Located on Boston Post Road on the grounds of the Public Safety Complex (between Tiffany Avenue and…read moreSummer Street) is this 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides. The marker is in poor condition with accelerated failure on both sides in the form of extensive fading and peeling of the blue background. Things I learned from the Waterford marker: 1) The town covers 36.7 square miles 2) The native Indians belonged to the Nehantic and Pequot tribes, before they were "displaced" by the English colonists 3) A sawmill was built here way back in 1653. The full inscription reads: Waterford Incorporated 1801 English colonists first harvested crops on Fog Plain and Mamacoke in 1645, gradually displacing the native Nehantic and Pequot Indians. Farm lots were allocated to individual colonists in 1651 and in 1653 a sawmill site and house lot were designated on Hunts Brook in Quaker Hill. The Jordan area was first mentioned in 1663 and Jordan Schoolhouse in 1737. Waterford gave thousands of acres to help form East Lyme in 1839 and two square miles were taken for New London by legislative action in 1899, leaving the present area of 36.7 square miles. Erected 1975 by Town of Waterford, the Waterford Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission. 160 CT towns done, 10 to go

We visit the base to use the commissary and NEX. There is a submarine museum near here too, which…read moreis excellent, and in an area that does not require a military ID to access. First off, you do need a Military ID to get on base (every adult in the car) and again when trying to purchase items on base. To bring a guest on base stop at the visitor office next to the main gate. The base itself seems to have under gone some updates to road signs and basic curb appeal which is very nice for those who live and work here. The commissary and NEX are good sizes, include the expected items, (uniforms, national brands, etc.) and share a parking lot. Grab your shopping cart before entering. Baggers at the Commissary work for tips so bring a few dollars cash; they pack, carry your bags out and put them in your vehicle. NEX is two stories with a food court and restrooms near the entrance. Escalator, elevator and stairs available. Sporting goods, clothes, jewelry, cleaning supplies, H&B, liquor. All the stuff.

The police at the gate were extremely helpful. I had brought a service man back to the base and the…read moredirections I had brought me to the wrong gate. The officer that was checking ID's advised me where to and gave me directions as well as they were super efficient, and extremely kind. I always appreciate police, but in this instance, I double appreciate these gentlemen for not just their service as officers, but their service to our country as well. Thank you so very much!

To live in a…read morelighthouse Latimer Reef Lighthouse is a 49 foot tall, brick lined, cast iron light that was build back in 1884. It is the oldest cast iron lighthouse that is still operational in the east and his area was so important and treacherous that reports indicate that the first small tower was place here back in 1804. This is a typical spark plug type of light that became popular at the time because of it's relatively inexpensive construction costs and durability. The light and surrounding reef was named after James Latimore, the revolutionary war hero. It originally had a 4th order Fresnel lens but the lens was moved to another lighthouse in Delaware when Latimer was modernized. In a bid to say money on maintenance costs the light recently went up for sale. Private bids that started at 10,000 were accepted. Sounds like a pretty cool idea to buy a lighthouse and my first thoughts were that it would make a great little place to entertain, relax and enjoy the water. However there is a catch and a rather big catch at that. The interior of the light of these spark plugs is actually tiny and Latimer will remain an active light. That means the lights stays on and the horn keeps blasting twice every 15 seconds day and night. The horn almost blows me off my kayak from hundred feet away so I suspect that actually being on the light isn't exactly relaxing. Plus the all maintenance must be keep up and paid for by the new owner and the light must keep all historically features. Not an insignificant cost but the light did finally sell for 225,000 dollars a short time ago. No word about why the new owner bought the light or what he or she is going to do with it. There are still several lights for sale in the area but the maintenance arrangements are the same. You aren't just buying the light, but also the responsibilities of maintaining it. Owning a lighthouse would be cool but for now it's enough just to admire them from a distance.

Came here for the first time to enjoy Christmas lights with my wife and my dog! I purchased a…read moreGroupon online and got a discounted ticket. Light show was well worth it ! my dog loved it. All proceeds benefit children's charity too.

If we could give this 6 stars we would! This is the best drive thru lights display around. We were…read moresorely disappointed by another display in E Hartford so we went in with low expectations but boy were we wrong! Staff was so friendly. Displays were beautiful! They had tribute displays, character displays, and awesome music on their radio station. Lights were perfectly synced with the music which you don't find a lot! We will be making our trip here an annual occurrence. Thank you so much!

In 1747, Andover was cobbled together from bits of Lebanon, Hebron, and Coventry…read more A famous clockmaker was born here. So was an Army major that served in the Revolutionary War. A 6,000 man army led by General Rochambeau marched through Andover on their way to Virginia to assist General Washington. They must have really liked the town, because a year later, they camped here on their return march. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides. The marker dates to 1976 and is in a bizarre state. The white lettering looks bright and in good condition. The blue background is also bright and is in mostly very good shape, except for the peeling chips at the very top of both sides. It's located on a strip of grass between Town Hall and a school.

Wonggumbaug. Now…read morehonestly, isn't that the coolest word you've read today? It's an Indian word that means "crooked pond" and that's how the natives described the area that eventually ended up as Coventry, CT. Coventry was the birthplace of Nathan Hale, one of America's first heroes of the Revolution. He was on an espionage mission for General Washington when he was captured and hung by the British in Manhattan. He was 21 years old. On a cheerier note, Coventry was also the birthplace of the Lakes Actors Colony - a community of entertainment stars from the early days of vaudeville and radio. This is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. Located in front of Town Hall, it has different inscriptions on each side. It dates to 1980 and is in very good shape on the front side, but is in much worse shape on the back side with big hunks of peeling blue paint.

New London was a tough place to live - attracting "men of hardihood and valor". Thousands of them…read moreflocked here to join the whaling industry rocketing New London's growth as it became "one of the largest whaling ports in the country". Located on a strip of grass at Town Hall is this 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides. The marker is in fair condition with damage on both sides in the form of fading, spotting and peeling of the blue background. The full inscription reads: New London New London was founded in 1646 by John Winthrop, the younger, who chose this shore-ringed "plantation" for its excellent harbor. This land, with its great natural assets, attracted men of hardihood and valor and became one of the largest whaling ports in the country in the mid-19th century. As this industry waned, manufacturing flourished, bringing an influx of foreign labor which contributed immeasurably to the enrichment of community life. The history of New London may be said to be concentrated in its seal, adopted when the city was incorporated in 1784... a full-rigged ship with all sails set and the motto "Mare Liberum," meaning "Freedom of the Seas." Erected 1976 by The City of New London and the Connecticut Historical Commission. 161 CT towns done, 9 to go

We were a group of four. One person was mid-tour when we arrived. As there is only one docent, she…read morebegan the tour over. We were 3/4 way through our first floor tour when another party arrived. Instead of adding them to the tour, and then covering what they missed, she asked them to wait. The living room is beautiful. Plaster work, beautifully hand painted walls (by a modern artist), elegant furnishings. Photos of the home pre-restoration are showed and discussed in this room. So much work has been done! There are also photos of the family and you learn a bit about them here. We also had the opportunity to ask questions about the home and family. Through this Q&A we discovered in what types of 'shipping' the family were involved. The dining room table displays a variety of period china. The fireplaces on this floor are marble. The dining room light fixture is very interesting, and although not original fits very well and makes a statement. Sadly, the kitchen is not restored for guests to view. There is however a butlers pantry in the dining room displaying more serve ware. An Antarctic research station is named after Captain Palmer and a live feed is shown in the next room as well as several ship models including the one Capt. Palmer was on when he discovered the continent. Information on the gentleman who created these models is also presented. There is a variety of information in this room about Capt. Palmers Antarctic discovery and one of his shipping trades: seal pelts. The short hallway between dining room and this include other items of trade such as Palmer tea and jade. The upper floors are self toured and there are three of them. Stair cases narrow as you ascend. The highest point is a small cupola surrounded by windows with a small bench seat that fits about three. There was a nice breeze with the windows open and long views. The two floors between include bedrooms, 'toilet' rooms, children's play room, fire alarm display, sewing room, office space and storage. Plenty of old furnishings, linens, toys etc. I particularly love the sewing box. Beautiful, intricate work. The price for the two locations is very reasonable and if you have time, are looking for an air conditioned space, love history/architecture/home décor, then this is going to be a nice stop. Free parking is available at the side of the house. Enter at the grand front door. A gift shop is located just inside to the left of the entrance. A restored ice house, storage and out houses are behind the home. I saw no public facilities (but didn't ask). There is a fair amount of land with the home including a small pathway with bench seating along the water on the other side of parking. In July there were plenty of mosquitos. Picnic tables are located behind the research library next to parking. Tickets may be purchased on line through their website as well as at the Stonington light house museum. Stonington residents and historical society member admission is free. Military, senior and first responder discounts are available. July and August the museum is open daily 10am - 4pm. The rest of the year hours are limited - check the website for information.

We visited after being informed that our Stonington lighthouse entrance fee also included entrance…read morehere. It's right down the street Who was Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer? He was credited with discovering Antarctica (whilst hunting for seals) in 1820 at the young age of 21 with a minimal crew. He grew rich and built a stately home in his birthplace of Stonington, CT. After his brothers wife died, Nathaniel and his wife (who were childless) shared the home with his widowed brother and his 4 children. It was great to learn the history of this family and home, feeling transported to another time and imaging what it must have been like. I want to know more. Beautiful furnishings, interesting history and a beautiful setting. Parking is free and plentiful and the grounds are serene and quiet. A great way to spend an hour or so in this quaint town.