"Well, cuddle up, angel, cuddle up, my little dove And we'll…read moreride down, baby, into this tunnel of love" (Bruce Springsteen) You'll find it on the Wilbur Cross Parkway near New Haven, CT. Driving on the Parkway, it's become a Connecticut landmark - a welcome and familiar sight. It was blasted through a 1,200-foot-long hole through the West Ridge Mountain in 1949. It carries approximately 77,300 vehicles daily. It was originally named the West Rock Tunnel. It was renamed the Heroes Tunnel in 2003 to honor "heroes of all kinds" in the post-September 11 era. The Tunnel and Wilbur Cross Parkway are vital connectors between New York and Hartford.

The Heroes Tunnel (formerly known as the West Rock Tunnel)…read more "the former name of this tunnel was provided by fellow YELPER Jim C. from Wallingford, CT and represents "historical" information that can not be confirmed or denied by this reviewer but much appreciated" The tunnels are located along the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) in the Town of Woodbridge and the City of New Haven, near the Town of Hamden border. The Heroes Tunnel is a 1,200-foot long tunnel, which passes through West Rock Ridge in New Haven and Woodbridge. The existing tunnels were constructed between spring 1948 and fall 1949 and consists of two 28-foot wide by 19-foot high barrels with horseshoe cross-sections. The northbound and southbound barrels of the tunnel consist of two 11-foot wide travel lanes with 6-inch shoulders and a 2-foot 6-inch wide raised maintenance walk on each side. The centerlines of the barrels are approximately 63 feet apart. It is debatable that this is the only tunnel to pass beneath a natural land feature in the State of Connecticut and is eligible for listing on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places. It seems the renaming of these tunnels weren't well received - this challenge to leave the tunnels name in tack was not in anyway meant to take away from the many heroic efforts by any of the participants the name "Heroes Tunnel" may reference whom have sacrificed it all helping humanity, it's more about renaming history and the cancel culture that continues to identify and change historical significance landmarks that aren't offensive and was in no way meant to be prejudice against any culture, creed or the oppressed. These tunnels were engineering marvels through the time of their inception and construction and are monumental feats that reflect the pride of those that worked and sweated to make travel in the area convenient and safe for those that transverse America's highways...

The High Street Arch is a historical landmark in New Haven, Ct. It separates the bustling "city" of…read moredowntown New Haven and the calm sophistication of Yale campus. At it's center, there's a magnificent clock, complete with cast iron Roman numerals to keep you aware of the timeless beauty you're beholding. The arch straddles High street at the intersection of High and Chapel, and is adjacent to the Yale university art gallery. The arch ushers visitors and new haven locals into Yale campus, and encourages you to explore. On sunny days, the arch provides a cool shade for you to rest under. On rainy days, the arch shields you from the wet conditions. Every day, the arch serves as a beautiful reminder of the structure that Yale provides it's students and the entire city of New Haven. You should visit it sometime and bask in it's beauty.

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.

Very informative! Amazing history in this area. Beacon Falls has quite the past. I have lived here…read morefor just over a year and find its history enthralling

Things I learned from the Beacon Falls marker:…read more 1) A freed Indian Slave named Toby named a local mountain after himself. 2) They made sulphur matches here in 1835 3) The town was named after a 'small but beautiful waterfall' 4) Ever see the word ''Nyumps '' in your life? I did here. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. There are different inscriptions on each side. It's located on a strip of grass near the Beacon Falls Town Hall. The sign dates to 1971 and is in pretty good condition with some minor fading of the white lettering. Sadly, although the sign is in good shape, the support posts are not. The concrete cores are rotting and the metal wrap around them are in states of accelerated failure and splitting. What a disgrace, I'm sure that would make Toby sad. The full inscription reads: The lands of Beacon Falls first appear in history when Milford was settled in 1639. Northern boundary of Milford was Beacon Hill Brook, separating the hunting grounds of the Paugasuck and Tunxis Indians. In 1675 the land became part of Derby. First landowner, Captain Ebenezer Johnson, purchased three parcels in the vicinity of Pinesbridge in 1678. Ensign Riggs and Jeremiah Johnson bought land in 1680. Toby's Mountain (High Rock) was purchased in 1693 by an Indian named Toby, for twelve years a slave of Captain Johnson, freed by him in 1688.The main part of town (called Nyumps) was purchased in 1709. About 1835, some of the earliest American made sulphur matches were manufactured here by Thomas Sanford. Beacon Falls is first mentioned in the Acts of the General Assembly in 1864, when a joint school district was formed and a two room schoolhouse was built on this site. The Town of Beacon Falls was incorporated June 30, 1871, from portions of the Towns of Naugatuck, Bethany, Seymour and Oxford. The name derived from Beacon Hill, where a small but beautiful waterfall descended. Erected 1971 by Town of Beacon Falls, Connecticut Historical Commission.

This trail is about 4miles give or take there and back. There are benches along the way and two…read morebridges going over the water and one tunnel under the highway. It does flood under that bridge if raining a lot. There is a sign that says flood zone turn around don't drown or something like that. I can walk the whole thing in about 45 minutes. And there are a few little tails off it into the woods but they don't really loop and you have to turn around and come right back. You cal also park at either end.

"Oh, Suzie Q Baby, I love you, Suzie Q"…read more(Creedence Clearwater Revival) The indigenous people's word "Quinnipiac" roughly translates into English as "long-water people". The Q River is 38 miles long, and you'll get a gorgeous view of it from the bridge on the Quinnipiac Linear Trail. We had a lovely hike on the trail today, as did dozens of friendly walkers who smiled and waved to us as we walked from the main parking lot to the bridge and back. It was a very easy low impact walk of about two miles round trip. The trail is flat, paved, and very wide -at least fifteen feet wide. There were a few side trails marked by fresh mulch or wood shavings if you want to go off the beaten path. We saw plenty of interesting things on our walk - basketball courts, a wood walkway over some wetlands, several informational kiosks, a Lending library with a box of Narcan Nasal Spray prominently on display up front, a labyrinth, and scenic views of the Merrit Parkway which at times seemed about 50 feet from the trail. One other interesting but infuriating thing we saw was a collection of red, black, and blue knotted bags of dog doody that was neatly stacked around a Pet Waste station just under a sign that read "Please Keep This Area Clean".

Are you a Beatles fan and are you pretty good at Beatle trivia? OK, fanboy, what unusual musical…read moreinstrument, dating to the 1800's can be heard on "We Can Work It Out", "A Day in the Life", "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "Hello, Goodbye", and "Your Mother Should Know"? The answer is a harmonium a/k/a melodeon. They are varieties of free reed organs. And guess what old CT town manufactured melodeons? Ever use a book of matches? Some of the earliest matches made in the US of A were also made here. The Woodbridge Historical marker from the CT Historical Commission is located on an exterior wall of the Old Center School, which now houses the police station and various town offices. You'll see the familiar white lettering on a blue background mounted high on the gable end of the brick building. The marker was dedicated in 1979 and is in pretty good condition with no signs of fading or peeling The full inscription reads: Woodbridge The town consists of portions of the colonial jurisdictions of New Haven and Milford. Founded in 1738 as the Parish of Amity, it was incorporated in 1784 by act of the Connecticut General Assembly and named after the first parish minister, the Reverend Benjamin Woodbridge, who served 1742 to 1785. The first meetinghouse was built in 1740 on the green and met the needs of the community until 1832, when it was replaced by the present building, dedicated on January 1, 1833. The early economy was largely agricultural, but there were several small factories producing such items as melodeons, corkscrews, cement, candlesticks, clocks, and spinning wheels. Some of the earliest friction matches in this country were made in Woodbridge. The decline of farming and improved transportation after 1900, together with the natural beauty and topography of the land, have contributed largely to its growth and distinction as a residential community. Erected by the Town of Woodbridge the Amity & Woodbridge Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979 156 CT towns done, 14 to go

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!

On the tenth anniversary of that terrible day, the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Association unveiled…read morethis memorial to the murderous attacks on the World Trade Center. You can see it right at the main entrance of the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Department. Members of the association traveled to JFK airport and returned to Woodbridge with a 1,200 pound steel beam from one of the fallen towers. A crane was needed to hoist the beam in the air and place it into its final position at the memorial. The memorial's design has the beam rising from a pool of water. At night, the pool is illuminated in a blue light that shines an image of the Twin Towers onto the firehouse. A stone at the base of the memorial is engraved with these words: "Never Forget 9-11-01" Around the steel beam is a memorial garden that also honors the fallen firefighters of Woodbridge.

Eri Woodbury was a Civil War Union soldier who drew his saber on four Confederate soldiers and…read moresingle handedly persuaded them to surrender. Harvey Barnum was a Vietnam era Marine. When his battalion was riddled by enemy fire, he tended to his commander's wounds, grabbed the radio from the dead radio operator, moved through enemy fire, organized the remnants of the battalion and safely evacuated them to safety. Both men were from Cheshire. Both men were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor -our nation's "highest award for valor in action." In 1998, their hometown honored their patriotism with the dedication of a Medal of Honor Plaza and educational Living Classroom at the entrance to Bartlem Park, more or less across the street from Cheshire High School. The plaza has a 50 feet wide star on the ground constructed from bricks. The bricks have the names of hundreds of Cheshire veterans inscribed on them. The middle of the plaza has a black granite monument that looks like a podium or a lectern. It bears the names and ranks of Woodbury and Barnum. Stone benches are also set in the plaza, bearing their names as well. The Living Classroom is an interesting idea- there are five trees planted at the corners of the plaza star that have ties to historic places or events, like Gettysburg, Washington's Delaware crossing, and Connecticut's Constitution Oak. The lectern is inscribed on its sides with these words: The American Revolution War of 1812 Spanish-American War World War I World War II Korean War Gulf War Remembering The Many Sacrifices That Preserved Our Freedom Residents of Cheshire Heroes of the United States Medal of Honor Recipient 1st Lieutanant Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. U.S. Marines Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient Sgt. Eri D. Woodbury 1st Vermont Cavalry Civil War