"Well, cuddle up, angel, cuddle up, my little dove And we'll…read moreride down, baby, into this tunnel of love" (Bruce Springsteen) You'll find it on the Wilbur Cross Parkway near New Haven, CT. Driving on the Parkway, it's become a Connecticut landmark - a welcome and familiar sight. It was blasted through a 1,200-foot-long hole through the West Ridge Mountain in 1949. It carries approximately 77,300 vehicles daily. It was originally named the West Rock Tunnel. It was renamed the Heroes Tunnel in 2003 to honor "heroes of all kinds" in the post-September 11 era. The Tunnel and Wilbur Cross Parkway are vital connectors between New York and Hartford.

The Heroes Tunnel (formerly known as the West Rock Tunnel)…read more "the former name of this tunnel was provided by fellow YELPER Jim C. from Wallingford, CT and represents "historical" information that can not be confirmed or denied by this reviewer but much appreciated" The tunnels are located along the Wilbur Cross Parkway (Route 15) in the Town of Woodbridge and the City of New Haven, near the Town of Hamden border. The Heroes Tunnel is a 1,200-foot long tunnel, which passes through West Rock Ridge in New Haven and Woodbridge. The existing tunnels were constructed between spring 1948 and fall 1949 and consists of two 28-foot wide by 19-foot high barrels with horseshoe cross-sections. The northbound and southbound barrels of the tunnel consist of two 11-foot wide travel lanes with 6-inch shoulders and a 2-foot 6-inch wide raised maintenance walk on each side. The centerlines of the barrels are approximately 63 feet apart. It is debatable that this is the only tunnel to pass beneath a natural land feature in the State of Connecticut and is eligible for listing on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places. It seems the renaming of these tunnels weren't well received - this challenge to leave the tunnels name in tack was not in anyway meant to take away from the many heroic efforts by any of the participants the name "Heroes Tunnel" may reference whom have sacrificed it all helping humanity, it's more about renaming history and the cancel culture that continues to identify and change historical significance landmarks that aren't offensive and was in no way meant to be prejudice against any culture, creed or the oppressed. These tunnels were engineering marvels through the time of their inception and construction and are monumental feats that reflect the pride of those that worked and sweated to make travel in the area convenient and safe for those that transverse America's highways...

There's a really nice monument that my family and I visited when we were in Milford. This is one of…read morethe many monuments that we visited on our trip through the Northeast. The city of Milford and this monument are both very pretty and awesome. This is a respectful Memorial for the world war two soldiers

This is one helluva great monument in a very unexpected location…read more. Incongruously, on a strip of grass smack in the middle of downtown Milford, they appear like ghosts. What they are, in fact, are five detailed and very life-like bronze sculptures that honor the men and women who served their country during World War Two. Frozen for all time, you'll see a kneeling Marine with his rifle, a pilot with a flight helmet, goggles, and a parachute, A WAC (Women's Army Corp) dressed in a jacket, skirt, jacket, and cap, a Navy sailor wearing a life jacket, and a kneeling Army soldier with his rifle and canteen. The level of detail in the faces, uniforms, and accessories are extraordinary. The monument's simple inscription reads: DEDICATED TO ALL WHO SERVED 1941 - 1945 WORLD WAR II The monument was dedicated in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war.

A very benevolent…read moreghost Penfield Reef is a nasty place. The long, curving and extremely treacherous reef has claimed many a ship over the years and decades. Even today with the lighthouse and modern navigational aids several boats every summer manage to find the reef. The reef was well known and feared by mariners but it wasn't until 1874 that the present lighthouse was finally constructed. It is made of granite and wood and is one of the very last "unique' lights. Most of the ones built after it are the cheap, efficient, spark plug cast iron ones. Since the reef has claimed so many victims over the years it's a pretty spooky place. The reef has very sharp rocks that are just under the surface at low tide and even in a small craft like a kayak one has to be very aware of what is lurking just under the water. The area got even spookier in 1916 when the lighthouse keeper, Fred Jordan, decided to row ashore and see his family for Xmas. Well the area can get really feisty, really quickly and poor Fred got blown out to sea, never to be seen again. Even since that time people have claimed to have seen Fred. Sometimes rowing around the reef near the light and sometimes at the lighthouse itself but always looking seriously spooky. Fred never seems to bother anyone and it fact in 1942 he is even credited with saving some young boys that got lost out by the light in a small boat. They said a strange man in a small dory guided them to shore. They said the man that saved them didn't say anything and wouldn't come ashore even though the weather was getting really bad. The boys recognized that their savior was good old Fred from an old picture that was shown to them. Whether or not you believe the stories of Fred is up to you. This unique lighthouse that stands about a mile off shore, on the end of a very nasty reef is still a very spooky and cool place. If you go out there you better keep track of what is lurking just under the water and make sure you wave if you happen to see a guy in a small boat. A very spooky looking fellow named Fred.

I would like to visit PENFIELD LIGHTHOUSE.I am a author of a triology series about a haunted…read morelighthouse.MY first book of the triology has been released by LULU.COM AVAILABLE UNDER MY AUTHOR NAME RICHARD SATTANNI.THE title of the first book is''TALES FROM THE HAUNTED LIGHTHOUSE''A series of mysteries focused around a fictional lighthouse with ghost visits,sharks,sea monsters,as well as mermaids and of course murders of various nature,A good read for SUMMER wheter at the beach or at home in a hammock.UNFORGETTABLE characters,photos and great story lines.ORDER yours today. SINCERELY RICH SATTANNI/AUTHOR

On the tenth anniversary of that terrible day, the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Association unveiled…read morethis memorial to the murderous attacks on the World Trade Center. You can see it right at the main entrance of the Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Department. Members of the association traveled to JFK airport and returned to Woodbridge with a 1,200 pound steel beam from one of the fallen towers. A crane was needed to hoist the beam in the air and place it into its final position at the memorial. The memorial's design has the beam rising from a pool of water. At night, the pool is illuminated in a blue light that shines an image of the Twin Towers onto the firehouse. A stone at the base of the memorial is engraved with these words: "Never Forget 9-11-01" Around the steel beam is a memorial garden that also honors the fallen firefighters of Woodbridge.

Who was General David Humphreys? He accepted the British flag when they surrendered to end the…read moreAmerican Revolutionary War. He was a Derby native. Add that historical nugget to the knowledge that pins, silver, bolts, typewriters, harnesses, and hoop skirts were manufactured here back in the day and you have one pretty cool marker. This is a 2-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has different inscriptions on each side. The marker was dedicated in 1981 and is in excellent shape. The blue background is fairly bright with no signs of fading or peeling. The full inscription reads: Derby Birthplace of two distinguished wartime heroes General David Humphreys, aide-de-camp to General George Washington, accepted the British colors at the surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. Friend of both Washington and General Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Polish patriot and hero of the American Revolutionary War. Commodore Isaac Hull, commander of the frigate Constitution ("Old Ironsides") which destroyed the British frigate Guerriere in the first great naval battle of the War of 1812. Many brave men and women from Derby also served or gave their lives for their country in all wars in which the United States has engaged. In 1642 John Wakeman established the first trading post in the Naugatuck Valley at the confluence of the Naugatuck and Housatonic Rivers. Edward Wooster, a Milford pioneer, became the first permanent settler in 1654. The land, originally called Paugassett for the native Paugasuck Indians, was granted rights of a plantation and in 1675 named Derby after Derby, England, former home of some of the settlers. It included what is now Ansonia, Seymour, and parts of Oxford and Beacon Falls. Shipbuilding and agriculture made Derby a major foreign and domestic seaport until the early 1800's. In 1833 Sheldon Smith began a manufacturing center between the two rivers. Industries flourished in the making of iron, copper, organs, pins, silver, bolts, typewriters, harness, hoop skirts, tools, and wheels. The first trolley car in New England ran here in 1888. In 1893, with its present boundaries, Derby became a city. Today it remains an industrial center of great diversity Erected 1981 by the City of Derby, the Old Derby Historical Society, and the Connecticut Historical Commission. 154 CT towns done, 16 to go

The tour is about 45 minutes long and it's just ok. It's more about the life of Dr. Harvey Cushing,…read morethe egomaniac who collected brains, than a review of the brains on display. It's free and it should be. Parking is around the corner and $6 for two hours.

What an amazing person to have collected such a unique collection on his undergraduate years of…read morestudy! Highly recommend going and thanking your tour guide if you have one with you- it's not exactly a cheerful place! Try going at the less busy times if possible! Yale also has other great architecture to see, mainly the gothic architecture that was originally modeled after Oxford. Trying to get a sense of the history behind the buildings may very well bring you to the Cushing Center and other places like it! Cameras are allowed so feel free to bring them!

I use the pool here and I'm very fond of this place. The staff is very friendly, the pool is always…read moreclean, the price is fantastic, and the showers never run out of hot water. These points are a big deal, as those were not available at the YMCA I used to belong to. At the YMCA I paid per month what I pay here per -year- which you just can't beat.There's a great sense of community here, at least among the swimmers. Sure, the locker rooms get hot as the 7th circle of hell in the summer, but I'll gladly handle that in lieu of all the positive aspects this place offers. It's truly a community hub, and one of my favorite places in town. I couldn't be happier here.

The sign up front. I can never tell if this place is open. I would revise my review once I get the…read moreopportunity to actually tour it. It would be nice if they had hours of operation and grab and go calendars readily accessible.

The Seymour Historical Society is a gem! The Catherine Matthies house serves as a working museum…read morealong with hosting the Society. The Society puts on 8 to 10 programs throughout the year and invites the community in for them and to view the collections. The speakers that they get for the programs are fantastic! I have attended talks on bees, the Naugatuck River dams, all the wars, on Yale Bowl, on old trails and roadways in the area, and all sorts of other topics. If you haven't had a chance to visit, check their Facebook page or website, www.SeymourHistoricalSociety.org for upcoming event dates.

Are you a Beatles fan and are you pretty good at Beatle trivia? OK, fanboy, what unusual musical…read moreinstrument, dating to the 1800's can be heard on "We Can Work It Out", "A Day in the Life", "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "Hello, Goodbye", and "Your Mother Should Know"? The answer is a harmonium a/k/a melodeon. They are varieties of free reed organs. And guess what old CT town manufactured melodeons? Ever use a book of matches? Some of the earliest matches made in the US of A were also made here. The Woodbridge Historical marker from the CT Historical Commission is located on an exterior wall of the Old Center School, which now houses the police station and various town offices. You'll see the familiar white lettering on a blue background mounted high on the gable end of the brick building. The marker was dedicated in 1979 and is in pretty good condition with no signs of fading or peeling The full inscription reads: Woodbridge The town consists of portions of the colonial jurisdictions of New Haven and Milford. Founded in 1738 as the Parish of Amity, it was incorporated in 1784 by act of the Connecticut General Assembly and named after the first parish minister, the Reverend Benjamin Woodbridge, who served 1742 to 1785. The first meetinghouse was built in 1740 on the green and met the needs of the community until 1832, when it was replaced by the present building, dedicated on January 1, 1833. The early economy was largely agricultural, but there were several small factories producing such items as melodeons, corkscrews, cement, candlesticks, clocks, and spinning wheels. Some of the earliest friction matches in this country were made in Woodbridge. The decline of farming and improved transportation after 1900, together with the natural beauty and topography of the land, have contributed largely to its growth and distinction as a residential community. Erected by the Town of Woodbridge the Amity & Woodbridge Historical Society and the Connecticut Historical Commission 1979 156 CT towns done, 14 to go