A warm, English-Tudor style cottage built in the 1920s on the top of a meadow surrounded by…read moregardens. Fields filled with birds, butterflies and dragonflies. I wish I could describe it better... I'm not going to, because I'm tired. I guess you can always just look at the photos. Unless you decide to actually go and experience it for yourself. Either way...

Since moving to CT, we discovered a great program that gives a little incentive for visiting a…read morenumber of CT state parks, the DEEP Sky's The Limit Program. In 2017, Topsmead was among the parks listed, so we decided to go give it a visit. Winter was not the best time to visit, and it's hard to give it a really good/fair rating. The main farmhouse area was closed for the season, and the weather wasn't really great for hiking. It would be a great spot for cross country skiing in the winter, though. The outstanding negative at the time of our visit were the state of the toilets. They're pit toilets, which is fine, but they were not dug at all deeply, and if not for the freezing weather, I can imagine it would be rather unpleasantly fragrant. We'll definitely be visiting again and reevaluating at some point.

It's famous for clock making…read more It's famous for lock making It's the final resting place for dozens of veterans of America's two wars of the 1700's. These are some of the interesting facts inscribed on this one sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on the front wall of the Plymouth Historical Society on Route 6. Dedicated in 1979, the marker is in pretty good condition, but I can't say the same about the overgrown shrubbery in front of the building that does a real good job of hiding the lower portion of the marker. Hint to the Historical Society- invest in a good Weed Whacker, please? The full inscription reads: Plymouth First settled in the 1720's on land acquired from the Tunxis Indians, the Town of Plymouth, originally named Northbury, was incorporated in 1795. It includes the communities of Plymouth, Terryville, Pequabuck (formerly Susanville), East Church, and Greystone. In 1793 Eli Terry began making clocks in Plymouth, a craft carried on by his three sons, notably Eli Terry, Jr., for whom Terryville was named. The 1830's here saw the beginning of lock making, which became a major enterprise with the formation of the Eagle Lock Company in 1854, active until it closed in 1975. In 1847 a grandson of Eli Terry began the casting of malleable iron, a business still operative. Modern industries include agriculture, metal and wood products, meters, plastics, dies, pumps, chemicals, electrical equipment, and computers. In the old cemetery adjacent to Plymouth Green lie the graves of forty-one veterans of the French & Indian and Revolutionary Wars. Erected by the Town of Plymouth the Plymouth Historical Society, Inc. and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979

Landmark Theater only gets better, in our opinion. The theater in the historic Opera House in the…read moremiddle of Thomaston has been getting a face-lift, and a lovely one. The ceiling has been restored to its earlier appearance, which is stunning. The stage access and seating area are improved, and added to all of the good things going with it -- things like excellent management, fun productions and serious community involvement -- Landmark is truly a landmark in this area. We're delighted to have an association with it -- we've appeared in a few productions -- so maybe we are a tad prejudiced, but we firmly believe this is a really strong operation that does Thomaston and surrounding communities proud. And it just looks better and better!

Great War Memorial for those fallen. Those who have given their lives. For their honor & courage…read moreand those they've left behind. Great tribute for a remembrance. It's for those fallen from this area from World War 1, World War 2, Vietnam and the Kirean War. I've driven by here hundreds upon hundreds of times without even noticing it on the green at Baldwin Park. If you're in the area a quick prayer or stop by to pay your respects.

We took the Leprechaun Express to celebrate St. Patrick's Day weekend from the station in Thomaston…read morewith a destination of Bad Dog Brewing in Torrington. Tasting two different Irish style ales on the train ride, we enjoyed a corned beef and cabbage meal at the brewery. On the way back to Thomaston, we were served fudge from the Nutmeg Fudge Co. The Naugatuck Railroad always provides a fun experience!

We rode on the 90-minute Fall Foliage trip out of Thomaston, the first time we've ridden on the…read moreNaugatuck Railroad in five years. Our experience was good, mostly. We paid extra to ride in the Governor's Coach which was comfortable enough but not as pleasant as the slightly less expensive Naugatuck Lounge Car. We had chair seating but no tables and small windows; the Naugatuck had large windows that opened, chairs with convenient tables and the same comfy chairs. A much better deal. Wish the museum folks had made that clearer. We got free snacks: chips and water. The views were nice but not spectacular; most of the fall colors had faded. We did stop for close to 30 minutes at Fascia Chocolates in Waterbury, which offers tasty if rather expensive chocolates for the large crowds that swarm in when the train stops. Overall we enjoyed ourselves, but we kept feeling just a tad annoyed by our rail coach decisions. We like these trains, and we support the museum, and we're happy to urge others to do the same. But be careful in your planning, like we apparently weren't.