Heublein Tower is located in Talcott Mountain State Park. There were plenty of parking spaces and a…read morefew trails that lead up to the "castle". The main Tower Trail is 1.25-miles one-way; most of it were up hill and on rocky gravel. There were a couple of lookouts before reaching the tower; beautiful views but becareful, it's very steep. There were a couple of benches and waste receptacles along the way. The tower up close was magnificent and the land is full of history. There was the old garage that's used as an information center with benches and a video. A huge picnic pavilion and BBQ pit. The Tower was built to look like a German castle. There are 6-stories; bedrooms, living rooms, restrooms, and the ballroom which is now called the observation deck are in it. There were signs showing what certain areas were. This building was Gilbert Heublein's summer home, then The Hartford Times, then the State of CT. Many parties and famous people have traversed these steps; Dwight D. Eisenhower and Prescott Bush to name a couple. The observation deck is where the showstopper is; 360-degree views of Connecticut, it's a priceless and breathtaking view. Thank you to Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and Friends of Heublein for up keeping and keeping this local and historical gem alive. I highly recommend the moderate hike up, if you're able to. Bring bug spray, water, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and your best hiking boots!

Completed in 1908, I learned that the Bulkeley Bridge is the oldest bridge in the Hartford area…read more(thanks Google!) The Riverside Park below and around the Bulkeley Bridge is the big draw for me. For the best parking go to the Riverfront Boathouse. With 9 stone archways, it's beautiful when the sun is highest. Stop by for great views of the CT River too!

This beautiful gazebo is located on the Town Green near the corner of Route 10 and Route 202. It's…read moreadjacent to Town Hall and is very close to Avon's Veterans Memorial. Built in 1994, it's a very nice place to sit, enjoy the pretty scenery, and spend a few quiet moments. There are quite a few plaques inside the gazebo dedicated to local sponsors, donors, and individuals. A hexagonal plaque at the entrance reads: DEDICATED TO THE LOYAL CITIZENS OF AVON BOTH PAST AND PRESENT

Had the BEST time at Hartford Taste's Nacho Contest with Van Hurd of Fox's Hell's Kitchen and…read moreSandra Pittman of Sandra's Next Generation in New Haven. Constitution Plaza was alive and thriving this Friday and Saturday. Looked so great to see all the food vendors. The second annual Hartford Taste is food/music/art festival to benefit local Connecticut restaurants and Connecticut Food Share with two sound stages highlighting the diversity of culture in the Capital region. Congrats to Van on the win with his Brisket Nachos! We also had Sandra's Oxtail Nachos and I made a Triple Decker Firecracker Shrimp Nacho. Thanks to the Wood N Tap - our food sponsor. I can't wait for next year to visit again. Cheers!

The current site for Taste of Hartford 2022 (June 9 & 10)…read more Plenty of vendors to choose from! There is so much space here and I hope they have more events like this in the future. It's also neighbor to the Riverfront.

While driving down busy Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Center, or trying to find a coveted…read moreparking space on a Friday night, it's difficult to imagine that West Hartford really does go way back to the 1670's. This one-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission has the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located on the busy corner of Main Street and Farmington Avenue in the heart of West Hartford. The marker relates the origins of West Hartford, how it was carved out of an area of Hartford and bounded by the neighboring towns of Bloomfield and Newington in the 1670's. West Hartford's first settler was believed to be Stephen Hosmer, and he built a mill on Trout Brook Drive in 1679. It was officially named as West Hartford in 1806 and was the birthplace of Noah Webster, the father of American scholarship and compiler of the first American dictionary. The marker was dedicated in 1970 and still looks great.

The Old Stone Schoolhouse, at Red Oak Hill and Coppermine roads, was a schoolhouse from 1790 to…read more1872. From 1875 to 1956, it was used as a chapel. The building is now owned by the Farmington Historical Society. Exhibits feature the history of Farmington and the surrounding area. It is open for tours each summer on Sundays during July and August. It is also the site of the annual Scarecrow Contest held in October.

It was settled way back in 1674, and twelve years later it became the 28th town of the Connecticut…read moreColony. It's name acknowledges the many streams that empty into the Naugatuck River. The waters led to energy from water power that fueled local industry and Waterbury's celebrated brass industry. Now we know why the town's shopping mall is known as the Brass Mill Center. This is a one-sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It's located indoors -in the front lobby of the Chase Municipal Building at 236 Grand Street. . The marker was dedicated in 1974 and is in excellent condition

"A woman that I know just came from Majorca, Spain She…read moresmiled because I did not understand Then she held out a ten-pound bag of cocaine She said it was the finest in the land" (Ringo Starr) When it was built in 1865, the Connecticut Commissioner of Education, called it the "finest school in the state." Today, that "Finest school in the state" serves as a museum preserving its heritage as a one-room schoolhouse that was built nearly 160 years ago! The school's first teacher was named Miss Francis, and her salary was $96 for four months of teaching duties. For 84 years, students of all ages from nearby towns were taught here, some walking several miles to get their education. Since the school was closed in 1949, the building served as a library, nursery school, meeting place for Explorer Scouts, and rehearsal space for a church choir. The building was restored in 1975 for the U.S. Bicentennial. When we visited today, we saw the schoolhouse was furnished the way it would have looked back in the day, with bolted desks (c. 1865), hand slates (c. 1900), textbooks (19th - 20th c.), and more artifacts including some very primitive baseball bats. Two very cool things I want to share with you. When you walk in, an old school bell ding dongs to announce your arrival. And behind the schoolhouse is a restored "Two Holer" of an outhouse. Thanks to a grant from Connecticut Humanities, the Schoolhouse will open for the Tourism Season Sundays through September from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.