Bulls Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Kent, CT. It goes over the Housatonic River and was…read morebuilt in 1842. It is still open for vehicles to drive over it. There is only one other covered bridge in the state that still allows vehicles to drive over it. There is a small parking lot nearby. You can walk on the bridge but it is very tight and there are no sidewalks, just becareful for oncoming traffic. The bridge is beautiful and the view of the river is great; there are small openings inside the bridge to view. There are trails nearby and you can even see the dam spillway. I'm a fan of history and covered bridges, so this was definitely worth a visit and a bucket list item for me. I reduced a star because it can be potentially hazardous for pedestrians. It's only one lane so vehicles from both directions would have to stop at the stop sign and let one another pass. Overall, a beautiful and well made structure!

There are not a lot of surviving covered bridges in the northeast (only three in Connecticut!) so…read moreit was pretty awesome to be able to visit this one that carries Bull's Bridge Road over the Housatonic River in Connecticut, very close to the New York border. The bridge was completed in 1842 with a Town lattice design. The bridge is a single lane and remains open to vehicular traffic. I opted to park the Sprinter van in a nearby parking area that acts as a trailhead. The bridge can be walked as a pedestrian but is not designed for such, so be on the lookout for cars and be sure to make your presence known. There was originally a 6 cent toll here but that is obviously long gone. The other two bridges are the West Cornwall Covered Bridge and the Comstock's Bridge. [Round number review 1700 of 2024 - 103 in Connecticut - 22723 overall]

I love the stone tower! The first time I came here the place seemed enchanted, covered with…read morethousands of ladybugs flying around and all over the actual tower. They were also bees and other things buzzing around dragonflies and such. That was in October of 2024. We went back yesterday (April 7th 2026) there wasn't anything flying around, but it still was a magical place to go. lol. It's a great place to go for people who don't really wanna do a huge hike. Very easily accessible and pretty.

"All along the watchtower Princes kept the view…read moreWhile all the women came and went Barefoot servants, too" (Bob Dylan) Want to take a very cool and very short hike that ends at a spectacular water tower? If so, you'll love this 15 minute hike that runs about .6 mile out and back. There's a fascinating history behind Camp Columbia State Forest. Between 1885 and 1983 Columbia University held engineering and surveying classes on the property. In fact, a summer program at the camp was mandatory for engineering students. I also learned that Columbia University President Dwight Eisenhower spent time at the camp watching football practices and hunting. Some important stuff was invented and created here. Want an example? Sure you do. Well how about the concrete roof over Madison Square Garden? That engineering breakthrough was pioneered here. World War I saw the US Army train their officers and hold mock infantry assaults here. Student interest in the "Camp Experience" fell in the 1960s and combined with changes to the engineering curriculum, Columbia ended their use of the Camp. For the next 20 years or so, they used it on special occasions but eventually closed it in 1983. By 1989, many of the camp buildings had deteriorated so badly that the town declared them as public hazards and they were demolished in a controlled burn training exercise. In 2000, the state of Connecticut bought the property for $2.1 million. The outbound trail has a very slight incline, and be careful of the tree roots and rocks, or you may end up on your face. Also, be careful of a few downed trees that rudely block the trail. We saw two very cool things on the trail. The first was an old abandoned building, probably a camp meeting house. The roof was partially open from wear and tear, The front door was wide open, and we saw there was quite a bit of spray painted graffiti inside. The other cool thing we saw was a 60-foot cylindrical water tower with an observation platform, a gift of Columbia's Class of 1906. The front door to the tower was open as well, and if you're more adventurous than we were, you can walk up those stairs to another door that leads to an exterior cylindrical staircase. The scenery along the trail is very pretty with lots of wild flowers and berry bushes. (The park is on West St in Morris, CT. I submitted the address correction to Yelp)

There is a sign (A wooden sign)…read more The sign tells the story of Washington D(epot) The sons of old And the wars it saw To you and me no big deal, but the sign It tells a lot! I know that's not poetry, but please enjoy my sign art. The town sign is in fairly good condition, legible, and you don't see the signs lay out certain distinguished (male) citizens. Its located on the green in front of Town Hall, in front of several parallel parking spots. There is a mailbox and voting mailbox located around the same town hall green.

Washington is a very small town in rural eastern Connecticut and it got the name from a certain…read morefamous Continental Army general who passed through here a number of times during the Revolutionary War. This marker is on the grounds of the town hall and is in decent condition. On the front it reads, "This township includes the villages of Woodville, New Preston, Marbledale, Washington, and Washington Depot. The eastern section, first settled by Joseph Hurlbut in 1734, was known as the Parish of Judea and belonged to Woodbury. The western section, first settled in 1741, was called the Parish of New Preston and belonged to New Milford. The present town was incorporated in 1779, being named in honor of General George Washington, who traveled through this area several times during his wartime journeys and breakfasted with his staff at Squire Cogswell's tavern in New Preston on Friday, May 25, 1781. For many years Washington was principally a farming community. Among early local industries were ironworks and quarries run by waterpower along the Shepaug and Aspetuck Rivers. The local economy now consists of small retail outlets and a few remaining farms. Several well-established private schools are also a vital part of the community." On the reverse, it lists several distinguished sons. Major William Cogswell. 1734-1786. In command under General Washington in retreat from Long Island during Revolutionary War. Moderator of first town meeting in Washington (1779). First Selectman. Elected eight times to represent the town in General Assembly of Connecticut. Daniel N. Brinsmade. 1751-1826. Lawyer. Member of Hartford convention ratifying Constitution of the United States (1788). Ephraim Kirby. 1757-1804. Served in American Revolution and in Connecticut Legislature. Published first fully developed volume of law reports in this country. Horace Bushnell. 1802-1876. Lawyer, noted preacher and writer. Ordained pastor of North Church of Hartford (1833). Later selected site of future University of California. Frederick W. Gunn. 1816-1881. Founder and master of The Gunnery school. [And the local library is named after him https://www.yelp.com/biz/gunn-memorial-library-washington?hrid=uWJIVSKT9yIIlScsK5JD6Q.] Gideon H. Hollister. 1817-1881. Lawyer, historian, state senator. Minister to Haiti (1868). Orville H. Platt. 1827-1905. Studied law under Gideon Hollister. Served as Secretary of the State, in State Senate, as State's Attorney. United States Senator from Connecticut (1879-1905). Author of Platt Amendment incorporated into constitution of Cuba (1901). William Hamilton Gibson. 1850-1896. Artist, naturalist, author, lecturer. Major General Benjamin D. Foulois. 1879-1967. Made first military airplane flight, Fort Sam Houston, Texas (1910). Chief of United States Army Air Corps (1931-1935). "Last of the First to Fly" (on his cemetery monument)." The marker was erected in 1982 by the Town of Washington and the Connecticut Historical Commission. The Town Hall has plenty of parking nearby and even an EV charger https://www.yelp.com/biz/juice-bar-washington?hrid=mkPtiHKxoONaAEZ_pF4UFw. [Review 18401 overall - 67 in Connecticut - 1923 of 2022.]

Bantam River Park is across from the former Bantam Town Hall. It's small but cute. There's a lovely…read moregarden in the spring, and currently signs explaining former historical landmarks in Bantam. I'm not sure if it's just me, but I forget some of these small towns used to have THINGS, instead of just shopping and restaurants. Bantam had factories like many other small towns. They made horse carriages, one of which is on display in a small barn. There's a waterfall you can admire, although I believe access is restricted by gated fence.

New Preston Falls has a 20 ft drop and is located behind some shops. There were a handful of…read moreparking spots and a small rock to stand on to look at it. It's located on the Aspetuck River. If you're in the area and love waterfalls, it's worth checking out. I love seeing the rushing water and the beautiful sounds. We were exploring the town and stumbled upon this behind some shops.

The historic district of Litchfield is what people who don't live in Connecticut picture when…read moreconjuring up an image of the state. Litchfield's history is an interesting one, my favorite pieces including locking up Benjamin Franklin's loyalist son and melting down a statue of King George to make bullets during the Revolution. Hints of that history, and the slight revisionism that followed it, can be seen in the structures of Litchfield today. The cobblestone court, although they did not historically have cobblestones, is where horses and blacksmiths used to be kept behind a (no longer existing due to fire) hotel. The Green is well kept with multiple memorials, although the design used is not the one submitted by the architect who one day designed Central Park (and his name escapes me). Today the historic Green area has multiple restaurants (with a lot of pizza), home goods and clothing shops, and of course antique shops. At the top is the Litchfield Historical Society, which can tell you much more about the history then this Yelp review. (They probably remember the important names) They also occasionally offer walking tours, so it's a good idea to watch their Facebook page.

The beautifully manicured Litchfield Town Green, bounded by North, South, East, and West Streets,…read moreis a treasure chest of historical sights. Military monuments are everywhere -Civil War, WW I, WW II, Korea, and Vietnam. There is a cannon there. There is a plaque to commemorate where in 1862, a recruiting tent stood to sign up recruits for the 19th CT Volunteer Infantry. There is a plaque signifying where Lyman (father of Harriet Beecher Stowe) Beecher's church stood. In recognition of all this, in 1968 the US Dept of the Interior and the National Park Service awarded this area the status of "a registered national historic landmark" due to its "exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating the history of the United States." I posted individual reviews of the Beecher, Civil War, and 20th Century war memorials.

This historical landmark is wear roaming animals used to be locked up and held until their owners…read morewould claim them. Yes gentle traveler, there used to be people in Goshen to have these animals instead of trees and the occasional coyote (which have been seen on this road so if you're visiting, look around periodically). The landmark is currently a square fence about two rocks high and a marking sign. Parking would be on the side of the road, and the grounds do not appear to be haunted by any forgotten cows or chickens. A bit difficult to traverse in the snow... In sneakers... So it's maybe more appropriate for a spring outing.

Anyone who grew up in Connecticut heard the story of Charter Oak - when those mean British tried to…read moretake the Connecticut charter, the colonists were about to hand it over when suddenly, the lights went out! In the ensuing melee, the sacred charter was spirited out the window and hidden in a Hartford oak tree. Then the teacher glosses over the fact this was symbolic at best, and Connecticut was as much a part of the American revolution as the other colonies, and yadda yadda yadda the oak tree went on to sire heirs. This tree is one of them. On the Cornwall green, across from town hall, is an unassuming tree and a plaque. May it have many happy additional years overseeing the modest amount of traffic in the area.

So my dog and I decided to take a nice socially distanced walk in Cornwall, and see this lovely…read moresign while there. Right now, being between two blizzards, it's really hard to get to the back of the sign, but the front is readily accessible from the cleared sidewalk. Interestingly, the Town Hall still has Christmas decoration up in the windows. You can literally hear cows mooing in the distance, that's how peaceful and country this sign is.

This is the 140th historical marker I photographed and wrote about. But it's the very first time…read morethat what I read and what I'm writing includes the word "Obookiah". That's a "who?" and not a "what?", because the O Man was a Hawaiian student at Cornwall's Foreign Mission School two hundred years ago. That's one of the historical nuggets you'll read about on this marker. It's a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission with the familiar white lettering on a blue background. Its located on the front lawn at Town Hall on Pine Street. The sign dates to 1975, and its condition shows some signs of wear and tear -staining, fading, and peeling. Obookiah would be sad to see that. The full inscription reads: This area was once part of the Western Lands ordered surveyed by the Legislature in 1731. Yale Lands were surveyed and three hundred acres were set aside for income for Yale College in 1732. At an auction in Fairfield in 1738 the town was sold in fifty shares, named Cornwall, and incorporated in 1740. After the church "gathered" in 1740 schools began to open. In time there were seventeen school districts. The Foreign Mission School in 1817 numbered among the students an Hawaiian, Obookiah, who links Cornwall eternally to Hawaii. An agricultural school was started in 1849. More than ten private schools have educated youth through the years. Farming was the earliest industry. The Cornwall Iron Company, founded in 1833, increased prosperity and growth. Products found new markets with the advent of the Housatonic Railroad in 1842. Ira Allen, the Vermont statesman, was born here. A Civil War general, John Sedgwick, is remembered by a monument. Mark Van Doren, poet-teacher, enriched many lives from his Cornwall home. State Landmarks: Cornwall Bridge Railroad Station, West Cornwall Covered Bridge. Erected by the Town of Cornwall The American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of Cornwall and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1975