A great time. This came up on my Facebook feed as a fun and interesting thing to do this summer…read more So I made the 2-hour trek before it got too hot and busy. And had a great time. It's an interesting place and fun to explore the mine. If you're 6 feet or taller, doing the mine is going to be difficult, one of the few times us shorties have an advantage. While it probably wasn't worth the 2-hour drive, it still was a fun time, and not something I regret doing.

"The warden threw a party in the county jail The prison band…read morewas there and they began to wail The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing" (Elvis Presley) What an awesome slice of Connecticut and U.S. history! At various times, the grounds housed the oldest copper mine in the U.S. and one of its oldest state prisons. The prisoners sentenced to the jail were mostly thieves, robbers and British sympathizers. One was a murderess (yes, this was a coed prison), and a few were imprisoned for "laziness"! The walk down into the mine put us on several staircases that were very wet (water is dripping everywhere), slippery and uneven. So if you're a little unsteady on your feet, you might want to think twice about the 75 foot descent into the lowest section of the mine. There will be plenty of handrails to guide you, and beware of a few stone "low bridges" you'll have to duck down to avoid. Otherwise you'll take a solid stone slab to the forehead. Another thing to mention is the temperature down there is pretty chilly. So even if you visit on a 95 degree day and you're wearing a tank top and shorts outside, you might want to pack a sweater or sweatshirt for your visit to the mine. It was very cool learning how the mine was built, and we saw remnants of some of the drilled holes where dynamite was lowered into the rock to blast away solid stone. We also saw traces of golden copper and green patina on the rocky walls. We learned that over the years there had been over 70 escape attempts, including one massive jailbreak where over 20 prisoners made it out. Just about all of them were eventually captured, but a few ran into the woods and were never found. After we came up from the mine floor, we explored the grounds and wandered among the remnants of the old jailhouse, guardhouse and prison yard. They were very creepy, and we saw some of the prisoner shackles and chains on display. Our tour guide was great, as was the friendly young lady at the ticket booth and gift shop. The surrounding grounds and view are quite beautiful, and we learned they are used for wedding and prom photos. So who knows, maybe this will be a wedding venue some day!

This memorial is located inside Simsbury's historic cemetery behind it's metal gates that run along…read moreHopmeadow Street. The cemetery is the final resting place for several of the town's Revolutionary War veterans. The memorial consists of a bronze plaque mounted on a flat stone. The top of the plaque has a color image of the continental flag and an image of a colonial soldier. The plaque's inscription reads: 1775 - 1783 We, the people of the Town of Simsbury, do hereby recognized the many hardships and countless sacrifices made by all those brave American Revolutionary Soldiers; especially those from Simsbury, who died for our freedom from England. We hereby dedicate this bronze memorial plaque as an everlasting tribute to these American heroes, whose gallant and brave efforts brought us to the birth of the United States of America and adoption of the Constitution. To these courageous countrymen, we are eternally grateful. Thirty three names and their ranks follow, and it's interesting to see so many different titles -Fifer, Private, Ensign, Captain, Major, Lieutenant, Corporal. The memorial was funded by the Ensign Bickford Company and dedicated on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2005. The simplicity of the memorial, the vibrant color of the flag emblem, the quiet setting of the cemetery, and the knowledge that Revolutionary War veterans are buried there, combine to make a pretty powerful statement.

If you are coming through Simsbury and want to see a beautiful historic area, the old Drake Hill…read moreFlower Bridge is a wonderful spot to visit Easily accessible for disabled, and bathrooms are readily available The parking is fair, but you can also park across the street in the commuter parking lot a short distance away on Iron Horse Blvd Early spring, the flowers aren't installed yet, so it's a little boring, but still a great visit If you want to get in your steps, this is the place, go start here, head a little west, and then down Iron Horse Blvd., and enjoy downtown Simsbury shops. This is a great place to visit in a quaint little town

Historic bridge spanning the Farmington River and adjacent Hop Brook Landing Park that have been…read moredecorated with beautiful flowers. Thank you to all the volunteers who maintain both.

The more I look around the Farmington Valley, the more semi-hidden and overlooked evidence I…read morestumble upon that shows how old this area is, and how it was chest deep in the Revolutionary War. Memorials are everywhere signifying events in colonial America. I've lived in Simsbury since 1987, and have visited the Simsbury Post Office at 932 Hopmeadow Street conservatively 200 times. I never noticed this plaque until today, and I only saw it because my car battery was dead and I was standing outside waiting for the AAA truck. At the front of the Post Office, in a strip of grass near the drive-up mail boxes, is a stone monument with an old weathered plaque. The inscription reads: Entrance to Pent Road 1668-1787 THIS ROAD LEADING TO THE RIVER CROSSING WAS A DIRECT ROUTE TO WINDSOR IT WAS USED BY THE MILITIA ON THEIR WAY TO BOSTON IN MAY 1775 PLACED BY ABIGAIL PHELPS CHAPTER D.A.R. 1935 So in other words, Colonial American soldiers walked here about 238 years ago. The shootings at Lexington and Concord happened in April 1775 a month earlier than the date on the plaque. Who knows what fate awaited these men. Did they fight the Redcoats in New York? Or New Jersey? Or Quebec? Did they end up living through the brutal winter at Valley Forge? Did they fight in North Carolina or South Carolina? Were they at the decisive Battle of Yorktown? If they did, their rendezvous with destiny and history may have had a stop in Simsbury........

My eye and my Yelping seem to be drawn to Civil War monuments as I travel my way through New…read moreEngland. This one in the Granby Town Green is interesting for its brownstone and the fact that it was installed in 1868 which was even before the park where it stands. I noticed that the figure at the top not only is wearing his cloak over his shoulder (it's usually been in front), he stands with one knee slightly bent and looking slightly down and perhaps, contemplative. It's very expressive. The statue's base is in two pieces with the lower listing the battle names and pointing out, "This monument is erected by voluntary contributions, in commemoration of the brave men from the Town of Granby, who laid down their lives for the Union in the War of the Great Rebellion. Erected July 4, 1868." Above, the upper piece lists the battles and names arranged by unit showing date of death. Along the lowest level, "They that sow in tears will reap in joy. Death is swallowed up in victory. Faithful unto death." [Review 18409 overall - 75 in Connecticut - 1931 of 2022.]

Quite the impressive monument!…read more It's located on the Granby Town Green at the intersection of Salmon Brook Street (U.S. 202) and East Granby Street (State Route 20). The monument consists of a full body statue of an old grizzled Civil War soldier standing atop a large four-sided stone base. There are inscriptions on the upper and lower halves of all four sides. Some of the things you will see are soldiers' names and their dates of death, the names of horrendous battles (Andersonville, Cold Harbor, Sharpsburg, Petersburg), and some awesome quotations - "Death is swallowed up in Victory", "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy", and "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more". The statue has quite a history -it was dedicated on July 4, 1868 with the following inscription: "This monument is erected by voluntary contributions, in commemoration of the brave men from the Town of Granby, who laid down their lives for the Union in the War of the Great Rebellion". It was restored and rededicated in 2002. One of the restoration steps included rebuilding the soldier's musket, which had deteriorated and disintegrated away over the previous 136 years. I'm sure the old gent was grateful for that. It's a beautiful monument. Check out the expression on the guy's face. A very sad and weary look..............

The Viets family of East Granby operated a farm and livestock business on this site for many years…read more After the business closed, the land came into the possession of the Town of East Granby, who converted it into an almost 500 acre public park with a recreation center and hiking trails. In a beautiful nod to it's prior owners, the Town not only decided to leave the Viets Farm concrete silo standing, but also commissioned the painting of a mural on it to serve as a huge welcome sign to the park. It stands in the main parking lot entrance to the complex on Route 187. The gorgeous color mural covers every square inch of the silo with a lovely farm motif of animals, scenery and a blue sky. The original lettering was left undisturbed: L. H. VIETS & SONS CATTLE & HORSES It really is a gorgeous and very unexpected sight to see!!

Had one of the best tours I've ever been given. The people running the house are so knowledgeable…read moreand such hard workers at keeping the place running. I would definitely recommend it if you are visiting! Some of the friendliest people I've met on this trip.

Excellent collection of Victorian clothing and earlier furniture. A pleasantly delivered tour was…read moregiven to me because I only had 15 minutes. I could easily spent five times that amount hearing about the history from the highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic docents.

One of the many hidden little treasures scattered around Simsbury…read more Eno goes way back to 1932, and over the years has served Simsbury as a courthouse, a city hall, an auditorium, and government offices. Today, it's proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is used for community classes, meetings, and Senior Services. I have attended a book sale, a Veterans Day or Memorial Day program, and a music recital here. The brick building is gorgeous inside and out. I attended a music recital at Eno last night and the acoustics were great The large auditorium has a high vaulted ceiling, gorgeous ornate windows on both sides, and roomy seats. We had a great time. You can rent the building out for private functions too.

One more example of the incredibly rich history that can be found in every corner of our state. The…read moreWhite Fountain is located on the Southbound side of Hopmeadow Street, pretty much across the street from Abigail's Restaurant, where Route 202/10 intersects Route 185. The Fountain honors Dr. Roderick White (1809-1887), who dedicated nearly 50 years of his life traveling around the Simsbury area by horse to practice medicine and offer healthcare advice to the community. He studied medicine at Yale, and began his medical career in Manchester and Granville before he settled in Simsbury in 1842. Dr. White passed away in 1887, and his wife Elizabeth passed away two years later. Her will stated "I desire to leave a memorial of my late husband in the community where he so long lived and practiced his profession, and for that purpose I have determined that it would be suitable and proper to erect in the village of Weatogue a memorial fountain supplied with running water." A granite base supports the granite fountain. There is a large basin with lion heads, and three round basins above. Decorations on the fountain include a portrait of Dr. and Mrs. White, a sculpture of a Healing Serpent (symbol for medical profession),an engraving of Hippocrates, and an inscription honoring Dr. White. The inscription reads: In Memory of Roderick A. White, M.D., who died Dec. 2, 1887. The beloved Physician of this town for nearly fifty years. Erected by his wife, Elizabeth Hungerford White. Defunctus adhunc ministrat I popped that phrase into a Latin to English Google Translate and came up with "Died hitherto serveth"

The Town of East Granby was not always known as the Town of East Granby. Years ago it was known as…read morethe idyllic sounding Town of Turkey Hills. Well whatever it's name, when the town celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008 a big part of the celebration was the five foot tall fiberglass turkeys that popped up all over town. Sponsors had the opportunity to paint and decorate their turkeys any which way they sought fit. This very cool turkey can be found in front of Town Hall. It differs from the other turkeys because the creative students at East Granby High School though out of the box and added a big rectangle into the turkey so the entire work of art suggest a postcard to represent East Granby tourism. You can see a corner of the postcard on the front with the words "Greetings from East Granby" along with a map of the town. The back of the statue has the text of the fictional postcard extolling the virtues of this little town. The body of the turkey is decorated with all kinds of local images and the back is decorated with the seal of the East Granby Chamber of Commerce.