On the Town Green not far from Willington's Meeting House I saw a big slab of rough cut grey stone…read morein the shape of a cube with a rounded top. A lot of the stone monuments I see are smooth and almost mirror-like. But this one was heavily textured; sort of rough and tumbled. The stone has a dark tarnished plaque halfway up on the side facing the green. I found out the monument was dedicated to Willington's veterans of World War I. It reads: This Monument Is Erected By The Citizens Of The Town Of Willington, Connecticut In Sacred Memory And Appreciation Of Those Brave Men Who Went Forth In Response To The Call Of Our Country to Fight For Its Freedom And Peace. May 30, 1921 We Remember Them, Their Courage And Their God. I love the monument's simplicity, the stark striking look of the rough cut stone, and the powerful language of the inscription. I hope they maintain and restore the plaque before it gets in bad shape, I saw some streaking and weathering stains.

Ellington is located in the Connecticut River Valley about 20 minutes from Hartford, This quaint…read morelittle town is a blend of agriculture and industry and vested in a culture of hard-work and pride. Incorporated in 1786 on land that had once been known as the Great Marsh, Ellington still remains one of the largest agricultural production towns in Connecticut, a drive down West Road at the right time of the year with the prevailing winds will erase any doubt, the farming culture is still alive and well in the valley. I still find it fascinating that much of the roadside advertising is centered around fresh eggs, suckling pigs, fresh manure, farm sheds and grass fed beef which adds to its rural charm, yet there's a feeling of suburbia as well with its close proximity to the Hartford suburbs. You'll have to travel by car to get into town, there isn't any bus or train service to Ellington, it's not uncommon to see tractors or other farm vehicles leading a line of cars through town so show a little patience or the local authorities will remind you not to be in such a hurry. I've had many opportunities to meet and interact with the locals and I can't say I've found any better people than right here, whether it's doing business or having coffee or lunch in one of the local eateries they never fail to extend a warm welcome to all. In the seven or so years I've been coming here I haven't seen any significant changes and I applaud the citizens of Ellington for holding onto their past and embracing their future, they are very protective of their community, their culture, and their people and are committed to holding up the morals and ethics that has made them successful for over 200 years, it's kinda tough to argue that point.

The only spot where you have a complaint about a department and told to go to the department. Ex. I…read morewant to make a complaint about the DMV in hartfors for example. I go to hartford who tells me go to the DMV and complain. Other words complaint does nothing. The department does nothing. Besides trespass on your property and sit on their town back sides. Dogs early in morning sorry buddy. Construction 7am sorry. Do nothing.

I need to register for the classes that start tomorrow, April 7, 2026. I checked online about the…read moreclass and it had good reviews.

Great creative environment for community members to collaborate and teach workshops. Super family…read morefriendly and you can learn a lot from anyone that attends

Recently discovered this great walking path. Have only seen it in the winter months but am sure…read morespring and summer are even better. This path offers different terrain and scenery throughout the walk. As well as good incline. The water is a beautiful highlight and getting to the top of the dam overlooking the water is so satisfying and almost moving. Normally I start from the field and make the loop. Picnic areas here will be a must in the warmer months.

This place is awesome! It's so perfectly shaded, graded and in a great location for anyone who…read morewants a quick or long walk with natural beauty right on the side of the trail. Don't delay, walk today. There are places to have a picnic and many bike trails and a field for flying a kite, sitting in the sun or playing ball. Kayaks are permitted in the Quinebaug River as well. Great choice for a day!

This blue historic marker stands proudly in front of the Kent Memorial Library near the Suffield…read moreHistoric District. It is in decent shape and there is parking in the bank shopping center if you're nearby. The marker points out the founding of the town and some early history on one side and a list of famous Suffieldians on the other. On the front, "Suffield. In 1670 through a grant to John Pynchon, Suffield, formerly Southfield, originated as a township of Massachusetts because of a surveying error. Mindwell Old, the first child, was born in 1674, the year the town was incorporated. The town meeting has been the single form of government since 1682. By 1704 a church and a school had been built on the common. In 1749 Suffield became part of Connecticut, The American cigar industry was started here by Simeon Viets in 1810, and tobacco continues to be major crop. Early emigrants went to Vermont and Ohio, where several were elected to high offices. The Connecticut Baptist Literary Institution of I833 is now Suffield Academy. The school and the town have produced many leaders in religion, education, politics, insurance, agriculture, and business as well as the arts. In 1976, the Bicentennial year. Suffield has 9700 residents and 43.I square miles." On the reverse, "Suffield. These are among the many of Suffield who have given of themselves for others. PHINEHAS LYMAN 1716-1774, Commander of colonial troops 1754-1760 EBENEZER GAY 1718-1796, Congregational Church Pastor 1742-1793 TIMOTHY SWAN 1758-1843, Composer of sacred music, including "China" SETH PEASE 1764-1819, Surveyor of the Connecticut Western Reserve GIDEON GRANGER. JR. 1767-1822, United States Postmaster General 1801-1814 ASAHEL MORSE 1772-1838, Author of religious freedom in Connecticut SYLVESTER GRAHAM 1794-1851, Inventor of graham crackers and bread HENRY SYKES 1810-1860, Architect and builder WILLIS ADAMS 1844-1921, Painter of American landscapes OLIN WARNER 1844-1896, Artist sculptor Erected by the Town of Suffield the American Bicentennial Commission of Suffield and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1976." And yes, I do like Graham crackers. Henry Sikes designed the Second Baptist Church in 1840 (still in use) and several buildings at Amherst College. I'm sure I've seen Willis Adams' work in museums in my travels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_Seaver_Adams. [Review 15194 overall, 696 of 2021, number 44 in Connecticut.]

Graham Crackers. If…read moreyou love graham crackers, you can thank Suffield. (Keep reading) This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background, It's located in a strip of grass on Route 75 in front of a bank. It tells us that Suffield was not only first named Southfield, but it was originally a part of Massachusetts due to some shoddy surveying back in the day, way back in 1670. The town was incorporated in 1674, the same year that the town's first baby was born -the baby had the awesome name of Mindwell Old. The plaque says that the American cigar industry was started here, and to this day tobacco remains an important local crop, Over the years, Suffield has "produced many leaders in religion, education, politics, insurance, agriculture, business, as well as the arts". The reverse of the plaque lists some of the most accomplished Sons of Suffield who benefited the country. One of the more amazing names I saw was Sylvester Graham (1794-1851). He is listed as "inventor of graham crackers and bread".

The Smiths sang about a guy from here (This Charlton Man), and Di's former husband owns the town…read more(The Royal Prince Of Wales, AKA Prince Charlton). This is a little town in Massachusetts somewhere along the highway which is a regular stop for me because they have bathrooms and the oft-busy rest area, which also has extraordinarily overpriced gas and food, so watch out. But overall, Charlton is a nice sleepy town right off the Massachusetts Turnpike. It doesn't have much diversity, with 98% of the population being white, and it's a pretty well off little town named after a place in England, much like Dudley (the neighbouring town) and so many others in the aptly named New England.

The Viets family of East Granby operated a farm and livestock business on this site for many years…read more After the business closed, the land came into the possession of the Town of East Granby, who converted it into an almost 500 acre public park with a recreation center and hiking trails. In a beautiful nod to it's prior owners, the Town not only decided to leave the Viets Farm concrete silo standing, but also commissioned the painting of a mural on it to serve as a huge welcome sign to the park. It stands in the main parking lot entrance to the complex on Route 187. The gorgeous color mural covers every square inch of the silo with a lovely farm motif of animals, scenery and a blue sky. The original lettering was left undisturbed: L. H. VIETS & SONS CATTLE & HORSES It really is a gorgeous and very unexpected sight to see!!

I adore walking in the park every day on my lunch. I usually walk across the bridge into Hartford,…read moreloop back and then loop down and through the park to get a bit of fresh air. The statues are cool to see during the different seasons, and it's just a nice, quiet, contemplative area to visit. My office overlooks the park too so it's cool to see what's going on if I ever need to daydream out my window.

The Great River Park is a small park right off the highway, in East Hartford. This park is right on…read morethe Connecticut River. There were a number of people fishing and some were walking. There are some picnic benches if you'd like to be the one with nature while enjoying your lunch. This park is very clean, the grass has been cut recently. There's a substantial amount of trash cans, so no one should be littering on the park. On the other side of the river is where you'll find the capital city of Hartford. With some tall insurance buildings as well as the historic Colt Armory building, that is in plain sight. This is a nice place to step outside, if you happen to be working in one of the close by offices. This however, isn't my favorite or go to park because of how noisy the highway traffic can be.