Nice little hiking trail with a loop in and back around Talcottville pond. There is plenty of…read moreparking with an easily accessible trail head We made it to the area JUST before the waterfall BUT there was only a wooden plank across the rock-side with slick conditions that allowed no clear sight of the rushing water/falls. Maybe the summer will yield a safer passage to the foot of the falls. We opted in for a after trail which allowed us to overlook them instead There are abandoned and decrepit building structures that lay hidden under the earth like runes in the jungle.

Beautiful trail to take a walk on. Any time of the year would be a good time to walk here. I alway…read moreenjoy coming here for a nice walk in nature. Also plenty of parking available here.

Oh demon alcohol, Sad memories I cannot recall,…read moreWho thought I would say, Damn it all and blow it all, Oh demon alcohol (The Kinks) Not only was Henry Daniel Cogswell a millionaire dentist, but he was a crusading teetotaler who thought that building public drinking fountains all over town would help curb the public from the evil temptations of demon alcohol. In 1883, Cogswell donated this fountain to the town of Vernon. Of course, it was topped with a statue of himself. In one hand he held a glass of water, and in the other he held the Temperance Pledge. Seemed that Cogswell was pretty serious about the evils of alcohol. Turns out there were over 30 bars in Vernon at the time, and those that supported them didn't exactly see eye to eye with Cogswell. So it was no surprise when in the middle of the night, someone took down Cogswell's statue, liberated it from its pedestal, and heaved it into Shenipsit Lake. The local constable fished it out of the lake and set it up again, only to see it disappear once more! It was missing until 1908, when it mysteriously appeared propped up against a downtown building. It was put into storage and melted down into scrap during World War II. The fountain had a stone urn in place instead of the statue for years. In 2005, a replica statue was dedicated and it was returned to its rightful spot atop the fountain for a few years. Recently, it was removed, and again replaced with an urn. The replacement statue is being repaired for rust damage, some cracks, and a missing right hand. Cogswell's message still appears to be meeting resistance over 100 years after it was first broadcast. All I can say is "I'll drink to that"!

If you're driving down Route 66 in this neck of the woods, be prepared for two incredible sights…read more-painted rocks that look like living creatures! This one is near the intersection of West Main (Rt 66) and Stone House Road. It's a gorgeous rendition of a bald eagle. This beautifully painted rock outcropping has seen various lives as a whale, a shark, a frog, and a turtle. In 1989, a high school student repainted it as an eagle, and its lived on as an eagle ever since. Over the years, it gets repainted every once in a while and the year it was touched up is also painted under the eagle's beak. This is a freaking gem !!!

When I was little we would drive by this on the journey from New Haven to Hampton to visit family…read more It instantly became the thing my brother and I looked for on the way. I moved to this area and on a backroads drive randomly rediscovered this in all of it's patriotic glory. The eyeballs are slightly more terrifying than as a child I remember them being but it's still 200% 'Merica.

On the town green where Bolton Center Road crosses Hebron Road lies a cluster of Veterans Monuments…read morededicated to the generations of Bolton's veterans. It's always powerful to see how a town honors its soldiers across the decades and centuries of history. The centerpiece of this Veterans Park is a three-paneled engraved stone with the names of soldiers that served in Americas late twentieth and early twenty-first century wars - WW II, Korea, Viet Nam, Kuwait, and Afghanistan/Iraq. There's also a lovely old plaque dedicated to the "Bolton Boys" of WW I, and another plaque for WW II, Korea, and Viet Nam. There's a flagpole, a historical marker honoring Rochambeau's army marching through town to aid George Washington's army, and another marker listing the historic sites in town. In its understated simplicity, this is a beautiful tribute to those who defended America across the centuries of history. Nice job, Bolton, CT !.

All time FAVORITES!!! For every occasion and mood!!! Like literally happy sad depressed and…read moreexcited!! Come here and relax it's so beautiful! They have safety rails now too lol

I came here on a fall afternoon as the sun was setting. It's a bit of a drive up to the castle from…read morethe entrance of the park but not too bad- about 10-15 minutes. I like that there are stairs inside the castle. What a beautiful view from the top! The foliage was a bit past peak but still gorgeous. It was windy and chilly but totally worth the views!

Passing through and wanted to take a quick break. This location was a great little spot to have a…read morequick snack and relax next to the roaring water sounds from the falls!

Nice little waterfall. Part of it is still under construction and there was also a wedding going…read moreon when I was there so I couldn't fully explore but what I did offered some nice views and tranquility. Was tempted to follow the tracks to see where/what else I could see but didn't have it in me this day.

I thought about writing up these six monuments separately, but the image of seeing them all…read moretogether, standing shoulder to shoulder and spanning the generations from the Civil War through Vietnam, convinced me to write about them as a unified memorial to our veterans. They share the town green, in front of a cemetery. Seeing them lined up, like the passage of time itself, is a very powerful sight. Starting on the left is Glastonbury's World War I monument dedicated in 1924. It's a bronze plaque on a granite base and lists the names of Glastonbury's veterans of the Great War. Sixteen were killed. The inscription reads: "In honor of those of the Town of Glastonbury who answered their country's call to serve humanity." Next over are two memorials to the Vietnam era. One honors all Glastonbury soldiers and the other salutes Airman Levitow whose extraordinary heroism saved many lives and earned him the Medal of Honor. The right side of the monuments honors Glastonbury's Korean War and World War II veterans. But the crown jewel of this display is the wonderful Civil War Monument known as the "Standard Bearer". It's a 1913 granite statue of Glastonbury's Captain Frederick M. Barber of the 16th Regiment of the Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. Barber died from combat wounds at the Battle of Antietam. Barber is holding a flag in his left arm, and his right hand is poised to whip out his sword if needed. I love these Civil War monuments. This granite statue is 9' tall and dates to 1913. He's dressed in the usual long overcoat, a cap and a cape. Of course he has facial hair (in this case a stylish moustache) as so many of these monuments do. There are two inscriptions, Check out the eloquence of the second one. "Erected in memory of Capt. Frederick M. Barber and the soldiers of Glastonbury who gave their lives for their country, by Mercy Turner Barber, 1913." "More enduring than this monument will be the memory of their loyal, patriotic devotion to their country. This granite shaft in time will crumble to dust, but the memory of their heroic deeds, the noble sacrifice of their lives, will live in memory's realm 'till time shall be no more."

The Wizard of Oz - A wonderful tale for children, it has everything a parent could wish for or does…read moreit, as a kid we never missed an opportunity to watch the original 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz, starring young Judy Garland - I was surprised to see this sculptor included so many elements including Jack Pumpkinhead, the tornado with the flying farmhouse, etc. In my opinion this is a five minute fly by, and by no means a bucket list item but it does exist. It's simply a display of art embedded in a stone clad wall at the back entrance to the public library and its well done...

At the rear entrance of the Enfield public library is a very cool 43" by 27" by 3" panel sculpture…read moreof a child sitting outside on the ground, holding a book in both hands while reading. In the field where the child sits, I saw a dozen characters from the Wizard of Oz walking on a curved brick road. I guess we are reading his/her mind and watching how reading brings imagination to life. The work was a gift from sculptor Janice Loomis to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Enfield Library. You can identify Dorothy, her dog Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion in the front. In the top left corner is the Wicked Witch of the West riding a broom, the Emerald City, a hot air balloon, and a tornado. One character I didn't recognize at all (at least from the movie, since I didn't read the book) - it was someone with a pumpkin on his head wearing a scarf. I researched the gent and found out his name is "Jack Pumpkinhead" - and he was a character in some of Frank Baum's fourteen full-length Oz books.

When in Worcester, this is one of those 'Roadside America' type stops you can make. Bancroft Tower…read morea giant 'folly' built to look like a castle. Located at the top of a steep hill, in a neighborhood, it's a pretty impressive site. There was snow on the ground when we visited and the pathways are not shoveled so if you go in winter, wear appropriate footwear. I'm not sure when the gates are unlocked to climb to the top, but there is a staircase and I bet the views from the top are stunning. A small parking area is across the street from the structure. A small sign limits parking to one hour and there is one trash can should you need it. There is also a sign that appears to be at a trailhead but with all the snow it's hard to tell. One word of caution: when we arrived there was one car in the parking area with two persons inside. When we got out of our car they got out of theirs. We walked toward the folly. They walked toward our vehicle. I took photos, but remained near the parking lot because suede shoes and snow do not make a good combination. After taking my photos, I turned around, they were just standing next to my car. As I stared at them, they turned and looked over the edge of the lot down the hill. I walked down the road a piece to get a different angle of the structure and always had my vehicle in view. They eventually got back in their car and drove away without visiting the folly or really even looking at it. After they left I walked over to see if there was anything they could actually be looking at down the hill and no, it was someone's home and a wooded hillside. Nothing there to attract attention. Just a situational awareness 'head up' to visitors. Otherwise, the folly really is lovely and it was decorated for the holidays too. It was a quick visit overall and we were on to the next stop. In summer it might make a good spot to family photos and perhaps a picnic if you bring a blanket to sit on.

A beautifully preserved piece of history! I would've liked to see a bit more information on a…read moreplaque to learn more about it, but it was still very beautiful! I'm very happy I went here, it's one of those things you stop for a few minutes just to stare at and then carry on with your drive. Not much to look at and it wasn't open to walk inside, but it's super admirable how well kept it is!! I'd love to come hang out here again