Passing through and wanted to take a quick break. This location was a great little spot to have a…read morequick snack and relax next to the roaring water sounds from the falls!

Nice little waterfall. Part of it is still under construction and there was also a wedding going…read moreon when I was there so I couldn't fully explore but what I did offered some nice views and tranquility. Was tempted to follow the tracks to see where/what else I could see but didn't have it in me this day.

Spotty is a painted dog on the side of Route 165. If you don't know it's there, it's tempting (and…read moreworth it) to turn around after doing a double take. The road is pretty quiet but with a higher speed limit. Spotty was originally painted in 1935 by Stanley Zigtorac.

This lighthouse is located on the campus of UConn and so it's a little harder to find than most…read more You're also going to have some parking restrictions but if you look for "visitor" parking and don't overstay your welcome, you should be fine. Construction on this brown concrete structure completed in 1943 and is officially listed as the last lighthouse built in the state. It fell into disrepair after it was deactivated in 1967 but an extensive restoration project brought it back to stability in 2006. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The building is 41 feet tall and is an octogon-shaped tower. The building is not open to the public but you can press your nose (and camera) up to the ground level windows to see inside. The grounds are mostly handicapped accessible. [Review 18664 overall - 81 in Connecticut - 2186 of 2022.]

Great place to bring a sack lunch & watch the boats & water, or swim & enjoy the beach!read more

If you're driving down Route 66 in this neck of the woods, be prepared for two incredible sights…read more-painted rocks that look like living creatures! This one is near the intersection of West Main (Rt 66) and Stone House Road. It's a gorgeous rendition of a bald eagle. This beautifully painted rock outcropping has seen various lives as a whale, a shark, a frog, and a turtle. In 1989, a high school student repainted it as an eagle, and its lived on as an eagle ever since. Over the years, it gets repainted every once in a while and the year it was touched up is also painted under the eagle's beak. This is a freaking gem !!!

When I was little we would drive by this on the journey from New Haven to Hampton to visit family…read more It instantly became the thing my brother and I looked for on the way. I moved to this area and on a backroads drive randomly rediscovered this in all of it's patriotic glory. The eyeballs are slightly more terrifying than as a child I remember them being but it's still 200% 'Merica.

I came here on a fall afternoon as the sun was setting. It's a bit of a drive up to the castle from…read morethe entrance of the park but not too bad- about 10-15 minutes. I like that there are stairs inside the castle. What a beautiful view from the top! The foliage was a bit past peak but still gorgeous. It was windy and chilly but totally worth the views!

Yesterday my dog Brody and I decided to visit Castle Craig which is perfectly situated high above…read moreHubbard Park in order to gain a view of both the park and much of Meriden. Though this year's peak fall colors were muted and a bit past, it was still highly enjoyable.

This camera obscura is one of only 50 in the entire world, only 5 of which are in the US. It was…read moreonly a dollar per person. We waited about ten minutes outside for the people before us to come out. It was a bit cloudy when we were there and I'd love to go back on a clear, sunny day. It was still a neat experience. The educator who showed us the camera obscura was fantastic. He had lived in Greenport for decades and gave us so much history and really fleshed out the experience. It was so much cooler seeing it and hearing stories about the area. This is well worth the $1 it will cost you and would be neat for kids as well. The sign said the it was open from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. this was on a weekday. I believe they are open weekends and weekdays in the summer and only weekends the rest of the year.

There are only 5 in the US and only about 50 in the world. Historically significant and only a…read moredollar to partake. That said, prepare for an experience that lasts only a few minutes and largely depends on a cloudless sky.

Very cool find on a rainy day. I liked the artifacts kept, minimal entrance fee, and portraits…read moredisplayed.

Quirky little museum tucked away on the campus of Norwich Free Academy. Great collection of…read moreplundered booty from rich US industrialists' world tours by private yacht. Eclectic but beautifully presented.

Perfect day for a cemetary stroll. Very peaceful with some graves dating to the 1800s. The tower is…read morerather impressive. Would love to see it's twin in Ireland some day.

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! This is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of…read moreAmerica that most people have never heard of or been to before, If you love Castles, Towers & the Fairytale Rapunzel or the Disney movie Tangled then you'll be excited about our journey today. It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour the Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist. We have set the dial to the 1890's in the town of Milford MA about an hour outside of Boston. We've landed at this Beautiful Irish Round Tower that conjures up images from a bygone era. The Tower looks like it has been plucked from medieval times from thousands of miles across the Pond in Ireland. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! Father Patrick Cuddihy envisioned an Irish Round Tower as the centerpiece of a new cemetery when the land was purchased in 1890 for the Catholics of Saint Mary's Parish in Milford. Travelers from all over the globe spend thousands of dollars & travel to Ireland to see The Irish Round Towers. There is one Irish Tower in particular called The Devenish round tower & is located in County Fermanagh on an island located on Lower Lough Erne Lake. The Round Irish Tower in Milford is almost an exact replica with the same look, design & height as the The Devenish Tower in Ireland. It is made out of Granite from the Milford quarry. It stands tall over the graves of thousands of Irish immigrants who were buried in the cemetery. They are laid to rest in an Irish setting that mimics the architecture & land of Ireland. You might wonder why did Fr. Cuddihy build this tower? The answer can be found in his obituary "It may be folly - yet when you and I have passed away, the Irish in America will make a pilgrimage to the Irish Round Tower at Milford." Now although it was very popular in its day this has now fallen completely under the radar. Now just about everyone has heard of the German Fairy Tale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm, but have no idea that a Rapunzel like Tower even exists here in America. The Milford Round Tower was the only one of its kind in the whole USA for decades & only a few Irish Towers in the whole world even exist outside of Ireland. In 2003 The Tower at Castleton Lyons Farm was built in Kentucky to be an exact replica of the round tower at the Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary Ireland. So now there are 2 Irish Round Towers in the US. The Milford one is well over a hundred years older than the one in Kentucky. It represents a unique granite architectural wonder that pays tribute to Father Cuddihy vision of an Irish Tower in America without going overseas. The 1978 East German stamps of Rapunzel look just like the Devenish Tower in Ireland & the one in Milford MA. I have posted the stamp pictures for you to see too. Just so you know the door to the Tower is locked so you can't venture to the top! In addition, behind the Irish round tower there is a small pond & benches with pine trees in the background that makes a peaceful place to pray, meditate & explore the grounds. On the other side there is a mysterious cave like structure that resembles a catacomb. Across the street there is a public park and free parking. You really wouldn't expect to see an Irish Round Tower or a Rapunzel Tower at a cemetery, but that's where it is - a True Hidden Gem. To make it really worth your trip in the area check out The Moon Tree a tree that went to the Moon & The Largest Rosary Beads in the World both in Holliston. All of these are Freebies as well. It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Bizarre with a capital "B"…read more There is a Timexpo Museum in Waterbury that tells the story of the Timex company, and the history of watches and time. But as important as that might be, they are nothing when compared to the totally cool 40' tall Easter Island Moai statue that graces a strip of grass in front of the museum. What exactly this statue has to do with the history of time, I don't know. What I do know is this- I pity the poor drunken fool who might be unfortunate enough to be stumbling down Union Street when he glances up and sees this 40 foot tall beast blocking his path. I think that would sober up our poor guy pretty fast.

Discover the Easter Island Moai…read more Forget your bucket list. Don't wait till you can't climb the hill at the quarry to one of the world's most amazing places, Rano Raraku on isolated Easter Island. A giant Moai is waiting to be freed from a thousand years of captivity. What was the last carver's thoughts as he walked away from his final creation? Take a flight or a cruise to French Polynesia and visit Easter Island. Sign up with Tiare Edmunds of Easter Island Guides for a one or two or day tour and see what time left behind. Tiare is the only Rapanui native guide with direct descendents to the original natives. She leads you on an adventure back in time in her air conditioned vehicle. Easter Island is situated on a triangle of volcanic rock in the South Pacific over 2,000 miles from Tahiti and Chile. It's a living outdoor museum and Tiare has the E ticket pass. We were picked up at the pier and spent two incredible days exploring and learning about what might of happened to a thriving culture that almost lead to extinction. While historically no one knows exactly what happened to leave behind over 900 massive Moai, Tiare will help you understand the culture and the people. She also brought along a picnic lunch on both days of arugula from her garden on fresh sandwiches and olives and Rapa Nui locally brewed beer. What a treat. Looking out over the ocean, drinking a cold beer, having a great lunch and talking with a real local historian about her family's history. A truly memorable time. Don't wait.