Towards the "bottom" of Riverside Park on one of the paths that is close to the river not far from…read morethe I-84 bridge is this simple statue. It is a tribute to the first "pardoned turkey," a tradition that goes back at least as far as President Abraham Lincoln. As to why it's in Connecticut, it's a bit of a stretch. Lincoln's pardoned turkey was actually gifted to the First Family in 1863, just a month after the president declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. Though meant to be Christmas dinner that year, the turkey was quickly adopted by Tad Lincoln, the president's 10-year-old son. Tad named the bird Jack and trained it to follow him all over the White House. When the time came to slaughter and eat Jack, Tad begged his father to spare the creature's life. Lincoln, ever indulgent of his youngest child, wrote a note "pardoning" Jack and gave it to Tad, who showed it to the head chef, thus granting a reprieve for the beloved pet. In 2005, as part of a riverfront revitalization effort in downtown Hartford, the Lincoln Financial Group sponsored 16 sculptures along the Connecticut River. The series commemorates the life and achievements of the insurance and investment company's namesake. A coincidence as just a few days ago, I saw another turkey statue in Virginia - https://www.yelp.com/biz/rockingham-county-turkey-statue-plains?hrid=ep6u8rIZfpIbscLhcF6GhQ. Small world? [Review 15164 overall, 666 of 2021, number 20 in Connecticut.]

This is a statue of a turkey that was pardoned by Abraham Lincoln. We were in Hartford Connecticut…read moreand we like to see random statues and landmarks so we had to come see this turkey. Basically it was the holiday season and Abraham Lincoln decided to pardon this turkey and they named it I think tad turkey or something like that and he was pardon free for the holidays

According to one legend, a man admitted himself into Hartford Hospital after a heart attack. He…read moretold his dog, right outside of the door to the hospital, to "Stay." The dog sat and waited. The man eventually died in the hospital (according to one version of the story, at least), but his faithful dog, named Rover, never moved from the spot. Although various hospital staff attempted to cajole, tempt, or bribe the loyal pup, he refused to move. Many of the staff grew to love the dog and tried to take him home out of the rain and wind and hard cement spot he sat and lay on day after day, but he never moved. There is a happier version that I prefer. The man stayed in the hospital for over a month and finally left, the dog was overjoyed at the man's return after his long, agonizing wait. In another version the man came to the hospital for a weekly treatment with his dog who waited at the spot each time, never distracted by the cars, pigeons, or children passing by tempting him with food. Regardless of the true story, Hartford Hospital erected this statue to the memory of Rover outside the hospital entrance. According to the hospital, the story of Rover represents love, devotion, and commitment. Keeping the story alive inspires the hospital to exhibit these same qualities in treating its patients, families, and community. If the story seems familiar, it's the same as the Japanese Hachiko and I've been to that monument in Tokyo, https://www.yelp.com/biz/忠犬ハチ公像-渋谷区-2?hrid=hpVFbORIuzva6JpkXDh0-g. The statue of Rover is mounted on a small granite block and therefore is somewhat mobile if they want to put it elsewhere. At this time, it's to the left in front of the windows as you would walk into the main entrance. [Review 15173 overall, 675 of 2021, number 27 in Connecticut.]

While we are in Hartford we like to stop by and look at the landmarks in different unique statues…read moreand things. This is the statue of Rover. I looked up the story of Rover and it was a sad one the one I read. It was about a man that went in the hospital and told his dog to stay outside and the dog stayed with me and died in the hospital and the dog still stayed and did not ever leave and then I guess eventually died so that's a sad story but the people of Hartford decide to make a little statue at a rover and the old story

A simple marker dedicated to those who served in the Korean conflict between 1950 and 1953. Located…read moreon the Village Green, it shares a place with a WW II memorial, a Viet Nam War monument and the much larger Drummer Boy Statue

Running through Bristol, there's a stretch of Route 72 named Memorial Boulevard. It's pretty much…read morebetween Main Street and Blakeslee Avenue. It's a lovely area with parkland and trails on both sides of the road. Memorial Boulevard is quite the appropriate name for this stretch, because the grassy areas bisected by the boulevard contain eight monuments honoring veterans from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. This review is about one of those monuments; but trust me, this gets confusing. "The Hiker" statue is a copy of a pre-existing statue depicting a soldier from one war, but it's dedicated to the soldiers of a different war. Confused? Yeah, I was too. Let me explain. This "Hiker Statue" on Memorial Boulevard is a 1983 replica of the same statue used in Bristol's 1929 Spanish American War monument over on Park Street at Muzzy Field. When the Memorial Boulevard version was dedicated in 1983, it was meant to honor all soldiers killed in WW II. It's a very detailed bronze statue of a Spanish American War soldier hiking with a rifle held in his right arm. He's dressed in the manner of his time (1898), wearing a wide brimmed hat, a military jacket, and knee high boots. Check out the jaunty angle of his hat. He looks like a bad-ass Indiana Jones. The plaque's inscription reads: The Hiker Spanish American War Soldier Given By The Vanesse Family In Memory Of Deceased World War II Veterans November 12, 1984

Memorial Boulevard Park is a beautiful spot both to walk your dog, or just to walk through by…read moreyourself. One of the parking lots has a large picnic table if you just want to stop by for a quick bite instead of eating your car or at work. All in all, it is maintained beautifully MOST of the time. BUT Bristol's goose population keeps getting bigger & bigger and they do have a hard time occasionally, keeping up with the droppings, mostly near the East end of the park (by the pond). It is usually very well maintained though. If you walk around the whole three to four block area, it's approximately 2 miles from Barnes Spring to Downes Street. Personally, since getting my high energy doggie, just from walking this area, I've lost 52 lbs (& have clocked 1350 mi per my GPS). It's especially beautiful in the Spring & Fall!!

"You used to call me the top You put me up on the throne…read moreYou let me fall with a drop And now I'm out on my own" (Billie Holiday) Fans of Game of Thrones know the Iron Throne in Westeros was made from the surrendered swords of enemies. Today I learned the White Oak Leaf Throne in Hartford's Bushnell Park was made from the Hoadley Oak. It was a dead 180-year-old White Oak tree that was a park eyesore. On September 10, 2024, it became the latest piece of public art to join the dozens of attractions and monuments spread across the park. Local artist Tao LaBossiere transformed that huge dead tree into a 9 1/2-foot-tall throne with ornate carvings all over its surface. The structure was sealed with five coats of marine-grade urethane to protect it from the elements. You'll find it on the east side of the park by Jewell Street. The throne has landing steps at the front, so you can climb up, and have a seat for a few minutes of solitude or an epic photo op. PRO TIP The Hoadley Oak is believed to be a descendant of Connecticut's historic Charter Oak. In an early act of resistance against the British, in 1662, Connecticut colonists hid their colony's Royal Charter in that tree to keep it safe.

I explored New Britain during their Celebrate New Britain event. The city is located about 9 miles…read moreaway from Hartford and has approximately 74,000 people living there. There is a huge population of Polish people; there is a section called Little Poland. The nickname is the Hardware City because there was a massive influx of manufacturing companies that setup shop there. New Britain high school is one of the largest in Connecticut. There are two colleges; Charter Oak State College and Central Connecticut State University. Walnut Hill Park is a 98-acre park located in the city; there are athletic fields and open space to enjoy nature. After doing some research, and driving around, I noticed some nice and not so nice areas. As with any city or town, there are pros and cons.

This was another town we were highly interested in living in. People settled in Glastonbury in 1636…read morebut it officially became a town in 1693. It's 7-miles away from Hartford and has approximately 35,000 residents. The oldest ferry in the nation is still operating since 1655; this ferry crosses the Connecticut River and goes to Rocky Hill. There's a large forest there called Meshomasic State Forest. Part of the town is located on Rattlesnake Mountain which has timber rattlesnakes. If you like history like I do, they have the second highest amount of old colonial homes in the US; these homes were from the 1800s and a handful were from the 1600s. The public schools are highly rated. There are a few plazas with restaurants and stores. The overall aesthetics of the town is beautiful. I enjoy visiting and exploring it!

This is not NYC, or Boston, or even West Hartford - It is a community with a quiet elegance,…read morehistory, lots of beautiful hiking trails and an increasingly welcoming/inclusive community that while not yet as diversified as we would like it to be - I think it will be as more folks discover it. Aside from a great community for all families; including LGBTQIA families, and families of color, it provides a beautiful place to live and/or work remotely. Outside of rush hour, it takes us 2 hours to be in Chelsea, NYC, and 1.5 hours to meet friends for dinner in Boston. It is strategically located in between two mega cities with a great airport nearby (Hartford), and direct Amtrak service to NYC only a few minutes away in Hartford. We are major outdoor folks and on our spare time run hiking groups in the US and Canada - And we keep being surprised by the beautiful trails we keep discovering all around us with the AllTrails app. You may not have the thousand restaurants selection of NYC, but we have found excellent Thai; Mexican, Italian and local coffee shops here - so more than pleased. Three things we would like to see in the near future include: 1. A Bike Share/Rental Program like NYC's CitiBike or at least a local shop with bike rentals; 2. A Glastonbury "Trader Joe" - The Whole Foods here is great but we love many of the Trader Joe products - so hopefully soon, and 3. As per our South Beach experience - the first traditional "Cuban Restaurant" in the entire Hartford Area (Closest one is New Haven). Bottomline, if you are looking for a quiet, understated, lots of outdoor parks/trails, good schools, inclusive (ie, LGBTQIA, Families of Color) community and a nice/welcoming local neighbors - Check out Glastonbury.

I'm a new resident to CT but from my short time of being here, I can tell this is a great town…read more Canton is a small town situated right on the Farmington River. For one, when it snows, the roads are cleared and salted quickly. The town itself is very beautiful and nicely maintained. There are good parks and trails throughout. Downtown Canton is on Albany Turnpike, which has everything you would need. There's an Aldi's, CVS, Midas, Farmington Shoppes, gas stations, restaurants, and various of other businesses; and just like that, you can drive 5 minutes and you're back in the quiet countryside/farmland. Collinsville is a hot spot and was named "Ten Coolest Small Towns In America" by Budget Travel Magazine in 2007. It definitely has a small town New England charm for sure!