Beautiful, smooth bike trail through a wooded area that goes to Hammonasset Park and campground…read more I only wish it continued to the town of Madison as originally planned.

Great trail to run, bike and walk. The trail is not strenuous with little to no inclines. Shoreline…read moregreenway is kid friendly with plenty scenic views. It can smell during low tide, it's the price we pay for such beauty.

The Seaside State Park is quite a unique place as it hosts the infamous and now abandoned Seaside…read moreSanatorium, a building that was commissioned in the 1930 when tuberculosis was a major affliction. One of the treatments for this disease was fresh air, so many of these sanatoriums were built around the coast and around lakes, copying a trend that had taken over European lands. Over time it was discovered that fresh air not only helped tuberculosis but all types of diseases, particularly mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. As tuberculosis became a controlled ailment, the Seaside became a host to more people with mental illnesses as well as the elderly. Supposedly, during this period of the Seaside as a psychiatric ward, many irregularities took place and the consequence resulted in patient's deaths. I have no proof of this but that is how the story goes. All this information is found on the Connecticut .org websites. Arriving to this "haunted" and "damned" place, as many publicize it, is a unique experience. I parked in a lot with an abandoned garden house next to it, making even the parking area spooky. The building sits at the distance, and some people jog around or walk their dogs. The peculiar feeling of being watched is pervasive though, even though there aren't many people around. I walked the garden, walked a covered bridge that is very spooky, touched a water well that has dried up, walked by the beach and over a wall that protects the shore from erosion. I stayed on the paved path as much as possible because I felt that a certain order needed to be followed, even if there are no signs that say "Keep off the grass". One lap around this property is more than enough. I started on the left, and exited on the right. Once I exited, I didn't look back because I felt that I was being watched from behind the boarded windows. I was not interested in seeing a ghost looking at me or waving goodbye from the broken glass window... Spooky as it may seem, this is a beautiful place, the building is gorgeous, the view is amazing. If you are looking for serenity, this is a good place for it. The views of the Connecticut coast are amazing as well. I was very happy to have visited this active site in Waterford. This place is also known as The Seaside Sanatorium.

Four stars because it was pretty and the old asylum was a sight to see. The parking area is…read moreneedlessly far away from the building, under some shady trees. There are actual paved spaces that must have once been parking sports (maybe one a low budget basketball court) that would bring you closer and prevent walking exposed to the boiling summer sun. I cannot speak to any actual walking trails, but the dogs that were playing seemed to be having a great time. The old building is gated off, understandable, but you can tell from the outside it was made in an older era where aesthetics meant something and it wasn't all about saving a penny.

During the spring and summer months, once a month, the Vietnamese night market springs into life…read more Local aunties and uncles toil away in makeshift kitchens to bring a taste of their home to the community. Pho, bahn mi, and milk tea are the tip of the iceberg of what's offered here. There's a plethora of delicious food options, loads of vendors and lots of people. They got a band playing in the main thoroughfare and karaoke towards the tail end of the night. We tried a smattering of dishes, ranging from mini shrimp pancakes, scallop noodles served in the shell, Takoyaki and meat skewers, grass jelly and lotus sticky rice. Each one very fresh, lots of flavor and a good price for the portion. The only dilemma being parking and the crowds. It's gotten very popular as of late, so if you don't go early they can run out of food. During our brief stint, they were out of sesame balls and onigiri, with lots of places running low on supplies. It's a fun experience and worth a try if you manage to get a chance to come there. It's a great community deserving of the popularity and it's a great fundraiser for the local church. Go in with an open mind and enjoy the adventure!

So much fun! I went with a group of friends who had been before and was glad I did. We arrived over…read morean hour before opening and the lines were already starting to grow. I tried a little bit of everything and took some food home for tomorrow! I will definitely be back next year as everything I ate was delicious and I ate until I was stuffed. The music was hopping, the vendors were friendly and quick considering the crowd (which was insane by the time we left two hours later) and the food was reasonably priced.

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."

ABC Gum Wall was also recommended to me by Robert L. It's something you can't miss. My friend's…read moreHusband decided to check it out while we were finished with dinner at Mangia Mangia since the address showed it was just a few doors down. A couple of minutes later he came back and couldn't find it. So, off we go in search for this Gum Wall that the kids were so anxiously awaiting to see. Me too but I definitely wasn't going to admit THAT!! We go into the Patchogue Theatre of Performing Arts which was directly next to the restaurant. We spotted a sign about the Gum Wall outside of this Theatre but nobody there seemed to know what I was talking about. I asked three people and they never heard of it. I went outside again to read this poster making sure it did exist and it obviously did. Well, two other children at this point caught on to what we were trying to find and somehow convinced their parents to find it too because now the thirteen of us were walking up and down the street looking for this stupid wall. At last, we found it. A little alley right next to the Congregational Church. Very big problem, we forgot the gum. These two stranger children and their parents were now running towards this Gum Wall and our kids are now starting to get hysterical. Thank G-d my friend's Husband spotted a convenience store across the street and we are now all starting to run towards this wall, our kids screaming with excitement. We were actually standing there for a while deciding what shape to make our piece of "Art". Our kids were so amazed that we were actually letting them do this and even more amazed when they watched us doing the same thing!! It was very interesting to see what everyone was going to put up there and of course my perverted friend had to make hers stand out. It was a lot of fun and a chance to be a kid again if only for 5 minutes. Again, a very big "Thank You" to Robert L. and a "Must See", if anything, just to view my Friend's "creation" (if it's still up there when you go)!!

This fine example of public art and literal "Local Flavor" predates the recent restoration of the…read morePatchogue Theatre for Performing Arts, and to present, its tradition has survived the Village's gentrification process, despite periodically having been scraped off. It is located in the alley to the east of the Theatre, which runs between the Municipal parking lot and East Main Street. The "Already Been Chewed" Gum Wall (see pics) is an ever-changing and growing artistic work that both demands attention and inspires community participation and collaboration.

"We had a great time, it was a fun family moment enjoying the beautiful Christmas lights."read more

We are lucky enough to live not too far from this road. We have been visiting for years. This is…read moreone of the best lighted houses that I have ever seen. The neighbors are joining in now. Get here early, this road was featured on the news and on social media sites. Traffic can get crazy, and the road is narrow. Please consider bringing a donation of food for the Amazing Grace Food Pantry or a donation for an animal shelter.

Nothing wrong with it at all I just thought it would be like a craft market but it's studiosread more

This place is amazing I never even new this place existed until I started working for gateways to…read morechange and took a few of my clients there for Day programming. Wow staff is amazing so friendly and helpful. Clients and myself really enjoyed our time there from making artwork to signing and practicing for plays. This place is a true hidden gem to the community. The little cafe they have is great and love how honest and helpful they are

So...this is the parking lot for Stony Brook medical specialty center. This is actually pretty…read morefitting for Stony. Their main campus is surrounded by a lot of trails and forest. Also kinda in the middle of nowhere, like main Stony.

Be not afraid. I have spoken with the trees here in reverent conference . . . a quiet army of…read moreconiferous pine: They do not wish us harm. . . they were laid to seed in the mid to late-Twentieth Century by the hands of Men, calculatingly plotted in an exact network of evenly spaced rows and columns. . . The saplings have since grown and now stand in excess of 60' tall, having endured more than time and inclement weather since their planting. . . an aged woodsman hath told me this forests' size once doubled the earth it now stands on, that half the acreage was destroyed by the encroaching expansion of the F0rest Lab0rat0ries, to the South. There are many contemporary theories of the ultimate purpose of these trees, from being planted either to measure time, for use in pagan rituals, or for a decorative demonstration of a Neoclassical ideal: Mans' attempt to control Nature. Here they stand, still awaiting a greater call. The forest can be seen from passing traffic on Commack Road, where its unusual gridlines create a notable strobing effect as you drive past, though the forest is best viewed and experienced from beneath. The Mysterious Forest is on private property beyond a fence & security gate. It is not open to the public.

Who doesn't love the barefoot contessa? I found this place by fluke in Waze. So absolutely had to…read moredrive by. It's a residential neighborhood in East Hampton. So be respectful. Just drive by and take your photos from the car. Don't stop. And don't get out of the car and knock on her door. Even if you see her car in the driveway.