Heublein Tower is located in Talcott Mountain State Park. There were plenty of parking spaces and a…read morefew trails that lead up to the "castle". The main Tower Trail is 1.25-miles one-way; most of it were up hill and on rocky gravel. There were a couple of lookouts before reaching the tower; beautiful views but becareful, it's very steep. There were a couple of benches and waste receptacles along the way. The tower up close was magnificent and the land is full of history. There was the old garage that's used as an information center with benches and a video. A huge picnic pavilion and BBQ pit. The Tower was built to look like a German castle. There are 6-stories; bedrooms, living rooms, restrooms, and the ballroom which is now called the observation deck are in it. There were signs showing what certain areas were. This building was Gilbert Heublein's summer home, then The Hartford Times, then the State of CT. Many parties and famous people have traversed these steps; Dwight D. Eisenhower and Prescott Bush to name a couple. The observation deck is where the showstopper is; 360-degree views of Connecticut, it's a priceless and breathtaking view. Thank you to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Friends of Heublein for up keeping and keeping this local and historical gem alive. I highly recommend the moderate hike up, if you're able to. Bring bug spray, water, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and your best hiking boots!

I've driven past this imposing sculpture on Route 189 hundreds of times without knowing what it…read morewas. Today I stopped and took a close look at it, and it is a very powerful memorial indeed. It's located at the front of the Greater Hartford Jewish Community Center. Its a two part memorial consisting of a large sculpture and a companion piece of a stand holding a stone plaque carved to resemble an open book. The 1981 sculpture was created by Elbert Weinberg. The main sculpture shows two outstretched arms holding a Shofar (ram's horn) aloft. The open book has two inscribed panels as its pages.The left panel is inscribed: Had the people and the nations known how much harm they brought upon themselves by destroying the Temple of Jerusalem, they would have wept more than the children of Israel THE TALMUD 1933-1943 In memory of the Six Million Jews, victims of the Holocaust, killed because they were born Jews. In solemn remembrance to the more than one million Jewish children who perished before they could mature, before they could give life, who tasted the evil of man before they could experience the fullness of God's universe. In humble recognition of the world that was lost, the generations of scholars, teachers and rabbis, the writers and speakers of Yiddish whose culture could have contributed much to the Jewish future, much more to humanity. In gratitude for those precious few, men and women, of all faiths who lived with the Jews, who saved Jews or who chose to die with the Jews to affirm the solidarity of all human creation. May the memory of these deaths serve as a warning. May their lives serve as a blessing. May the Jewish people understand the preciousness of all life, the infinite worth of all creation. May we, the living, honor their death by creating and sustaining the life of the Jewish people - in freedom, in dignity, in honor and in peace. The right panel is inscribed with a list of the memorial's donors. The image of the sculpture, coupled with the book's inscription combine to make this a very powerful and moving shrine.

Located to the right of the Bloomfield Fire Department's District Offices main entrance at 18…read moreWintonbury Avenue sits a very cool sight- an old fire bell mounted in a bright red metal yoke. The bell can be rung by turning a wheel next to the yoke. It's located in a pretty flowered and landscaped area between the main driveway and the office building . The bell is inscribed: CLINTON H. MENEEELY BELL COMPANY TROY, N.Y. U.S.A. A.D. 1888. Another example of how history can be found on just about any street in any town in our state !

One more example of the incredibly rich history that can be found in every corner of our state. The…read moreWhite Fountain is located on the Southbound side of Hopmeadow Street, pretty much across the street from Abigail's Restaurant, where Route 202/10 intersects Route 185. The Fountain honors Dr. Roderick White (1809-1887), who dedicated nearly 50 years of his life traveling around the Simsbury area by horse to practice medicine and offer healthcare advice to the community. He studied medicine at Yale, and began his medical career in Manchester and Granville before he settled in Simsbury in 1842. Dr. White passed away in 1887, and his wife Elizabeth passed away two years later. Her will stated "I desire to leave a memorial of my late husband in the community where he so long lived and practiced his profession, and for that purpose I have determined that it would be suitable and proper to erect in the village of Weatogue a memorial fountain supplied with running water." A granite base supports the granite fountain. There is a large basin with lion heads, and three round basins above. Decorations on the fountain include a portrait of Dr. and Mrs. White, a sculpture of a Healing Serpent (symbol for medical profession),an engraving of Hippocrates, and an inscription honoring Dr. White. The inscription reads: In Memory of Roderick A. White, M.D., who died Dec. 2, 1887. The beloved Physician of this town for nearly fifty years. Erected by his wife, Elizabeth Hungerford White. Defunctus adhunc ministrat I popped that phrase into a Latin to English Google Translate and came up with "Died hitherto serveth"

A great time. This came up on my Facebook feed as a fun and interesting thing to do this summer…read more So I made the 2-hour trek before it got too hot and busy. And had a great time. It's an interesting place and fun to explore the mine. If you're 6 feet or taller, doing the mine is going to be difficult, one of the few times us shorties have an advantage. While it probably wasn't worth the 2-hour drive, it still was a fun time, and not something I regret doing.

"The warden threw a party in the county jail The prison band…read morewas there and they began to wail The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing" (Elvis Presley) What an awesome slice of Connecticut and U.S. history! At various times, the grounds housed the oldest copper mine in the U.S. and one of its oldest state prisons. The prisoners sentenced to the jail were mostly thieves, robbers and British sympathizers. One was a murderess (yes, this was a coed prison), and a few were imprisoned for "laziness"! The walk down into the mine put us on several staircases that were very wet (water is dripping everywhere), slippery and uneven. So if you're a little unsteady on your feet, you might want to think twice about the 75 foot descent into the lowest section of the mine. There will be plenty of handrails to guide you, and beware of a few stone "low bridges" you'll have to duck down to avoid. Otherwise you'll take a solid stone slab to the forehead. Another thing to mention is the temperature down there is pretty chilly. So even if you visit on a 95 degree day and you're wearing a tank top and shorts outside, you might want to pack a sweater or sweatshirt for your visit to the mine. It was very cool learning how the mine was built, and we saw remnants of some of the drilled holes where dynamite was lowered into the rock to blast away solid stone. We also saw traces of golden copper and green patina on the rocky walls. We learned that over the years there had been over 70 escape attempts, including one massive jailbreak where over 20 prisoners made it out. Just about all of them were eventually captured, but a few ran into the woods and were never found. After we came up from the mine floor, we explored the grounds and wandered among the remnants of the old jailhouse, guardhouse and prison yard. They were very creepy, and we saw some of the prisoner shackles and chains on display. Our tour guide was great, as was the friendly young lady at the ticket booth and gift shop. The surrounding grounds and view are quite beautiful, and we learned they are used for wedding and prom photos. So who knows, maybe this will be a wedding venue some day!

This December 2024 will commemorate the 49th Anniversary of the "Beer Train Wreck" in Windsor, CT.,…read morelike Dan R. mentioned in his wonderful review there isn't much information on this major derailment. I had the opportunity to stop and look at the memorial sculptures that mark this historic event that was created by Lon Pelton. Along side the photos that I took and posted are a few photos I'd like to give credit that hopefully meet copyright and reprint requirements to the Windsor Historical Society and then Windsor Police Officer John Gasparino for the photo which gives a little more insight to the immense size of this event. This site is pretty cool and definitely worth a few minutes of your time if you too enjoy historic sites and roadside oddities. I can imagine the impact of this event on the citizens of Windsor and the surrounding communities at the time. I imagine how the town rushed to get as close as possible to witness this derailment and the clean-up process, I'm sure it's something that anyone that witnessed will never forget. I was a little taken back how Mother Nature has been allowed to reclaim portions of these sculptures and the lack of ground maintenance surrounding it - this is a site that should be preserved in my opinion and would definitely make for a cool field trip for school age children (if field trips are still allowed these days). I for one would make a one time donation in the name of preserving this site...

If you've ever been to the Whistle Stop Café, you might have noticed the "Train Wreck Burger" on…read morethe menu. Ever wonder why? The answer can be found in two sculptures located in the Whistle Stop's parking lot that commemorate a nasty 1975 accident when a flatbed railroad car hauling a load of lumber shifted and the train crashed into an overpass on Palisado Avenue. There are two sculptures here, each with a descriptive plaque. The first statue is near the side entrance to the restaurant. It's an abstract work with railroad track rails and wood ties with various train parts laid out inside the tracks. The second statue includes huge hunks of twisted metal, presumably debris from the smashed overpass. I did a lot of research trying to find an account of this 1975 accident without any success. Nevertheless, it's a very interesting and highly creative pair of attention grabbers at the Whistle Stop.

If you are coming through Simsbury and want to see a beautiful historic area, the old Drake Hill…read moreFlower Bridge is a wonderful spot to visit Easily accessible for disabled, and bathrooms are readily available The parking is fair, but you can also park across the street in the commuter parking lot a short distance away on Iron Horse Blvd Early spring, the flowers aren't installed yet, so it's a little boring, but still a great visit If you want to get in your steps, this is the place, go start here, head a little west, and then down Iron Horse Blvd., and enjoy downtown Simsbury shops. This is a great place to visit in a quaint little town

When in Simsbury, visiting the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge is a must. Not only is it historical,…read moreit is a beauty to behold. It's a metal-truss construction of the 19th century. This historic bridge reopened for pedestrian and bicycle use in 1995. A year later a group of volunteers came together to develop the flower bridge. Over the years it has expanded to 72 flower boxes and 32 hanging baskets. You can donate to their cause and it's tax deductible. Grab a coffee from a local coffee shop and take a stroll across the flower bridge. You will not be disappointed.

I did not come to tour the museum, but did get to see part of it as part of a hearth cooking class…read more The Stanley-Whitman is part original house arranged how it may have been with the original owners, and part new structure with a gift shop and modern restrooms. There is also an herb garden outside, and an apple tree grown based on the teachings of Benjamin Franklin. Apparently having fruit took more than a grocery store way back when. The house is very interesting to experience. Everything was smaller back then, and cooking was a task and a half. The employees/docents are obviously learned about their subjects, and you'll learn a lot. Definitely check out their special programs - parking may be a challenge (so carpool!) but if they're food related they'll be delicious.

Stopped in for a short tour during the day. The docent was very knowledgeable. It's a small place…read morebut tons of information. Great way to spend an hour.

If you're driving by on route 44 in Avon, CT, you might see this giant rocking chair. It's located…read morenear the traffic light and one of the entrances to the Old Avon Village. It's a 9-foot high rocking chair that used to be located at a furniture store in West Hartford. As of the 1960s, it's moved to its current location in Avon. I think it's random but unique; it's definitely an Avon landmark. I heard that they decorate it for the holidays. If you're in the plaza, go up close and admire this old random gem.

"Drive up Route 44 and turn by the giant 9' tall rocking chair...." What ????…read more Yes, there really is a giant 9' tall rocking chair standing guardian at one of the entrances to Old Avon Village The big rocking chair started it's life as a roof ornament on the old Spinning Jenny furniture store in West Hartford. When the store owners moved the business to Avon, they took along their 9' tall rocker and it quickly became a landmark as the symbol for Old Avon Village. It's been repaired and repainted a few times over the year, and on one windy day it was blown off its foundation and ended up in the street. It is very noticeable from the road. Many a wedding photo has been taken in front of the Giant Rocker.

This memorial is located inside Simsbury's historic cemetery behind it's metal gates that run along…read moreHopmeadow Street. The cemetery is the final resting place for several of the town's Revolutionary War veterans. The memorial consists of a bronze plaque mounted on a flat stone. The top of the plaque has a color image of the continental flag and an image of a colonial soldier. The plaque's inscription reads: 1775 - 1783 We, the people of the Town of Simsbury, do hereby recognized the many hardships and countless sacrifices made by all those brave American Revolutionary Soldiers; especially those from Simsbury, who died for our freedom from England. We hereby dedicate this bronze memorial plaque as an everlasting tribute to these American heroes, whose gallant and brave efforts brought us to the birth of the United States of America and adoption of the Constitution. To these courageous countrymen, we are eternally grateful. Thirty three names and their ranks follow, and it's interesting to see so many different titles -Fifer, Private, Ensign, Captain, Major, Lieutenant, Corporal. The memorial was funded by the Ensign Bickford Company and dedicated on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2005. The simplicity of the memorial, the vibrant color of the flag emblem, the quiet setting of the cemetery, and the knowledge that Revolutionary War veterans are buried there, combine to make a pretty powerful statement.