Looks can be deceiving…read more When strolling down Main Street in Deep River, you'll see it. What looks like a cute statue of an elephant with his trunk raised in the air commemorates the very solemn history between Deep River and its 19th century elephant trade. A plaque tells the story - here in Deep River, the tusks of over 100,000 elephants a year were processed into dozens of household products. I just read a National Geographic article that said "a 75-pound adult African elephant tusk could yield the wafer-thin ivory veneers to cover the keys of 45 pianos". A lot of those piano keys were made right here in Deep River. This memorial in front of Town Hall includes a small statue of an elephant on top of a stone base with an inscribed plaque. The full inscription reads: We Honor the Elephant During the 1800's Deep River was the center of America's ivory trade. Elephant tusks from Africa were brought to Deep River landing for local factories to make piano keys, combs, buttons, and billiard balls. Up to 100,000 elephants a year were killed, their tusks transported by slaves, to sustain this trade. Deep River remembers its debt to this majestic creature as it looks forward to a new future as "Queen of the Valley."

The Florence Griswold Museum is more than just a beautiful museum. To show even more support this…read moreyear, I decided to buy a family membership. For years my family has been visiting the museum in the fall for the Wee Faerie Village, an extraordinary outdoor display of faerie villages that are created by local businesses and individuals. There isn't enough room for me to gush about this event. The beauty, creativity, and the scavenger hunt keep us coming back. The museum offers a glimpse into history, beautiful art, extraordinary gardens, breathtaking views of the river. and more.

We ventured to Old Lyme, Connecticut on Sunday for the final day of Mystical Murmurs: An Enchanted…read moreEnvironment by Adrien Broom. The exhibit features a fairy ring of gigantic mushrooms. The artist was born and raised in Old Lyme. The installation is meant to encourages us ponder the magical mysteries of the forest. We also really enjoyed the Amanita sculptures outside the main building housing the museum's permanent collection. We were able to photograph these just before one of the museum staff sold them off to a local mushroom enthusiast (since Sunday was the last day of the mushroom exhibit). While we came specifically for the mushroom installation, we also really enjoyed our visit to the other galleries. The museum showcases the work of the artists of the Old Lyme Artist Colony, a nexus of American Impressionism and has some beautiful impressionist landscape painting, including many by female artists of the 19th and early 20th century. The grounds here are also beautiful with gorgeous views of the Lieutenant River. There was also an exhibit of small fairy houses when we visited. Beautiful spot with nice staff and docents. Would definitely return here!

I cannot believe I'm the very first person to ever review the schoolhouse!…read more I climbed the hill on a really rainy day, so make sure you wear gym shoes, it's a bit uphill on the way up and downhill on the way down. The schoolhouse is pretty small, as you can imagine, but very well kept up and preserved. All history nerds need to add this to their bucket list for historic places to visit in CT.

So every kid in the Haddam area ends up forced to go to the Thankful Arnold House for at least one…read morefield trip to learn about colonial times and whatnot. And it's a pretty cool place with a nice garden, but unless you are there on a field trip with organized activities, I really see little point in going there. I mean it's a historical house. You can look around for about five minutes and then you're done. Then again, maybe that's not true because the only time I've ever been there is on a school field trip where they taught me how to cross stitch... and then it became an obsession. But in all honesty it's a kind of overrated landmark in the middle of nowhere. If you happen to be passing it for some reason or another, you certainly should stop in. However, the chances that you'll be "passing by" are about the same as if you were visiting my mother's house.

Great visit at the TAH in Haddam. The director is personable and well versed on Haddam history. She…read morewas able to give us names and interesting tidbits with regard to our property and house. We had a blast.

Things I learned from the Deep River Historical Marker:…read more They had a bustling manufacturing and shipping industry here way back in the 1600's. Things like wood barrels, lumber, pianos, shipbuilding, and the ivory trade represented Deep River's early industries. This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located right in front of the Deep River Historical Society. The marker was dedicated in 1980 and is in pretty good condition. I did notice some fading on the blue background on the front side of the marker. 170th marker visited. All CT Towns accounted for.

A little disappointed. It's not bad by any means but it was very underwhelming. I will say I'm not…read morereligious by any means, so those that are may feel different, but for me it was a 'meh' experience. Maybe I built it up in my head too much, as I had never even heard of it until a video came up on my fb feed. That said, getting there is a little tricky. There is a guard/checkpoint you have to pass through. The first time I didn't know that and wasn't expecting it and turned around. Today I when I came the checkpoint was unmanned. Apparently if you tell them you're going to enders they'll let you through, but I've heard of people getting turned away.

What a hidden gem! Lovely, tranquil, and healing! So picturesque there is no way you can take a…read morebad photo. The water views are gorgeous, the gardens and landscaping equally so, with many nooks and crannies to sit peacefully and meditate or ponder. The Arts and Crafts style house for functions and retreats is stately with hand-crafted tile work trim. The chapel itself is beautiful and rustic - plus it holds a bona fide relic of St Edmund of Canterbury!

This is a nice little park by Main Street. You can read about the history. There are picnic benches…read moreand tables. It's the perfect place for a picnic. You can see the sailboats. You'll see some nice people there.

I've seen about 80 of these town markers now. Seen them in all kinds of settings, downtown big city…read more(Bridgeport and Hartford), suburbs (Simsbury and Avon), and rural (Salisbury and Canaan). But it's hard to recall seeing one in as pretty a setting as the one I saw today in the gorgeous little shore town of Essex. The plaque is just off of Main Street, set in a picture perfect landscaped and flowered Village Green. If you walk into the green, you'll pass a nice gazebo as you approach the water- actually Middle Cove, an inlet of the Connecticut River. Just look for the boats. Its proximity to the water played a big part in the long history (settled in 1648) of Essex. Trading, shipbuilding, maritime service are all mentioned on the marker. One interesting fact I learned- Essex was attacked and burned by the British during the War of 1812. Dedicated in 1983, this is a two-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. There is text on both sides and they are both in excellent condition. The full inscription reads: Originally called Potopaug by local Indians, Essex was named after England's Essex County, whence some of the earthly settlers had come. As a part of Saybrook colony, the Essex area was first settled in 1648 by John Lay, William Pratt, and William Hide. Essex was incorporated in 1852, having been long a part of Saybrook township. The village became involved in West Indies trade in the later 1800's. The first wharf for this trade was built in 1656 on the site of the present Steamboat Dock building; south of the dock a warehouse was erected in 1773. Essex thus became the main port of Saybrook and remained so until 1871. Shipbuilding began in 1733; the Hayden shipyard, among others, became one of the most important in New England. This yard built Connecticut's first warship, the Oliver Cromwell, in 1775. Many other yards made Essex a major ship-building enter where packet ships, the first American transatlantic liners, were launched. Men from the Essex area became captains and seamen in large numbers and sailed all over the world on voyages lasting many months. During the War of 1812 the British raided Essex in 1814, burning twenty-eight vessels at anchor and under construction before retiring. Since the total loss amounted to $160,000 the newspapers of the time called this raid the worst disaster to befall the new country since the war began, nearly two years earlier. The steamboat era opened in 1823 with small boats running between Hartford and Saybrook, later with larger vessels between Hartford and New York. The Steamboat Dock building, the third landing place since 1656 that has been in use at the site, was built in 1878. Centerbrook and Ivoryton became part of Essex in 1859. The meetinghouse of the Second Ecclesiastical Society (1722) still stands in Centerbrook, and ivory piano keys, a long-time product of Ivoryton, continue to be made today. Erected by the Town of Essex The Essex Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Committee 1983

I have to admit, when I read this marker, one phrase leapt out at me and piqued my curiosity…read more What on earth are those references to a "place of noises" and "subterranean sounds" all about? Well apparently, eerie drumming pulsations have been heard here since pre-colonial days. Different witnesses described the sound as everything from a thunderstorm to falling trees to gigantic burps. The native Americans that lived here named the land "Machimoodus" which translates to one very ominous phrase -- "place of bad noises." The Indians blamed the noises on an angry god and the Puritan settlers blamed Satan himself. In recent times, somewhat more scientific explanations were sought and one of those findings included "shallow micro-earthquakes" as the culprit. The marker is located in front of the Town Building. It's a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on both sides. The marker is in pretty good shape with no peeling or chipping and some very minor fading of the blue background. The full inscription reads: East Haddam Incorporated 1734 This land was part of an original purchase from the Indians in 1662 for thirty coats - about $100. It included Machimoodus, "the place of noises", so named from subterranean sounds formerly heard there. Layout of highways began in 1669. The first settlement was along Creek Row in 1685. Ferry service across the Connecticut River began in 1695 and ended with the completion of the swing bridge in 1913. The first Ecclesiastical Society was formed in 1704. Shipbuilding and the manufacture of cotton goods flourished and declined here during the two centuries before the steamboat era ended in the 1930's. From earliest settlement many streams provided water power for mills. The militia served in three wars, with notable contributions during the Revolution. Areas of town are known as Millington, Hadlyme, North Plains, Leesville, Johnsonville, Moodus, Little Haddam, and the East Haddam Landings. Settlers of East Haddam 1685 - 1699 Nicholas Ackley John Bates John Booge Daniel Brainard, Jr. John Chapman Daniel Cone George Gates Thomas Hungerford Samuel and William Spencer Abraham and John Willey Notable East Haddamites The Reverend Stephen Hosmer - first minister Joseph Spencer - major general in Revolution Epaphroditus Champion - Commissary General Nathan Hale - teacher, patriot, and martyr Dyar Throop - first Judge of County Court Jonathan O. Moseley - U.S. Representative William H. Goodspeed - shipbuilder William E. Nichols - inventor & manufacturer Luther Boardman - silver plating & britannia Morgan G. Bulkeley - Governor & U.S. Senator Francis H. Parker - local historian Erected by the Town of East Haddam the East Haddam Historic District Commission and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979 162 CT towns done, 8 to go

This camera obscura is one of only 50 in the entire world, only 5 of which are in the US. It was…read moreonly a dollar per person. We waited about ten minutes outside for the people before us to come out. It was a bit cloudy when we were there and I'd love to go back on a clear, sunny day. It was still a neat experience. The educator who showed us the camera obscura was fantastic. He had lived in Greenport for decades and gave us so much history and really fleshed out the experience. It was so much cooler seeing it and hearing stories about the area. This is well worth the $1 it will cost you and would be neat for kids as well. The sign said the it was open from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. this was on a weekday. I believe they are open weekends and weekdays in the summer and only weekends the rest of the year.

There are only 5 in the US and only about 50 in the world. Historically significant and only a…read moredollar to partake. That said, prepare for an experience that lasts only a few minutes and largely depends on a cloudless sky.