"Read in the paper about a man killed with a sword And that…read moremade my think of my friend George" (Lou Reed) As you leave the Hartford Atheneum and take a right onto Gold Street, you'll see this old weathered marker and monument on the corner. It commemorates 1775 and 1781 visits to Hartford by General George Washington. The 1775 visit was an overnight stop on Washington's travel to Boston to take command of the continental army. The stop was the home of Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth. That home was long ago demolished, but now the property is the home of the Wadsworth Atheneum Art Museum The monument's inscription reads: George Washington was entertained by Colonel Jeremiah Wadsworth in his home on this site on June 30, 1775 when on his way to Cambridge to assume command of the Army. On September 21, 22, 23, 1780 with Lafayette, General Knox and Governor Jonathan Trumbull, Washington held here his first conference with the French Commander Count Rochambeau and Admiral Ternay to concert joint military and naval plans. In 1781, Washington was also in Hartford, March 4, 16, 17, 18 and May 19, 21. During his tour through the eastern states in 1789, Washington was in Hartford on October 19, 20, 21 and November 9, 10. On October 20, he was entertained by Colonel Wadsworth. To mark this site associated with his name, this tablet is erected by the Connecticut Daughters of the American Revolution in abiding reverence for Washington February 22, 1932, the two hundredth anniversary of his birth.

This museum is adorable! I came because of a Groupon, and parking may be an issue for events. It…read morewas very limited on the property itself, although there is handicapped parking right next to the main house. Outside there is a barn and old outhouse, and a beautiful garden display. it's very well maintained. The entrance is off the front porch, where you're greeted by a docent or intern. Tours of the house are 20-30 minutes, and it contains so many original items from the original family who owned it (it went right from the last surviving to a museum), and the last generation was into collecting. There's a lot of local history, many dog decorations, and GOBLETS. There's over 1,000 goblets, and most seem to be single styles. They are working on cataloging them. The house is beautiful, and the history is fascinating. If you live in the area, you'll pick up pieces of Southington back in the day. Children would even enjoy seeing the cases of old products and what names they may recognize. And the goblets are breathtaking. This is a great value museum! (They also sell postcards for a great price)

This guy never…read more threw out anything The Barnes Museum, formerly known as the Bradley Homestead, is a cool old house that serves as a historical library and is open to the public. It was built in 1836 and for five bucks you get to see and hear about another time and way of life. The first thing you notice once you are inside the house is that there is a lot of stuff. Lots of lots of stuff. All kinds of stuff. Stuff everywhere. It turns out Bradley Barnes, a son of the original builder of the house never threw out anything. He collected and kept all kinds of stuff. Some very cool stuff but also a lot of crap. It seems every single receipt, letter, photo, magazine, toy, knick knack and doo dad he every owned he kept. Perhaps some serious OCD going on there. It almost seemed like he knew the house was going to be a museum and wanted it well stocked with stuff. Of course all this stuff makes the house interesting to tour. The lady bringing us around seemed to know exactly what every single piece in the house was and where it came from. Pretty cool and amazing. All the stuff isn't from Bradley or from one temporal moment. Leela Barnes, Bradley's wife was a prolific painter and many of her paintings are scattered throughout the domicile. She also had many collections and also seem to keep just about everything she ever owned. You can definitely see what the attraction between these two was The house was being lived in until the 1970's when it was donated to the town so there were modifications and changes to the original structure and items from different decades. Going through the place is almost like a walk through time. Shifting back and forth through different years ands individuals. Of course you inevitable go back to Bradley's stuff. A great old house that is in absolutely pristine condition. It's filled with lots of very cool and some not so cool stuff. So much stuff that you have to thread carefully in places so that you don't end up breaking some of the stuff. I have a feeling that Leela and Bradley were a couple of crazy sob's but because of them we have a great old historic house filled with lots of very interesting stuff.

I have loved this beautiful town of Old Wethersfield, since I moved to CT 13 years ago. To me, it's…read morelike a smaller scale version of Salem, MA, and when I can't get there in October, I like to come here and check out the Halloween decorations and local businesses. I love that it's a dog friendly neighborhood, and there's always some kind of walking tour happening! My favorite businesses to check out are Main Street Creamery and Heirloom Market.

If you're a history buff and love the New England vibe, you don't want to miss checking this part…read moreof town out. We had to go to the DMV which is in town and we decided to make a day out of it by exploring the area. I was pleasantly surprised because I didn't know what to expect and I'm new to the state. We also stopped by Mikey's playground. Then, on Main St. there are shops, restaurants, museums, and historic houses. There are sidewalks so it is a pedestrian friendly area. I loved looking at the old homes and the plaques stating who lived there and what year it was built. We stopped by the Old Wethersfield Country store and Heirloom Market. It was a chilly and cloudy day, so we didn't explore as long as we wanted to. I can't wait to go back soon especially with the WEATHER getting nicer in WETHERSfield, see what I did there lol.

This very cool sight is located on a small town green between Town Hall Road and Buckley Highway…read more You'll see a big jet-black cannon on a stone base and big pile of cannon balls arranged in a pyramid. The cannon is set on a series of granite slabs that act as the base of a Civil War memorial. There are plaques on the sides of the base, the charter members of Union's D. P. Corbin Post 74 G.A,R, (Grand Army of the Republic), a full roster of Union's Civil War soldiers, and the main marker that reads: In grateful memory, To the mothers who gave their sons To the soldiers who gave their lives and To those who daring to die, survived The War of the Rebellion 1861 - 1865 The monument is from 1902 and the plaques are showing obvious staining and weathering damage.

Very educational, very peaceful and great spot to eat, and sit in the shade on the grassread more

Since the earliest days of medicine, nurses have been there to treat the sick and offer support in…read morethe form of medical treatment, a kind word, a smile, or a comforting touch. Between 1899 and 1997, the St, Francis Hospital School of Nursing graduated over 5,800 nurses. The nursing program closed in 1997 when a new program was established between the hospital and St. Joseph College. All of those nurses are honored in a statue, named "The Spirit of Love, Loyalty and Learning". It was dedicated in 1997 to recognize the end of the old St, Francis Hospital Nursing program. It's a 5-foot-4 bronze statue of a nurse in the main rotunda of the hospital, just to the right of the gift shop entrance. The nurse is holding a book entitled ``So Falls the Elm Tree'' written by a Jesuit priest named Rev. John Louis Bond. It's an appropriate book because it's a history of the hospital's founding by French nuns in 1897. The hospital's nursing school has quite the glorious history -5,800 graduates, 200 nurses that served in World War II, and many that served in Vietnam. It's a very cool statue- it almost looks like the nurse is stepping forward to offer her assistance to the thousands of visitors that walk into the hospital.

Some people's lives read like a highlight reel…read more When he was a boy, he crawled into a wolf den to kill a wolf. As an adult during the French and Indian War, he was minutes away from being burned at the stake by Indians when he was rescued by French troops. In 1775, while farming in Brooklyn, Connecticut, he heard about the shootings at Lexington and Concord, abandoned his plow, and rode his horse 100 miles to Cambridge, MA to join the Continental Army. Israel Putnam was an American hero. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, having reached the rank of Major General, he spoke the immortal words "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." He led the Continental Army's forces in New York, and retired from the military in 1779 after suffering a stroke. He lived out the rest of his life in Brooklyn, CT (Pomfret) and passed away in 1790. He is remembered in this stately monument in Bushnell Park. Dedicated in 1874, it's a 7 foot tall bronze statue standing on a granite base. Putnam wears a military uniform that includes a frock coat with epaulets, a bandana, boots, and spurs. In his right hand he holds a tri-corner hat and in his left hand he holds a sword. The front of the statue's base simply reads: ISRAEL PUTNAM He led quite an incredible life!

This is a marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue…read morebackground. It's located on a small grassy patch along Main Street in front of Piedmont Hall. It's a two-sided marker with the same description on both sides. A brief history of Somers is described on the plaque -its settlement in 1706, it's naming in 1734 after an English Lord, it's separation from Massachusetts and annexation by Connecticut, it's agricultural heritage of potatoes and tobacco, and it's manufacturing heritage of mills and bonnet making (!!). The marker is in pretty good condition but is starting to signs of age, with faded and peeling paint in some areas. The full inscription reads: SOMERS Named 1734 Settlement was begun here in "East Enfield" about 1706 by Nenjamin Jones, followed in 1713 by Edward Kibbe, James Pease, Timothy Roote, and John McGregory. The Town of Somers was incorporated in 1734 by the General Court of Massachusetts and named for Lord John Somers of England. In 1749 Somers separated from Massachusetts and was annexed to Connecticut. There has always been an agricultural community with potato, tobacco and dairy farms. The Four-Town Fair was organized in 1838 as a contest to see which of the ten school districts had the most oxen. "Little Sorrel", the favorite horse of Civil War General "Stonewall" Jackson, was born at the Collins Farm on Prink Street, now Springfield Road. Industries have included grist- and sawmills, and bonnet making. In 1839, the Billings Satinette Mill was established on the Scantic River. Rockwell Keeney purchased it in 1879 for a woolen mill. As the Somersville Mfg. Co., it was the main industry here until 1970. Erected by the Town of Somers, the Somers Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission, 1980

Soooo there is evidence that dinosaurs once roamed Connecticut and it's located in the town of…read moreWindsor, CT. It's not a protected archaeological site so it's very accessible to the public, although there is no formal parking lot so pay attention to how you park and respect the property. I love these roadside oddities, I find them irresistible on many fronts and seek them out in my travels. These scrapyard works of art exhibits a very creative mind. These colorful creatures are pretty amazing so if you get the chance to enjoy them if only for a few moments I highly recommend doing it...

These are literally just some metal dinosaur sculptures that are on the corner of a residential…read moreroad, and they're fantastic. They're well-made and fun to look at. There's no real parking since it's just a residential street, so you have to park off the side of the road and walk to the corner. I went in the fall and it was really nice, but a bit muddy. There's also a geocache hidden here that was fun to look for and find!