In 1718, 22-year old Israel Putnam moved from MA to CT to be a farmer. He ended up in the military…read moreand served with distinction during the French and Indian War, rising to the rank of captain, and then major. But his greatest glory lay ahead. When British bullets killed Massachusetts colonists at Lexington and Concord, legend has it that Putnam became so enraged that he abandoned his plow in the field, jumped on his horse, and rode 100 miles to Boston to join the Revolution. He rose to the rank of Major General and led his troops in the Battle of Bunker Hill (where legend also has it that he uttered the immortal words "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes") and the Battle of Long Island. This fabulous monument has an 8 foot tall bronze statue of General Israel Putnam on his horse. The statue is mounted on s 20-foot tall granite base. It was dedicated on June 14, 1888 and it marks Putnam's grave. Check out the detail of Putnam's Revolutionary War uniform. You'll see boots, a tri-cornered hat, knee britches, and a coat with fancy epaulets. Of course he has a sword dangling from his belt. One interesting detail I saw on the base was a wolf head. Supposedly, as a boy Putnam crawled into a wolf cave and killed a wolf! Plaques on the base are inscribed as follows: Sacred be this Monument to the memory of ISRAEL PUTNAM, Esq. Senior Major General in the Armies of the United States of America, who was born in Salem, in the Province of Massachusetts on the 7th day of January, A.S. 1718 and died on the 29th of May A.D. 1790 Passenger, if thou art a soldier, drop a tear over the dust of a Hero, who ever attentive to the lives and happiness of his men dared to lead where any dared to follow. If a Patriot, remember the distinguished and gallant services rendered thy country by the Patriot who sleeps beneath this marble; if thou art honest, generous and worthy, render a cheerful tribute of respect to a man whose generosity was singular, whose honesty was proverbial; who raised himself to universal esteem and offices of eminent distinction by personal worth and a useful life.

Brooklyn, CT trivia time!…read more Ever hear of Prudence Crandall? She went on trial here in 1833 for the crime of educating Black school children. Want something a bit more upbeat? How about the fact that Brooklyn is the home of America's oldest continuously operated agricultural fair, going way back to 1852. Another Brooklyn, CT claim to fame revolves around General Israel Putnam, an amazing guy that lived here before and after the Revolutionary War. Check out his impressive life. http://www.yelp.com/biz/general-israel-putnam-monument-hartford?hrid=pvMpur5uLPSumYW0ia6jFg#src:self Dedicated in 1971, this is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on the Town Green where Routes 169 and 6 criss-cross. The text is the same on both sides, and although they are both in average condition, the white lettering is starting to fade. The full inscription reads: Formerly Mortlake, first settled in 1703, made, a town on the 2nd Thursday of may 1786. Home of General Israel Putnam prior to and after the Revolution. Town landmarks include: Meeting House on the Green, built 1771 by First Ecclesiastical Society of Brooklyn became Connecticut's first Unitarian Church 1816, with Samuel J. May as minister; Old Trinity Church (Episcopal) on Church Street, erected by Godfrey Malbone 1771; former Windham County Courthouse, built 1820, afterwards Town Hall, site in 1833 of trial of Prudence Crandall of Canterbury for defying law restricting Negro education. Brooklyn Fair is the nation's oldest continuous agricultural fair, held annually since 1852. Erected by the Brooklyn Historical Society, Inc. and the Connecticut Historical Commission. 1971

It's 126 years old…read more It has a cannon. It has a 6 foot tall statue on a 24 foot tall base. It has 162 names inscribed on it. In front of the post office in Brooklyn, CT you'll find the very impressive Soldiers and Sailors Monument that honors the town's citizens that served in the Civil War. It was dedicated way back in 1888. The statue on top of the granite base is made out of bronze and it depicts a uniformed Union soldier. He is holding his rifle by its barrel. Check out his uniform - a cape, a long overcoat, and a cap. He has a bayonet hanging from his belt, and he is sporting one very impressive mustache. There all sorts of inscriptions on the base, such as the seal of the State of Connecticut, a sculpted panels of an anchor and crossed canons, and the names of Civil War battles (ANTIETAM, GETTYSBURG, COLD HARBOR, NEW BERN, WINCHESTER, DREWRY'S BLUFF, PETERSBURG, CEDAR CREEK). Then there the names of the soldiers - a plaque with four neat columns of 162 names. Imagine that, 162 Civil War soldiers from this tiny little town. The main inscription reads: ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THE BRAVE MEN OF BROOKLYN WHO FOUGHT ON LAND OR SEA FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE UNION Another inscription reads: PRESENTED TO THE TOWN OF BROOKLYN BY THOMAS S. MARLOR

A good book is the…read more best of friends The Brooklyn Town Library is a strange place, but then most of the libraries around here are pretty strange. That's probably because most of the buildings that the libraries now occupy were originally built for something else. The building that the Brooklyn Library is now in was built as a bank way back in 1821 and it still looks kind of banky. Huge walls, small rooms and not really much open space. The building received an addition a few years after it was built but still looks a lot bigger on the outside than it appears once inside. The building was bought and donated to the Library Association in 1913 and has served as the town library ever since. The library does have a unique charm to it due to the banking ancestry but it does make getting around the library difficult. Small hallways, very crowded areas and strangely shaped and very cluttered rooms makes navigating around a bit of a challenge. Of course this is pretty cool if you are just looking around but makes doing any real work a bit of a bother. It seems this library has a lot more stuff than room to put the stuff. Everyone I met here was extremely nice, very friendly, talkative and accommodating in the typical small town way and the library offers some very cool programs and events. The library itself has a decent collection of books, magazines and the usual library items but finding a comfy spot to sit and read might be hard. Definitely not your ordinary type of library, this place has be serving the town for decades and will probably continue to do so for a long time. It still has that massive banky and secure feel to it. It's a cool place to look around, get information, find a book, or do some local research. It's not the place to spread out and occupy space, you might end up in a swarthy corner or tenebrous hallway with a ghost sitting next to you.

From the owner: The Brooklyn Town Library has been serving the community of Brooklyn, Connecticut since 1893. Prior…read moreto that, the building was home to the First Banking House, 1822.

This is a fantastic fair.It's the longest operating agricultural in America. It's a great…read moreexperience every year.

Brooklyn town Fair is one of the very best small town Live Stock Argricultural Fairs around. There…read moreare numerous events for everyone and plenty of neat rides and things for children of all ages. There are loads of food vendors serving a variety of tasty treats from, pizza, Polish food, fast food, rotisserie beef, pork, chicken, funnel cakes and many other tantalizing food and desserts items. There is a separate building for home goods, jewelry, appliances and all sorts of arts and crafts for sale. This is the perfect venue serving up a multiplicity of diverse things across a wide spectrum of interests and certainly is worth a stop by.

My husband and I had planned a two hour cruise in Mystic on the Argia on the day we were…read morecelebrating with our family visiting from California. We were looking for an activity that would be fun for a multigenerational group of 23 people with toddlers, seniors, and everyone in between. We had been in communication with Oliver for months in advance. About two weeks before the big day, we saw that the forecast called for showers throughout Memorial Day weekend, particularly the Sunday of our planned cruise. We monitored the weather and decided to make a decision closer to the day. Throughout the entire process of planning, Oliver was responsive, reliable, accommodating, and kind. On the morning of the trip, Oliver gave us multiple options and worked with us to make sure that we could cancel and get a full refund due to the inclement weather. He provided us with agency up to the last hour of decision making. On a day that could have been really stressful, Oliver alleviated some of that stress. That is exceptional customer service, and that is the reason we will be coming back to the Argia for another special occasion. Highly recommend working with Oliver and his team if you get the chance!

We took a sunset cruise on the Argia, which is the last commercial sailing ship left in Mystic,…read morewhen we were visiting Mystic with a couple of friends on the Fourth of July. The boat has different seating options - wooden benches and cushion seats without backrests. We reserved two of the cushioned areas and showed up ready to check in on time (they ask you to show up about 30 minutes before boarding to check in). You board at the dock just next to the bridge in Mystic, so it couldn't be more convenient if you're exploring Mystic for a day or a weekend. The Argia allows you to bring alcohol (wine and beer) on board (although they ask that you not bring large coolers - there's no room for them), so we brought a couple of bottles of wine bought from the great wine shop down the street. The sail is partly narrated. Our sail was two hours long, and the staff narrated for some of the sailing time - pointing out historic and interesting sites along the sail (islands with an interesting history, homes with interesting architecture, etc.). Between the gorgeous scenery, some narration of fun and interesting facts about Mystic and its harbor, the great wine we'd brought aboard, and great company - it was the perfect way to spend a couple of hours in Mystic. What a beautiful way to enjoy Mystic and its harbor!

We used Lorraine for a family vacation to Arizona. We started in Phoenix, while there went to the…read moreApache Trail and Scottsdale. We then went to Sedona, the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. It was a one of the best trips we ever took. The hotels were excellent. All of her suggestions for sight seeing were excellent. I highly recommend Cruise Planners and would use them again for future trips.

We worked with Lorraine to plan a custom 11 day trip to Italy with stops in Rome and the Amalfi…read moreCoast. Lorraine's knowledge of the area was extensive and she got us INCREDIBLE deals on flights and hotels. She was even able to accommodate special requests such as needing exit rows (my husband is very tall and needs the legroom for a long flight). As someone who had never used a travel agent before and always thought it may be cost prohibitive, I was wrong! Lorraine was able to keep us under budget so that we had extra money to do little excursion tours to the Roman Forum, the Vatican, and Pompeii (all bucket list places for me!). She also was able to advise when tours weren't really necessary - our trip to Capri was a good example - we were able to easily tour the island ourselves and take a ferry. Above all, she made it so easy - presenting options clearly and booking everything quickly. The itinerary she gave us to follow was top-notch and had all necessary contact info on it. I really can't say enough good things about Lorraine - she made my dream trip a reality!

This food tour was absolutely fantastic and worth every penny! We visited six different restaurants…read morearound Providence and sampled an incredible variety of cuisines--every stop was delicious and offered something unique. It was the perfect mix of amazing food, local history, and exploring the city. Our guide, Michelle, made the experience unforgettable. She was sassy, hilarious, incredibly knowledgeable, and kept the whole group entertained from start to finish. Her passion for Providence really shined through. If you're visiting Providence (or even if you're a local looking to discover new favorites), I can't recommend this tour enough. Come hungry--you won't leave disappointed!

Michelle with the tattoos is a wonderful guide, a great storyteller with an engaging personality!…read moreHer love for Providence and its revitalization is obvious and contagious, and she is very knowledgeable about the many historic buildings! We loved the walk across the pedestrian bridge over the river, and the food was excellent at each stop. We had a wonderful afternoon on your down city tour, thanks to Michelle and your participating restaurants.

Peter came to our company picnic and entertained our tough crowd for about an hour. He was early…read morewith no pressure for us to get started, he had great energy and from the moment we shook hands I knew I made a good choice. He has a great demeanor and was really able to make our toughest nuts crack. Very different than what I had originally imagined or expected, which was entirely OK because his show exceeded my imagination. He included humor, thoughtful insight, and sincerity into the show. If you are second-guessing or wondering if you should book him: DO IT! It is well worth it! I highly recommend him!

We hired Peter for an intimate client event and he was even better than we imagined. Seamlessly…read moreinteracting with all of our guests and making a point to engage with everyone at one point in the night (even the tough ones!). Everyone was raving about his tricks, he truly worked the room! But in a very discrete, sophisticated way - which is exactly what we were looking for when we hired him for "strolling" magic. We even had clients inquire for his contact details after the event. 10/10 all around!