"The moon is big and yellow And the stars are all a' glow…read moreFrom the bridge, I see reflections In the waters far below" (Dolly Parton) The Upper Sheffield Covered Bridge was built in 1999 as close to a stick-by-stick replacement (as close as modern engineering standards would allow) of the original 1832 bridge that was destroyed in a fire in 1994. Some materials salvaged from the original bridge were used for continuity. It's a nice example of "One Span Town Lattice Truss" open construction with a wood plank floor and wood siding painted grey. No vehicles are permitted on the 93-foot-long bridge that spans the Housatonic River. I read that the original 1832 bridge was the oldest covered bridge in Massachusetts and one of the oldest Town lattice truss bridges in the U. S. There's an information kiosk with vital information about the history and restoration of the bridge. There's a parking lot and a little park where you can access the bridge, and a hiking trail at the other end of the bridge, It's a very peaceful place to stop, take a stroll, enjoy the construction of the bridge and a nice water view at the park.

Cool little place to stop - over the Housatonic river in Sheffield. There is a small dirt parking…read morelot and a wide path for walking.

6/26/26: Staatsburgh can give many of the Newport mansions a run for their money…read more On the drive up to the mansion, you'll see a beautiful sculpture of Diana the huntress. We made reservations online. Upon entry, you'll check in and pay at the gift shop in the rear of the estate. Lindsay was very helpful. Inside the gift shop, there's wonderful items for serving tea and historical books on area mansions. Our wonderful docent was Faith. She was so passionate and highly knowledgeable of all the estate decor and family history. Think Faith is one of the best docents ever! The tour group starts out in a very low-keyed way. During that time, you're learning about the history of the estate in a fun way. Out of nowhere, the Gilded Age Opulence appears. YOU'RE WOWED! Unfortunately, Staatsburgh doesn't receive the accolades like the other well known area mansions. If you're going to see one estate in the area, make it Staatsburgh!

The Staastsburgh Estate grounds are simply beautiful, expansive and extremely well maintained. The…read morelong canopied tree-lined paved driveway winds its way up to the mansion and down to and along the Hudson River. There is a smaller unpaved road that leads to the carriage house and around to several gardens and eventually up to the front entry way of the mansion. We didn't go inside as we had spent 40 minutes walking the grounds but plan to do so on a future visit.

This is a small, quiet park sitting just above the river, next to a covered bridge. During our…read morevisit the river was low and flowing gently. A sign in the dirt parking area, directly across from the park, says the river is polluted and no fishing is allowed. There is however a stairway, of sorts, there leading down to the river where you may be able to launch a kayak or canoe. An information sign at the entrance to parking states this covered bridge is the oldest in MA? There is a timeline from it's inception to the present day. It is now a pedestrian only bridge. Walking across this bridge brings you to a dirt road where people were walking and to the park. A small metal sculpture welcomes you. Several benches face the river here lining the bank. A sign under a shady tree from the State of MA announces the historical inclusion of a UFO event that occurred here as being factually accepted by the state. A big picnic table also resides in the shade here. The grassy lawn is mowed. New plantings have been protected from wild life. Lamp posts are located between the benches. Everything seems to be donated with plaques affixed. One of the benches includes cremeated remains so they are always there, where it happened. A bike rake, trash bin and dog waste bags are located in the parking area. Pups are allowed on leash. This is a small, quiet area. A place to enjoy solitude, take a walk, read a book or share a picnic. Visit for the history of the bridge and the event.

"We're dying to be invaded Waiting for the UFOs Waiting for…read morethe UFOs We are waiting for the UFOs We know that they're there" (Graham Parker) Did a series of UFO's appear in the skies over Sheffield, Massachusetts in 1969? Did over 250 people see a disc-shaped white orb bigger than a football field hover in the sky over Sheffield's covered bridge? Did the Reed family have their car engulfed in light as they were pulled into the UFO? Did the family take a polygraph test found to be 99.1% truthful? Could this have been one of the most-seen UFO incidents in history? The Great Barrington Historical Society, Massachusetts governor, and Massachusetts historians seem to agree that all this happened, and there is a park in Sheffield commemorating that event. The Thom Reed - UFO Monument Park was founded in 2015 on the banks of the Housatonic River by the town of Sheffield where Thom Reed's off-world incident was said to have occurred. A sign reads "On behalf of the citizens of Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am pleased to confer upon you this Governor's citation in recognition of the off-world incident on September 1, 1969, which engaged the Reed family, which has been established. Your dedicated service to this incident was factually upheld, founded, and deemed historically significant and true by means of Massachusetts historians. The records highlighting the historic event are now officially part of the Great Barrington, MA Historical Society's collection and your recent induction into Massachusetts history." There are benches scattered along the park waterfront, and many have sponsorship plaques from the media sources (Netflix, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, History Channel, Discovery Science, International UFO Museum in Roswell) that have publicized the story on TV shows like Ancient Aliens and Unsolved Mysteries. What say you?

This may be in the run for coolest post offices I've been in. It's like walking into 1800. Seems…read morelike they preserved everything. Service I will say, was updated. Fast and efficient. I just mailed a letter and a post card, but we had a chat about the place on the walk to lunch. You should at least pop in if you're in the area, it's a hoot.

Rhinebeck post office is is not just a cool, historically rich setting. Men and women that work…read morethere are all very helpful and professional.But the coolest, most helpful, most caring one of them is the current Postmaster. He is utterly respectful and professional while he goes out of his way to help. Any town or village is lucky to have someone like him to remind us all how wonderful it is to approach others with patience, empathy and care. Thank you

Beautiful breathtaking! Would definitely come again…read more My husband even took his shoes off and enjoyed the water Not sure about the designated parking area though

This is the famous historic covered bridge located in Connecticut. Artists like Eric Sloane painted…read morethis beautiful bridge. It's built around 1864 over the Housatonic River. There are only 3 covered bridges left in CT and this is one of them. I visited this beauty recently because I'm a fan of history and covered bridges. It's picturesque and there are hiking, fishing, and picnicing around the area. There was a grassy area with benches to relax on. We enjoyed our visit, definitely worth it!

Friendly people and always helpful. They also host events fairly often, which are always wonderful.read more

My boyfriend and I are huge book nerds (he's a horror author, what do you expect?), so every road…read moretrip usually includes a visit to the local library of whatever city or town we stumble upon. I have to say that the Elting Memorial Library, New Paltz's town library, is perhaps the best library we've visited in New York to date! The building looks unassuming from the outside, with the dainty white exterior blending perfectly into the quaint downtown setting that would fit seamlessly into a set for a community theatre production of "The Music Man". But step inside, and you'll find shelves upon shelves of a vast selection of fiction and nonfiction, plus ample seating on cozy chairs and couches to curl up and read the day away! The folks that work at this library are some of the friendliest we've met in all our journeys, and be sure to snap a picture with the moose mascot before you leave! If you're anything like us and love the experience of visiting a great library, no trip to New Paltz is complete without a trip to the Elting!

The Hyde Park water guys are really fantastic. Twice over a few years I have needed their help…read morewith water shut-off problems (valves were busted inside, the earlier time pipes had burst) and they are incredibly friendly, responsive, communicative and skilled. Thanks!

Bantam's World War II Veterans Memorial is located in the parking lot of the Borough's hall. I hear…read morerumor there is a warden inside, but I'm otherwise not clear on what the building does because Bantam is now part of Litchfield. The memorial is an old green anti tank gun, with a plaque that reads: Dedicated to all veterans of World War II December 7, 1991 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor December 7th, 1941. *** Presented to the borough of Bantam by Tyler Seward Kubish Post 44 American Legion *** M1 75MM Anti Tank Gun 1942 The memorial is quiet and interesting to see, particularly if you're interested in old military hardware. There is a Pokemon gym at the location as well.