Please take an hour from your day to pay your respects at this historic cemetery. The stones and…read moremausolems are intricate and imposing. The trees are old and majestic but the center of the cemetery is the ENORMOUS beech tree! Truly an awesome experience to stand under the large, leaf laden branches. I also read in The Day that haunted walks will soon be offered for a fee.

Visited yesterday and this Ancient Burying Grounds is a local disgrace. It's touted as one of the…read moreoldest cemetaries in New England and the first generation of original settlers is buried here. I drove 6 hours to visit this cemetary and what I found was an overgrown field full of broken stones strewn everywhere, most unreadable. There is no commemorative map at the site to guide visitors. A drunken homeless man was lying under the overgrown beech tree that definitely needs its branches trimmed to reveal the grave stones located under it. The area reeked of liquor and urine and there was broken glass, empty beer cans and mini liquor bottles strewn about. I didn't dare go behind the branches of that huge tree to look at the stones. Stones are broken, leaning against each other, sunken deeply into the soil to the point of only a few inches showing . How could tours possible walk through this place without further damaging the stones lying about. Some stones are crumbled into pieces with parts of the names being trampled into the soil and one is a Captain's stone. Are there no cemetary restoration groups that would taken on this great mess? When I am looking for relatives in a cemetary I usually will walk through the entire place and take photos even if it takes a couple of hours. I drove 6 hrs to New London , and gave up in disgust after just half an hour at this place. I did not feel safe here. I don't understand how a town can have a historical society that cannot organize volunteers to keep up such an historic attraction. I also visited the Ancient Burying Grounds at Wethersfield and it was much better there, but still has some condition issues, as far as further preservation of stones, but was not at all as bad as New London. Mystic has an immaculate cemetary.

Passed by on my way to Captain Scott's Lobster Dock (only to be denied of a lobster roll; they…read morehappened to have closed for the season just a few days prior to my coming)... 1600's... stone house... historic, on the corner of Banks ad something or other... in the middle of a wonderful, quaint smallish downtown area, near the docks... imagining what went on there a few centuries back...

Had such a good time stopping in at the Hempstead Houses and learning a bit more history about the…read morearea. They had an event for the season I definitely recommend going if you like local history. Joshua Hempstead was a farmer, judge, diarist, and tradesman over the course of his life. Him and his wife had nine children. Take a trip to the Houses and learn more about him and the lives/deaths of others that shaped him. Checked out the ghosts and stories of those people: Abigail Hempstead, Joshua Hempstead III, Owen Coffin, Sarah Bramble, John Stoddard, Zipporah Bolles and children, Sarah Wilton, and Anna Warner Bailey.

What a cool and unique experience!…read more We took a quick ride to the Ledge light house on the Thames River, about a 10-15 minute boat ride out from the docks When we arrived to the lighthouse, we had to walk up some steel stairs along the side of the base of the lighthouse. We had an hour to explore the 3 floors of the lighthouse museum along with the tip of the lighthouse where the light sits We didn't get much information on the ride over nor from the people giving the tour. However there was a lot of information within the museum itself. But... It felt very rushed and I didn't have enough time to really explore and read everything. The tip of the lighthouse was a quick 10 minute view of the surrounding waters and shorelines surrounding the Thames. The whole trip was about an hour and a half. Parking on the streets of New London is a 2 hour limit, so we had just enough time. New London residents are $5 while out of town is $55!! A bit steep for a very quick tour

We passed close to the New London Ledge Lighthouse on the New London to Orient Point. Close enough…read moreto take pictures and enjoy the view. It looks nothing like any other lighthouse I've seen. This is a red brick and granite building in the French Second Empire style. The cast-iron lantern rises from the center of the building's mansard roof. New London Ledge Lighthouse was built in 1909 on the southwest ledge at the entrance to the New London Harbor. The United States Coast Guard took over in 1939 upon its merger with the Lighthouse Service and the light was automated in 1987. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. New London Ledge is locally famous for the ghost of an early keeper named Ernie who allegedly haunts the lighthouse. The Coast Guard crew on duty at the lighthouse reported unexplained knockings taking place at night, as well as doors opening and closing repeatedly, the television turning on and off by itself sporadically, and the unexplained removal of sheets from beds. We couldn't see Ernie at 6:45 this morning. Maybe he sleeps in? [Review 15302 overall, 804 of 2021, number 50 in Connecticut.]

Quick update on the boat tour…read more.. After my last experience, I wasn't sure I'd be back. The audio system failed almost immediately, so we missed out on the history and stories that were supposed to make the trip special. I shared my disappointment, and to their credit, the company reached out and made it right. This time around, the experience was exactly what we had hoped for. We were finally able to enjoy the ride, take in the scenery, and hear the history that we missed the first time. Mistakes happen, but it's how a business responds that really matters, and they earned my respect by standing behind their service. The tour was incredibly informative and surprisingly fascinating. There is so much history along the Thames River that I never knew existed. Learning about the Navy, Electric Boat, Fort Trumbull, historic landmarks, and the stories behind everything you pass on the water gave me a whole new appreciation for the area. It was one of those experiences that makes you realize how much history has been right in your own backyard all along. I'm glad we gave it another chance. Thanks for making things right!

Captain Scott and Nancy were awesome. Our guide, Gail was very knowledgeable and informative. We…read morehad a great day! The tour we took was the Well-Heeled and Wannabees. The Gilded Age on the Thames on Saturday, June 21 Great day with nice people!

Stunning gardens in full bloom we enjoyed in late June this year with the beach being very…read moreinviting. There is beautiful expansive lawn with trees and tables to enjoy a picnic. Glad we stopped and look forward to visiting again.

I really enjoy walking around this area. They have the beach, the house, the garden. There's so…read moremany areas to walk around and take pictures. There's always an event going on.

This lighthouse is located on the campus of UConn and so it's a little harder to find than most…read more You're also going to have some parking restrictions but if you look for "visitor" parking and don't overstay your welcome, you should be fine. Construction on this brown concrete structure completed in 1943 and is officially listed as the last lighthouse built in the state. It fell into disrepair after it was deactivated in 1967 but an extensive restoration project brought it back to stability in 2006. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. The building is 41 feet tall and is an octogon-shaped tower. The building is not open to the public but you can press your nose (and camera) up to the ground level windows to see inside. The grounds are mostly handicapped accessible. [Review 18664 overall - 81 in Connecticut - 2186 of 2022.]

Great place to bring a sack lunch & watch the boats & water, or swim & enjoy the beach!read more

New London was a tough place to live - attracting "men of hardihood and valor". Thousands of them…read moreflocked here to join the whaling industry rocketing New London's growth as it became "one of the largest whaling ports in the country". Located on a strip of grass at Town Hall is this 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission, in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides. The marker is in fair condition with damage on both sides in the form of fading, spotting and peeling of the blue background. The full inscription reads: New London New London was founded in 1646 by John Winthrop, the younger, who chose this shore-ringed "plantation" for its excellent harbor. This land, with its great natural assets, attracted men of hardihood and valor and became one of the largest whaling ports in the country in the mid-19th century. As this industry waned, manufacturing flourished, bringing an influx of foreign labor which contributed immeasurably to the enrichment of community life. The history of New London may be said to be concentrated in its seal, adopted when the city was incorporated in 1784... a full-rigged ship with all sails set and the motto "Mare Liberum," meaning "Freedom of the Seas." Erected 1976 by The City of New London and the Connecticut Historical Commission. 161 CT towns done, 9 to go

If you are going South on 95 past Groton, you will go over this bridge. The lanes are wide and the…read moreviews are pretty. Note that there are both right and left exits off this bridge.

Gold Star Memorial Bridge [GSMB]. (3 stars)…read more "City of Groton: The City of Groton is a dependent political subdivision of the Town of Groton in New London County, Connecticut, United States." - Wikipedia "Town of Groton: Groton /rtn/ is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States." - Wikipedia Did you know that there is a City of Groton & a Town of Groton!!?? Neither did I. I first encountered GSMB as my friend & I were headed to Bennedito's for some grinders. We passed by a sign that said welcome to the city of Groton. I was confused until my friend explained that there is a City of Groton & a Town of Groton. I'm normally not one to review bridges or landmarks but this bridge intrigued me enough to write this review. GSMB is a set of bridges built parallel to each other which spans approximately 13 miles. It runs between New London & Groton CT. Between the 2 bridges, there are 11 lanes. I rode on both bridges & I have to say it was a neat experience. Hawaii doesn't have bridges like this so when I get the chance I do like to admire the engineering design. I took a Statics (civil engineering) class in college which wasn't terribly exciting to me but seeing this bridge up close brought back all those days in class. "The sum of all forces equals zero." Bridges & Trusses & sleepless nights, OH MY!! Ack... Erase. Abort! My friend told me stories about how subs would destroy their sail because they would forget to lower their equipment prior to passing under the (lower) bridge. Apparently, it happened quite often. I got a chance to ride over GSMB on 3 occasions & I have to say it's steel design creates a very noisy & shaky drive. However, driving on GSMB gives a nice view of the skyline. The speed limit is posted at 55 mph but I swear people were going much faster. Definitely not the Autobahn but it seemed a little nerve-racking to see some cars fly by while listening to the tires hit the steel plates... Ugh. GSMB was given that name to honor the armed forces members from Groton, New London, & Waterford CT who lost their lives in WW1, WW2, & Korean War. --- All in all, a cool bridge to stare at for hours. GSMB is a very busy bridge which sees tens of thousands of cars hourly!! I thought it was weird to see a bike/pedestrian path on the bridge heading SOUTH but I guess people without cars have to travel somehow??!! Seeing the bridge from the ground up was the coolest view for me. It made me realize just how ginormous this bridge really is! Definitely worth a drive over, if ur in the area, to see it for yourself.