Looks can be deceiving…read more When strolling down Main Street in Deep River, you'll see it. What looks like a cute statue of an elephant with his trunk raised in the air commemorates the very solemn history between Deep River and its 19th century elephant trade. A plaque tells the story - here in Deep River, the tusks of over 100,000 elephants a year were processed into dozens of household products. I just read a National Geographic article that said "a 75-pound adult African elephant tusk could yield the wafer-thin ivory veneers to cover the keys of 45 pianos". A lot of those piano keys were made right here in Deep River. This memorial in front of Town Hall includes a small statue of an elephant on top of a stone base with an inscribed plaque. The full inscription reads: We Honor the Elephant During the 1800's Deep River was the center of America's ivory trade. Elephant tusks from Africa were brought to Deep River landing for local factories to make piano keys, combs, buttons, and billiard balls. Up to 100,000 elephants a year were killed, their tusks transported by slaves, to sustain this trade. Deep River remembers its debt to this majestic creature as it looks forward to a new future as "Queen of the Valley."

This is hands down one of the cutest things I've ever seen. Emily from thesidedishers told me about…read morethis and I had to come and make a wish in the wish booth. There's so many negative things out there and this is just a ray of positivity in a cute little town in Connecticut. It boosts your self esteem and self worth and gives you hope. 100% recommend stopping here and sending your wishes into the universe. Because what is life without some hope and dreams. Hearts.

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.

The light house and the place may be half decent but not if you have no access to it. For you to…read moreget to the light house you need to trespass through a private property. Not sure why this is listed as one of the places to see in Old Saybrook. It's misleading and would avoid the hassle. However the walk was fun, the so called private beach that you need to walk through is horrible.

Lights hurricanes and…read moreKatharine The Connecticut River is a huge and impressive river but the towns on the mouth never really developed into the large trading communities that you would expect. The main reason for this is because of the treacherous and ever shifting sandbars that guard the mouth of the river. The problem was recognized as soon as the first ships started sailing the area and in 1773 a public lottery was held to get funds to place some buoys out there. Lotteries were a common way of collecting money for building projects back then. The buoys were better than nothing but it was soon realized that better solution had to be found. So in 1803 a 35 foot tower was constructed. It was better than nothing but not by much. So in 1838 a 65 foot tower made from brownstone blocks was built. It received a 4th order Fresnel lens in 1852 that could be seen for 13 miles out to sea. The light finally became animated in 1975 and is still an active aid to navigation. The lighthouse was put to the test in Sept of 1938 when a massive hurricane tore into this area. The light was damaged but stayed together. Unfortunately much of the Connecticut shoreline wasn't so lucky. The famous actress Katharine Hepburn had her house right down the street from the lighthouse and was almost washed allowed but just managed to get out. The lighthouse is located in a very exclusive part of town and is very off limits to the pubic. It can be seen from the water and remains a very important part of the state's nautical history.

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.

The Florence Griswold Museum is more than just a beautiful museum. To show even more support this…read moreyear, I decided to buy a family membership. For years my family has been visiting the museum in the fall for the Wee Faerie Village, an extraordinary outdoor display of faerie villages that are created by local businesses and individuals. There isn't enough room for me to gush about this event. The beauty, creativity, and the scavenger hunt keep us coming back. The museum offers a glimpse into history, beautiful art, extraordinary gardens, breathtaking views of the river. and more.

We ventured to Old Lyme, Connecticut on Sunday for the final day of Mystical Murmurs: An Enchanted…read moreEnvironment by Adrien Broom. The exhibit features a fairy ring of gigantic mushrooms. The artist was born and raised in Old Lyme. The installation is meant to encourages us ponder the magical mysteries of the forest. We also really enjoyed the Amanita sculptures outside the main building housing the museum's permanent collection. We were able to photograph these just before one of the museum staff sold them off to a local mushroom enthusiast (since Sunday was the last day of the mushroom exhibit). While we came specifically for the mushroom installation, we also really enjoyed our visit to the other galleries. The museum showcases the work of the artists of the Old Lyme Artist Colony, a nexus of American Impressionism and has some beautiful impressionist landscape painting, including many by female artists of the 19th and early 20th century. The grounds here are also beautiful with gorgeous views of the Lieutenant River. There was also an exhibit of small fairy houses when we visited. Beautiful spot with nice staff and docents. Would definitely return here!

This is a nice little park by Main Street. You can read about the history. There are picnic benches…read moreand tables. It's the perfect place for a picnic. You can see the sailboats. You'll see some nice people there.

I've seen about 80 of these town markers now. Seen them in all kinds of settings, downtown big city…read more(Bridgeport and Hartford), suburbs (Simsbury and Avon), and rural (Salisbury and Canaan). But it's hard to recall seeing one in as pretty a setting as the one I saw today in the gorgeous little shore town of Essex. The plaque is just off of Main Street, set in a picture perfect landscaped and flowered Village Green. If you walk into the green, you'll pass a nice gazebo as you approach the water- actually Middle Cove, an inlet of the Connecticut River. Just look for the boats. Its proximity to the water played a big part in the long history (settled in 1648) of Essex. Trading, shipbuilding, maritime service are all mentioned on the marker. One interesting fact I learned- Essex was attacked and burned by the British during the War of 1812. Dedicated in 1983, this is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. There is text on both sides and they are both in excellent condition. The full inscription reads: Originally called Potopaug by local Indians, Essex was named after England's Essex County, whence some of the earthly settlers had come. As a part of Saybrook colony, the Essex area was first settled in 1648 by John Lay, William Pratt, and William Hide. Essex was incorporated in 1852, having been long a part of Saybrook township. The village became involved in West Indies trade in the later 1800's. The first wharf for this trade was built in 1656 on the site of the present Steamboat Dock building; south of the dock a warehouse was erected in 1773. Essex thus became the main port of Saybrook and remained so until 1871. Shipbuilding began in 1733; the Hayden shipyard, among others, became one of the most important in New England. This yard built Connecticut's first warship, the Oliver Cromwell, in 1775. Many other yards made Essex a major ship-building enter where packet ships, the first American transatlantic liners, were launched. Men from the Essex area became captains and seamen in large numbers and sailed all over the world on voyages lasting many months. During the War of 1812 the British raided Essex in 1814, burning twenty-eight vessels at anchor and under construction before retiring. Since the total loss amounted to $160,000 the newspapers of the time called this raid the worst disaster to befall the new country since the war began, nearly two years earlier. The steamboat era opened in 1823 with small boats running between Hartford and Saybrook, later with larger vessels between Hartford and New York. The Steamboat Dock building, the third landing place since 1656 that has been in use at the site, was built in 1878. Centerbrook and Ivoryton became part of Essex in 1859. The meetinghouse of the Second Ecclesiastical Society (1722) still stands in Centerbrook, and ivory piano keys, a long-time product of Ivoryton, continue to be made today. Erected by the Town of Essex The Essex Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Committee 1983

Can confirm the first review's report that you can't see either this lighthouse or the one that's…read moreon land in Fenwick unless you own property in the immediate vicinity or are the guest of someone who does. We thought we would drive up to visit the nearer lighthouse like we did with the lighthouses in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, but there are signs telling you that access is restricted. We decided not to flout that but can verify that the golf course looks very nice. Stars awarded for the history of the lighthouses.

A light that's hard…read moreto see The Old Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse was completed in 1888 and was built to replace the much older lighthouse at Lynde Point. It's a very typical lighthouse for this period and stands 48 feet tall and is constructed of brick and cast iron. These lights are frequently called bug lights, coffee pots of most commonly spark plugs. Strong and cheap to build they can survive just about anything, including massive hurricanes and ice and freezing cold. The one was automated in 1958 and recently went up for sale in 2013. It finally sold for 340,000 dollars but the price is somewhat misleading. The owners are responsible for maintenance and the Coast Guard still owns the land that the light sits on. This lighthouse isn't a particularly easy one to get close to. It's in the very expensive and exclusive area called Fenwick and they aren't very fond of people walking around there. The best way to view it is by the water or by kind of landing a yak on a beach in the off season and they walking down the breakwater up to the light. Just hope nobody sees you. This is a classic Connecticut lighthouse and is even featured on the CT license plate. The money for the special plate goes to hope preserve Long Island Sound. A cool little light that everyone sees while crossing over the Connecticut River on I-95 but one that very few people get to see up close.

This camera obscura is one of only 50 in the entire world, only 5 of which are in the US. It was…read moreonly a dollar per person. We waited about ten minutes outside for the people before us to come out. It was a bit cloudy when we were there and I'd love to go back on a clear, sunny day. It was still a neat experience. The educator who showed us the camera obscura was fantastic. He had lived in Greenport for decades and gave us so much history and really fleshed out the experience. It was so much cooler seeing it and hearing stories about the area. This is well worth the $1 it will cost you and would be neat for kids as well. The sign said the it was open from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. this was on a weekday. I believe they are open weekends and weekdays in the summer and only weekends the rest of the year.

There are only 5 in the US and only about 50 in the world. Historically significant and only a…read moredollar to partake. That said, prepare for an experience that lasts only a few minutes and largely depends on a cloudless sky.

Passing through and wanted to take a quick break. This location was a great little spot to have a…read morequick snack and relax next to the roaring water sounds from the falls!

Nice little waterfall. Part of it is still under construction and there was also a wedding going…read moreon when I was there so I couldn't fully explore but what I did offered some nice views and tranquility. Was tempted to follow the tracks to see where/what else I could see but didn't have it in me this day.