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.

So every kid in the Haddam area ends up forced to go to the Thankful Arnold House for at least one…read morefield trip to learn about colonial times and whatnot. And it's a pretty cool place with a nice garden, but unless you are there on a field trip with organized activities, I really see little point in going there. I mean it's a historical house. You can look around for about five minutes and then you're done. Then again, maybe that's not true because the only time I've ever been there is on a school field trip where they taught me how to cross stitch... and then it became an obsession. But in all honesty it's a kind of overrated landmark in the middle of nowhere. If you happen to be passing it for some reason or another, you certainly should stop in. However, the chances that you'll be "passing by" are about the same as if you were visiting my mother's house.

Great visit at the TAH in Haddam. The director is personable and well versed on Haddam history. She…read morewas able to give us names and interesting tidbits with regard to our property and house. We had a blast.

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!

If you're driving down Route 66 in this neck of the woods, be prepared for two incredible sights…read more-painted rocks that look like living creatures! This one is near the intersection of West Main (Rt 66) and Stone House Road. It's a gorgeous rendition of a bald eagle. This beautifully painted rock outcropping has seen various lives as a whale, a shark, a frog, and a turtle. In 1989, a high school student repainted it as an eagle, and its lived on as an eagle ever since. Over the years, it gets repainted every once in a while and the year it was touched up is also painted under the eagle's beak. This is a freaking gem !!!

When I was little we would drive by this on the journey from New Haven to Hampton to visit family…read more It instantly became the thing my brother and I looked for on the way. I moved to this area and on a backroads drive randomly rediscovered this in all of it's patriotic glory. The eyeballs are slightly more terrifying than as a child I remember them being but it's still 200% 'Merica.

Great wines, homemade sangria is a must! Variety of merchandise to buy; decorative wine corks, wine…read moreholders, magnets, small home "sprucer uppers". Wine tasting is reasonably priced! Great scenery outdoors Live music during the summer! Great outdoor, patio and indoor seating. They also offer a wine tasting paired with yoga class. This was very cool for a group of friends to enjoy outdoors, yoga and wine.

As you drive into Middletown on Route 9, you can't miss seeing it. It rises overhead in a majestic…read moresteel arch across the Connecticut River. It's Connecticut's largest bridge- a 600 foot metal truss bridge that lifts Route 66 and Route 17 over the river, connecting Main Street in Middletown with Main Street in Portland. It carries about 34,000 cars every day. It was built between 1936 and 1938 for $3.5 million. With its sweeping steel arches, it's become quite the local landmark, in fact it was named the country's "Most Beautiful Steel Bridge" in the large bridge category in a 1938 competition sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction And who is it's namesake? Charles J. Arrigoni was a state legislator who was an advocate of building the bridge. There are plans on the drawing board right now to light up the bridge with a lighting system that can change colors. So maybe if you were driving to Middletown on a beautiful July evening, you'd see this iconic bridge tricked out in red, white, and blue. I'm sure Charles would be proud of that!

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."

Stony Creek is such a great town to visit especially in the summer. Situated right on the water,…read moreand only five minutes from I95. This small town has everything within walking distance. You can seat on a park beach,and have a beautiful scenic view of some of the Thimble Islands, take a swim, and soak up the sun at the town beach, use the town boat launch to kayak around the Thimble Islands, or you can take a relaxing cruise around the Thimble Islands.I love it here and visit two or three times each year.

What a pretty place to stroll around and take in the beautiful coastal scenery…read more You'll see the busy waterfront with a spider-web of docks for the hundreds of boats of every size and description, everything from kayaks and paddleboards to the sightseeing charter ships. The scenery also includes twenty five small islands collectively known as the Thimble Islands. Technically a section of Branford, Stony Creek is pretty small, but it includes a public beach and a miniscule business district with a few stores and places to eat. We had a very enjoyable visit here.

The tour is about 45 minutes long and it's just ok. It's more about the life of Dr. Harvey Cushing,…read morethe egomaniac who collected brains, than a review of the brains on display. It's free and it should be. Parking is around the corner and $6 for two hours.

What an amazing person to have collected such a unique collection on his undergraduate years of…read morestudy! Highly recommend going and thanking your tour guide if you have one with you- it's not exactly a cheerful place! Try going at the less busy times if possible! Yale also has other great architecture to see, mainly the gothic architecture that was originally modeled after Oxford. Trying to get a sense of the history behind the buildings may very well bring you to the Cushing Center and other places like it! Cameras are allowed so feel free to bring them!

I have to admit, when I read this marker, one phrase leapt out at me and piqued my curiosity…read more What on earth are those references to a "place of noises" and "subterranean sounds" all about? Well apparently, eerie drumming pulsations have been heard here since pre-colonial days. Different witnesses described the sound as everything from a thunderstorm to falling trees to gigantic burps. The native Americans that lived here named the land "Machimoodus" which translates to one very ominous phrase -- "place of bad noises." The Indians blamed the noises on an angry god and the Puritan settlers blamed Satan himself. In recent times, somewhat more scientific explanations were sought and one of those findings included "shallow micro-earthquakes" as the culprit. The marker is located in front of the Town Building. It's a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on both sides. The marker is in pretty good shape with no peeling or chipping and some very minor fading of the blue background. The full inscription reads: East Haddam Incorporated 1734 This land was part of an original purchase from the Indians in 1662 for thirty coats - about $100. It included Machimoodus, "the place of noises", so named from subterranean sounds formerly heard there. Layout of highways began in 1669. The first settlement was along Creek Row in 1685. Ferry service across the Connecticut River began in 1695 and ended with the completion of the swing bridge in 1913. The first Ecclesiastical Society was formed in 1704. Shipbuilding and the manufacture of cotton goods flourished and declined here during the two centuries before the steamboat era ended in the 1930's. From earliest settlement many streams provided water power for mills. The militia served in three wars, with notable contributions during the Revolution. Areas of town are known as Millington, Hadlyme, North Plains, Leesville, Johnsonville, Moodus, Little Haddam, and the East Haddam Landings. Settlers of East Haddam 1685 - 1699 Nicholas Ackley John Bates John Booge Daniel Brainard, Jr. John Chapman Daniel Cone George Gates Thomas Hungerford Samuel and William Spencer Abraham and John Willey Notable East Haddamites The Reverend Stephen Hosmer - first minister Joseph Spencer - major general in Revolution Epaphroditus Champion - Commissary General Nathan Hale - teacher, patriot, and martyr Dyar Throop - first Judge of County Court Jonathan O. Moseley - U.S. Representative William H. Goodspeed - shipbuilder William E. Nichols - inventor & manufacturer Luther Boardman - silver plating & britannia Morgan G. Bulkeley - Governor & U.S. Senator Francis H. Parker - local historian Erected by the Town of East Haddam the East Haddam Historic District Commission and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979 162 CT towns done, 8 to go