Dedicated in 1884, this is an absolutely beautiful monument. It is a stunning 48 feet tall. It has…read moreornate and incredible detailed sculptures on all sides. I saw an old grizzled exhausted soldier sitting to catch a few minutes of rest. A grim looking citizen soldier holds his rifle in his right hand while his left hand is clenched in a fist of fury. A seated woman holds a book while two children crowd around her. A blacksmith stands tall and proud. The monument is capped by a Greek goddess holding her crown of laurels. There is artwork everywhere- sculpted panels and lamp posts made of rifles. And of course, there are inscribed plaques with the flowery language of the day. One reads: In honor of the patriotism and to perpetuate the memory of the 900 brave men who went forth from this town to fight in the war for the union. This monument has been erected by their townsmen that all who come after them may be mindful of their deeds, and fail not in the day of trial to emulate their example. 1861-1865 Another one reads: Brave men, who rallying at your country's call, Went forth to fight - if Heaven willed, to fall! Returned, ye walk with us through sunnier years, And hear your nation say, God bless you all! Brave men, who yet a heavier burden bore. And came not home to hearts by grief made sore! They call you dead and lo ye grandly live. Shrined in the nation's love forevermore! 1865-1885 So many of Connecticut's old towns have a monument or two like this. They are so easy to overlook, so easy to drive by without even realizing what they are. Look at the statues, look at the sadness in the faces. These are treasures.

Bizarre with a capital "B"…read more There is a Timexpo Museum in Waterbury that tells the story of the Timex company, and the history of watches and time. But as important as that might be, they are nothing when compared to the totally cool 40' tall Easter Island Moai statue that graces a strip of grass in front of the museum. What exactly this statue has to do with the history of time, I don't know. What I do know is this- I pity the poor drunken fool who might be unfortunate enough to be stumbling down Union Street when he glances up and sees this 40 foot tall beast blocking his path. I think that would sober up our poor guy pretty fast.

Discover the Easter Island Moai…read more Forget your bucket list. Don't wait till you can't climb the hill at the quarry to one of the world's most amazing places, Rano Raraku on isolated Easter Island. A giant Moai is waiting to be freed from a thousand years of captivity. What was the last carver's thoughts as he walked away from his final creation? Take a flight or a cruise to French Polynesia and visit Easter Island. Sign up with Tiare Edmunds of Easter Island Guides for a one or two or day tour and see what time left behind. Tiare is the only Rapanui native guide with direct descendents to the original natives. She leads you on an adventure back in time in her air conditioned vehicle. Easter Island is situated on a triangle of volcanic rock in the South Pacific over 2,000 miles from Tahiti and Chile. It's a living outdoor museum and Tiare has the E ticket pass. We were picked up at the pier and spent two incredible days exploring and learning about what might of happened to a thriving culture that almost lead to extinction. While historically no one knows exactly what happened to leave behind over 900 massive Moai, Tiare will help you understand the culture and the people. She also brought along a picnic lunch on both days of arugula from her garden on fresh sandwiches and olives and Rapa Nui locally brewed beer. What a treat. Looking out over the ocean, drinking a cold beer, having a great lunch and talking with a real local historian about her family's history. A truly memorable time. Don't wait.

On November 22, 1963, I was nine years old, and learned about it from a school crossing guard as we…read morewalked home from Public School 95 in the Bronx. I was the only kid in the group who knew that our Vice President's name was Lyndon Johnson. But he wasn't our Vice President any more. As we approach the 50th anniversary of that terrible day, I want to remember the wit and charm and charisma of JFK. When he was running for President, he made a campaign stop in Waterbury on November 6, 1960. A crowd of over 40,000 packed the Waterbury Green at 3:00 AM to welcome him to Waterbury. He was elected President two days later. In 1962, Kennedy returned to Waterbury. This marker commemorates those historic days when the President visited. A JFK quote from that second visit (there was no third visit although it was promised) is inscribed on the plaque: "I must say, having been here at three o'clock in the morning and now at six-thirty in the evening, that Waterbury is either the easiest city in the United States to get a crowd in, or it has the best democrats in the United States. In any case, our meeting here two years ago at three in the morning was the high point of the 1960 campaign, and we will meet at three o'clock in the morning the last week of the 1964 campaign and see what's going to happen then." The second inscription reads: This plaque is presented to the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Memorial Library By the townspeople of Wolcott, Connecticut, In gratitude to the only president in history to honor the Waterbury area by his continued promises to return His pledge was fulfilled in the fall of 1964 by the late president's brother Robert F. Kennedy Who has accepted this plaque on the anniversary of that promise. We hope that his library and the examples set therein, Will serve as an "Eternal Flame" By which future generations of Americans will be guided Presentation made at The Kennedy Memorial Library Ball State Armory, Waterbury, Conn. The plaque is not in the best of shape and is rather faded. It's located at the base of an exterior wall at the Hotel Elton building, and is very easy to miss, which is a real shame.

This site is Most sacred to USA history. In October 1962 President Kennedy made an early morning…read morespeech from the balacony here. After his speech,he said ,that he " would be back" after reelection in November 1964, We All know what happened ,on November 22,1963. I am a well known portrayer of past US Presidents,in Living History and TV. I hope to reenact this moment in time in the near future,2022?

The Palace Theater is registered as a National Historic Treasure. It opened on January 28, 1922…read more The Palace Theatre showcases Broadway tours, rock concerts, educational programs, family entertainment, and other events. The theater is beautiful, with crystal chandeliers and gold detailing. On this day, I went to the Palace Theatre to graduate with my second college degree in Early Childhood Education. The graduation was beautiful as it was in this stunning building. I would definitely come back to see a show.

Beautiful, historical theater. We were able to snag metered parking on the street just a block away…read moreduring a matinee show. Beautiful interior and ceilings. I'm not a fan of the doors being open, but the doors to the actual theater remaining closed. The bar/lobby area, while beautiful, is incredibly crowded with nowhere to go, and super long bathroom lines. The show also was starting 30 minutes late but no announcement of that was made. The actual theater itself is beautiful.

Phoenix is a small, delightfully welcoming community theater operation. They present a variety of…read moreshows during their season -- mysteries, comedies, drama -- with casts of surprising high quality. The interior is small, seating about 70 people surrounding the stage on three sides. The seats are raked, so views are good just about everywhere. The staff couldn't be friendlier, and they offer boxes of popcorn free to playgoers. Drinks and candies are inexpensive, so you won't spend much money on extras. There are lots of good, enterprising theater companies in northwest Connecticut, and Phoenix is certainly among them.

I purchase season tickets. I am never disappointed and attend stage productions year round.read more

Chester has been one of my all time favourite tourist destinations in the North West. No city in…read moreBritain is richer in terms of archaeological and architectural treasures than Chester, the Walled City on the River Dee as it is known. The City Sightseeing Chester Open Top Bus Tour will introduce you to the City Walls, the Cathedral, Roman Amphitheatre and a lot more. You can discover how Chester has survived and prospered through the ebb and flow of history as you are transported around the city. Chester's history has been linked with the River Dee and so it is with the Chester Tour. The bus crosses the Dee by both the Grosvenor and Old Dee Bridges and at The Groves provides a convenient link with the river cruises where you can take advantage of a combined Bus & River Cruise Ticket. The tour operates on a "hop-on, hop-off" basis and your ticket is valid for 24 or 48 hours allowing you to stop off and visit any of the attractions on route as often as you like. Tours run daily at £8.50 an adult and £3 a child for 24 hours. If it's your first time visiting Chester, the tour is well worth it and a convenient way of getting around the best sites.

Any excuse to hitch a ride in a double-decker bus is usually good enough for me. As we waited on…read morethe ferry to take us over to Dublin, this was the perfect segue, enabling us to learn a bit about a place of which I hitherto knew absolutely nada. There are a surprising number of surviving fragments of Roman architecture in Chester---walls, aquaducts. Chester is a splendid little town, and the folks were so hospitable. Thanks to the Sightseeing Tour for the introductory course!

When Our Loved one dies unexpectedly you are blindsided and lost. Life must go on and you have to…read moretake the steps necessary in this process. Dick & Joan Burton was a God Send !!! The Process was completed Professional, Compassionately, Extremely Reasonable, Beautiful and ahead of schedule. Everything was explained thoroughly. When you are with them for more than 10 minutes you feel like you have known them for years. What an absolutely gift they were to My Mother & Myself in this very difficult time !!!!!

From the owner: We Own The History Of The Former Thomas F. Jackson Co. MC/Visaread more

The vibe in this place was great! The staff were so helpful to explain their menu and drinks…read more The food options are all shareable/Tapas. We ordered a few to try and it was plenty of food. The drink menu was awesome. Creative combos but also very good. They also have a full bar of the ones listed don't hit the spot for you. It's an intimate settling with limited tables. You are definitely encouraged to sit back and enjoy the food and company as you listen to the piano player. It was a great dining experience for sure. If drinks and vibe are what you are looking for this is the place.

A new spot in the Watertown night scene, several friends suggested it would be the kind of place I…read morewould enjoy, considering my jazz background. I found myself with a hole in my social calendar one Thursday night the second week they were open, and decided to see what the buzz was all about. Their website and facebook page suggested to "dress to impress", so I dug out one of my bespoke Italian suits and found the perfect silk tie to match (lots of orange, because it was nearly Halloween) and hopped in the car to arrive early enough for the first show (they have two shows per night, 7pm and 9pm, both roughly 90 minutes). Picturing a bar-full of women in swanky gowns and men attired similarly to me, I was disappointed in finding out that substituting heels for sneakers with jeans was the norm for women, and throwing on a blazer over jeans was the standard for men. This is more a reflection of the area, than the business, and there were some couples who took this suggestion seriously, with some people dressed to the nines. The inside is gorgeous, with the lounge area filled with comfortable-looking seating areas, and a couple of tables for diners (not a lot of those, however). Paintings of legendary singers lined the walls. The bar area is sparsely decorated, and a bit too starkly lit for my taste, picturing the smoky jazz joints of my misspent youth. Lots of stools, and a beautiful stone bar top completed the look. I found a seat at the bar, and ordered a martini. No Stolichnaya available (except for raspberry) so I settled for Grey Goose instead. It was perfectly mixed, and I awaited for the piano show to begin. As they were new and starting to fill their entertainment ranks, that night they had a pianist who was auditioning. He was acceptable, with a decent voice, but lacked a lot of the spark of other performers I've seen. I have to go back another night to hear some of their other performers they have lined up. There's a menu of small plates that will fit nicely with cocktails, which is the main attraction there, with a list of seasonal offerings. Since I had already eaten, I didn't order any food, but what I saw presented to others looked good. Something for my next trip. All in all, this is someplace I will probably frequent, since it's close by, and in time, I'm sure the concept will catch on and become very popular. I'd suggest giving 88Keys a try for a special date night, or someplace to go if you're looking for a different vibe than the other entertainment venues in the area.