of the historical pieces that defines the state of Connecticut. You can also sit in a Supreme Court hearing and take the tour of the state library, which contains state and federal legal publications dating way back to the late 19th century. The state library is open to the public and has wifi and outlets, so you can definitely use the space to bring your laptop/tablet and do some work. Great place for school groups to take a trip to, or even for families looking for something educational to do.

Beautiful building inside and out , built in 1854 . interesting architecture . It's not a library…read moreof leisure books, but that of records of various things such as historic documents, law, court records, Public records, land records, genealogy , you can look up your family tree here especially if your a CT resident , they have archives and archives of records very neatly organized, very clean building , metal detectors and security guard(s) . You can also find various test exams manuals here. Getting a library card is easy, just file out a simple application and have I.D. You can find the rights and claim of citizens, and the history of Connecticut and its people . Free wifi. computers access , book scanner . Parking is on street, parking meter . The gated parking lot is for employees. Nice staff members. They also have a museum in the building that closes 1 hour earlier than library

New London was a tough place to live - attracting "men of hardihood and valor". Thousands of them…read moreflocked here to join the whaling industry rocketing New London's growth as it became "one of the largest whaling ports in the country". Located on a strip of grass at Town Hall is this 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides. The marker is in fair condition with damage on both sides in the form of fading, spotting and peeling of the blue background. The full inscription reads: New London New London was founded in 1646 by John Winthrop, the younger, who chose this shore-ringed "plantation" for its excellent harbor. This land, with its great natural assets, attracted men of hardihood and valor and became one of the largest whaling ports in the country in the mid-19th century. As this industry waned, manufacturing flourished, bringing an influx of foreign labor which contributed immeasurably to the enrichment of community life. The history of New London may be said to be concentrated in its seal, adopted when the city was incorporated in 1784... a full-rigged ship with all sails set and the motto "Mare Liberum," meaning "Freedom of the Seas." Erected 1976 by The City of New London and the Connecticut Historical Commission. 161 CT towns done, 9 to go

As you approach the University of Hartford on Route 189 your eyes might spy something very unusual…read more- a brightly painted and very large ship's anchor sitting on the front lawn. The three-ton and thirteen-foot tall anchor was salvaged from the USS Hartford. It was commanded by Rear Admiral David Farragut, and played a role in the civil war, especially in the battles of New Orleans and Vicksburg. The USS Hartford was in service from 1859 until 1926. When the Hartford was decommissioned in 1926, it was stored in Charleston and Norfolk. It fell into disrepair, with a leaky hull and rotted decks. Attempts to restore the Hartford ran into congressional delays and budget trouble. Thirty years later, in 1956 Congress was still debating it's restoration when the Hartford sank from a pump failure. This was the end of the ship; on November 6, 1957 it was towed out to sea, demolished into pieces, soaked with incendiary liquids and set on fire. Several mementoes were saved and put on display in Portsmouth, VA. Later that year, the Hartford Historical Landmarks Committee requested possession of the ship's bell and bow anchor. The bell went to the City of Hartford, and the anchor went to the brand new University of Hartford in March, 1958. At a dedication ceremony Representative Ed May said "Many historians now claim that the USS Hartford was the salvation of the nation during the Civil War." It has become a custom among University of Hartford students to paint or decorate the anchor, today it sported a bright white coat of paint with red lettering all over. The Anchor has become the centerpiece of many University of Hartford traditions. It's on-line newspaper is called "The Anchor" and the prestigious "Anchor Award" is awarded to those alumni who have achieved high levels of professional excellence.