Lovely spot for stroll. Pretty pond, interesting rock out croppings. Easy for kids.read more

This is an absolutely wonderful place to hike with incredibly interesting massive rock, boulder…read moreand shear cliff formations throughout most of the trails. The spot was formerly the hunting ground for native Americans who inhabited the surrounding; natural rock formations provided temporary shelter and living space while local tribes were on the hunt. All trails are clearly marked making this spot a fascinating way to spend and hour or two taking in the reservation's natural beauty.

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

Recently discovered this great walking path. Have only seen it in the winter months but am sure…read morespring and summer are even better. This path offers different terrain and scenery throughout the walk. As well as good incline. The water is a beautiful highlight and getting to the top of the dam overlooking the water is so satisfying and almost moving. Normally I start from the field and make the loop. Picnic areas here will be a must in the warmer months.

This place is awesome! It's so perfectly shaded, graded and in a great location for anyone who…read morewants a quick or long walk with natural beauty right on the side of the trail. Don't delay, walk today. There are places to have a picnic and many bike trails and a field for flying a kite, sitting in the sun or playing ball. Kayaks are permitted in the Quinebaug River as well. Great choice for a day!

The Ware-Hardwick Covered Bridge is also known as the Gilbertville Covered Bridge because of its…read morelocation - specifically, it spans the Ware River at the village of Gilbertville, which lies within the town of Hardwick. The bridge connects the towns of Ware and Hardwick, but its immediate setting in Gilbertville gives rise to the alternate name. This dual naming reflects both geographic and historical context. Gilbertville was a 19th-century industrial village founded by the George H. Gilbert Company, and the bridge served as a vital link between the mills and surrounding communities. Built in 1886, it stands as one of only four wooden covered bridges in the state still located on their original sites. It is a single-span Town lattice truss, a design patented in 1820 by Ithiel Town. This system uses a dense web of diagonally crisscrossed planks, creating a strong yet economical structure without relying on arches. The bridge is about 137 feet long and 25 feet wide, with vertical board siding and a gabled metal roof. Notably, the siding leaves a strip open along the sides to allow natural light inside. The mills and tenements that once defined the village of Gilbertville were largely destroyed in a flood during the 1930s, but the bridge endured. In 1986, underwent major restoration in 1986-87, and was closed again in 2002 due to structural concerns including insect damage. After a $1.9 million rehabilitation, it reopened in 2010 with no weight limit. I wasn't sure if there was a place on the other side to make a U-turn, even though it has a high height limit so I opted not to drive the Sprinter through. I walked across to appreciate the bridge from inside and both sides of the span. It's a beautiful bridge. [Review 1123 of 2025 - 1268 in Massachusetts - 24676 overall]

This was the 9th covered bridge I visited in the course of 1 day. By the time I got here, all I…read morethought was that I didn't like the red on the front. I guess after 9 covered bridges you start getting petty. It's located off Route 32. Which is not a Scenic Road. And it really isn't visible from Route 32. But Waze happily gets you there. This is a bucket list bridge.

This site is in the cute little town of Concord, and the site itself has a beautiful visitor center…read more(former Buttrick family residence) which contains a small informational exhibit. What's really nice is the outdoors. There's a garden space where you have a good lookout of the North Bridge, a significant location where the Minute Man faced the British Army. The path to the bridge is not too far of a walk, and you can see a beautiful memorial quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem "the shot heard round the world." I also liked the plaque honoring the graves of the British soldiers since a lot of lives were lost on both sides for American Independence. The bridge is a great scenic walk and great to do for both history and nature lovers.

Apart from being an important part of American History, this park is GORGEOUS! The North Bridge…read moreoverlooks a steady stream with trees along the banks. Plaques and monuments are erected over the places where one of the first battles of the American revolution was held. Plenty of space for walking as well

The Roseland Cottage is truly a beautiful historical gem in CT! I recently took a tour of the house…read moreand it was super interesting. Though the grounds are always open to visitors, guided tours of the house are only available June through mid-October, Thursday-Sunday from 11AM-3PM, every hour on the hour. Timed tickets can be purchased online in advance (and this is recommended). Adult admission is $20. Once I arrived, I was greeted by staff who were very friendly. The tour guide, MaryLou, took me through the house and explained the history of Henry Bowen (the original resident of the house) and his family. She was extremely knowledgeable and it was very interesting! The tour was supposed to last around an hour, but she went for about an hour and 15 minutes. After the tour you are free to roam the grounds and take photos, and there's also a small gift shop. Non-flash photography is allowed inside the house, but no video. Overall I found this to be a really beautiful historical spot in Woodstock, CT and would definitely recommend taking a tour!

My husband and I had our wedding here, the place was absolutely beautiful and that is the only…read morething that made the venue worth it. Laurie the women who handles Roseland cottage, on the other hand ended up being a bit difficult as our wedding got closer and closer. Sadly on the rehearsal day and wedding day she was rude and did things that we did not agree upon or said she wasn't going to do. She made herself seem understanding up until those days. She gave me sass remarks and honestly made the rehearsal day and wedding day more stressful. The only thing that made it worth it, like I said, was the beautiful venue. But Laurie in the end did make things feel way more stressful and difficult. Our catering was wonderful though, I could not have asked to better catering. They handled Laurie and everything else with class. Thank you renees Bistro.

We just returned from the 7-day Tour of New England. Everything was great! Mel made the driving…read moreinteresting with his knowledge of the history and geography. He went out of his way to find out what we wanted to see and to include those sites in our travels. His choices for meals were outstanding. We hope to take more of Mel's tours.

I don't think I can put into words how pleased I was with Tye Tours, but I will try…read more I brought 10 college students to Manchester to witness firsthand the campaign atmosphere leading up to the New Hampshire. We hoped to attend campaign events throughout the state. And we could not have done it without Mel and Tye Tours! Mel was willing to drive our group to all corners of the state at odd times of the day, sometimes adjusting his personal schedule. He always kept the drives interesting with fascinating trivia about New Hampshire and New England in general. He was a sweet man who got to know the students and offered them candy along the ride. On one instance, Mel went above and beyond anything I could have expected. A student became ill at an event and had to be transported to the hospital. Mel drove the rest of the group from Concord back to Manchester, then returned to Concord to wait with me in the ER while my student was treated. He then drove us all back to Manchester, accepting no additional money for the extra 4 hours of work. Mel is not just good at his job; more importantly, he is a good man. I would highly, highly recommend him and Tye Tours.

I was incredibly surprised to have run into the Lincoln Financial Sculptures Walk. It actually…read morestretches from the Boathouse to the Founder's Bridge and across the river. And I believe I only saw half of it. It was definitely worth it. It took me nearly an hour so I'd think it could stretch to two hours to complete them all. Happy hunting!

Holy Mackerel !! I…read morehad no idea that this treasure chest of art, creativity, and history existed. Shame on me for not exploring the Hartford Riverfront earlier. In 2005, Lincoln Financial donated a $500,000 grant to the Greater Hartford Arts Council to design a Sculpture Walk along the Connecticut River in both Hartford and East Hartford. They announced a nationwide competition for accomplished artists around the country and selected 16 works for this permanent public art exhibit representing the life, accomplishments and values of President Abraham Lincoln. I looked at three of the sixteen statues today as part of my wandering around the Riverfront during the Dragon Boat and Asian Festival. Sculpture Three: Lincoln Meets Stowe (Bruno Lucchesi - 2006) This bronze sculpture commemorates the 1862 meeting of Abraham Lincoln and Hartford author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Upon meeting, Lincoln purportedly quipped, "So you're the little lady who started this big war." Sculpture Four: Toward Union Lines (Preston Jackson - 2007) This sculpture represents a young woman walking north toward Union lines. The accompanying plaque describes the plight of "contrabands" or escaped slaves. Sculpture Five: Frontier Life (Neil Goodman - 2008) This sculpture represents Lincoln's Indiana boyhood years living in a log cabin and growing up to be a skilled ax-man and rail splitter. I can't wait to see the other 13 exhibits. Riverfront Recapture offers a walking tour of all sixteen stations and additional artwork on the very impressive Hartford riverfront.

This farm house was formerly located elsewhere. It once belonged to an African American family in…read morethe 1800's. At that time slavery had been abolished for quite some time in Massachusetts, so they would have been considered "free blacks" until 1865 when all slaves were formally emancipated in the USA. I didn't get to see the inside of this house but walked around the outside. I estimate that this house is roughly 16' x 32'. It looks like there is a tiny second floor area. From the front it looks probably much like it did when it was first built. The back has a wheelchair ramp, a piece of metal contemporary art and an air conditioning unit in one window. There is a large bell, some seating, and an informative sign out front. It is not owned by the National Parks but is right next to the parking lot for the North Bridge. It would be easy to visit the bridge and the Old Manse (owned by the trustees) at the same time. While this house is not grand, like the Old Manse, it is important to acknowledge how all Americans have lived, whether their ancestors were born on American soil, chose to start a new life here, or were forced to.

The Robbins House Docent dressed in period costume was excellent, storytelling on the lawn in front…read moreof the 1823 Farmhouse* to a rapt audience on a lovely Summer afternoon. She cited such little-known facts as:: In 1641, Massachusetts was the 1st American Colony to legalize Slavery, as well as the 1st State to ban Slavery in 1783. John Hancock was a Slave Owner. Hmmmm . . . Some were led to believe that Slavery was strictly a Southern thing . . . Granted, The South was slow to enforce Abolition . . . *Restored & relocated to this site in 2011.