Gilmore Girls Day in Connecticut

Whenever June rolls around I always put Elizabeth Park on the list of places to visit ASAP! Elizabeth Park, located in Hartford, CT is over 100+ acres of gardens, walking path, baseball fields, tennis & basketball courts, and so much more. They host concerts and events. The park is on the National Register of Historic Sites.

Starting in late March to early April several flowers starts to bloom at Elizabeth Park. They have a variety from tulips, daffodils, Iris garden, roses and dahlias. I used to work in West Hartford several years ago, that’s when I discovered this park at the peak of season of the rose gardens.

It’s a beautiful park with plenty of picnic tables. You could pack up a lunch and bring it there and enjoy the nature. There’s a cafe on site - Pond House Cafe. I haven’t been there but it looks nice!

Last summer I made sure to wake up at 4:30 so that I could make it to Hartford at sunrise (it’s a hour commute) before it was mobbed with people walking around the rose garden. It was the best moment, having the entire garden to myself! I enjoyed photographing the garden at a variety of angles. There is a gazebo in the center covered in ivy. I could see why this was a popular spot for photography sessions, influencers and everyone!

I usually make a day out of it, visiting the rose garden then walking around UConn Law school. The buildings there are beautiful! The Mark Twain House and Museum isn’t that far from the Elizabeth Park. Of course, there’s also West Hartford Center & Blue Back Square in West Hartford for some shopping! There’s plenty to do in Hartford!

Here are some gorgeous photos from the rose garden:

Elizabeth Park is open daily, dawn to dusk and FREE!

Mark Twain

May 15, 2022 by Kelly Holland in New England

The famous American author, Samuel Clemens (best known as Mark Twain) and I have something in common! We both lived in Elmira, New York and Connecticut. He is known for book titles such as ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ and ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’. I grew up in Elmira, NY for 15 years before going off to college and then moved to CT.

Elmira, NY

Elmira, NY is the home to Mark Twain’s summer property, Quarry Farm. It perched on the hilltop overlooking Elmira and Chemung River. The house remains there to this day and currently owned by Elmira College. The Center for Mark Twain Studies (CMTS) was also established when Quarry Farm was gifted to Elmira College. Through an application process, the CMTS offers Quarry Farm Fellows for scholars which allows them to reside at Quarry Farm for up to 4 weeks. While it is a private residence, the house is visible from the road.

Mark Twain’s octagonal study also was donated to the college. It used to be 100 yards from the Quarry Farm where Mark Twain wrote many of his works. The study is on Elmira College’s main campus in downtown Elmira. I grew up passing it often as it is visible from the main street (Park Place). I’ve had several school field trips to the study too. The study is a small octagonal shaped building, it has some Mark Twain’s books on display and historical photos of his life. The study is opened for tour from Memorial Day to Labor Day on Mondays-Fridays 10am-4pm.

Also on the EC campus there is an exhibit inside Cowles Hall, the building that is right next to the study. The exhibit focuses on his time in Elmira, his family and Elmira College connections. The hours are same as the study touring hours. There is a statue of Mark Twain and his wife, Olivia Langdon on the campus.

Mark Twain’s family is also buried in Elmira at Woodlawn Cemetery. The family plot can be visited either on your own or the trolley tour. The trolley tour is offered by The Chemung County Historical Society in July and August. The trolley will take you by Quarry Farm, the study and the cemetery as well many other historical sites that is not related to Mark Twain.

Hartford, CT

Although he spent more time in Elmira, his main residence was in Hartford, Connecticut. The Hartford home currently operates as The Mark Twain House & Museum. It is opened for tours daily 10am-4:30pm, with tickets purchased in advanced. The Victorian Gothic Revival house has 3 floors with 25 rooms. Twain also had Tiffany & Co. to decorate the ceilings and walls in the house, which was beautifully done. The family lived here for 17 years before their financial instability forced them to move to Europe.

After the family moved, the house was owned by several families. Facing demolition in 1929, a non profit organization focusing on preserving Mark Twain’s memorial purchased the home. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962.

I visited the grounds for the first time during summer. I was stunned by the detailing of the beautiful home. Inside was even more stunning. I also learned about the paranormal encounters that some guests have had while touring the home. If you didn’t know, one of Mark Twain’s daughter died in the home from an illness. Ghost Hunters even did an episode at the house one year. The museum hosts Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours during Octobers! I’ll have to return to join this tour in the fall.

Virtual Tours

Mark Twain House, Hartford: view here.

Quarry Farm, Elmira: view here.

This blog is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

Celebrate International Firefighters Day in Connecticut

May 04, 2022 by Kelly Holland in New England

Every year on May 4th, International Firefighters’ Day [St. Florian’s Day] is observed. The date was chosen because St. Florian had passed away on this day. St. Florian, the patron saint for firefighters, he was the first known commender in firefighting.

In Connecticut, there are a few places to go and learn about firefighting history:

The Fire Museum — Manchester, CT

The Connecticut Firemen’s Historical Society was established in 1970. Many of memorabilia and history were becoming lost to other states. The society was formed of firefighters who worked to preserve the history and keep it in Connecticut. The museum is in a restored fire station. The United States Navy Seabees and many other volunteers helped to fix up the station. Now it is a museum that stores some apparatus, firefighting equipment and more. The hours are from 12-4pm on Fridays and Saturdays [April-November]. If you have a larger group wanting to tour the museum, it is encouraged to call ahead. Admission is by donation.

I went to this museum and was stunned at how beautiful it was, the collections were preserved so carefully it was very impressive. The 1901 wooden firehouse was bigger than I expected it to be, but the self-guided tour took at least a hour. In one of the rooms, there were photographs from the CT Fire Photographers Association. It was fun to recognize some photographers that I follow on social media. I throughly enjoyed touring the firehouse and would highly recommend it to anyone for a visit. The museum is hosting an open house with antique fire apparatus show on June 4, 2022 from 10am-3pm. Visit the website here for more info.

*The fireman’s pole is still intact here, but couldn’t do a slide on it!*

*The photos gallery of CT Fire Photographers Association.*

*Posing with one of the apparatus at the museum.*

Museum of Fire History at The Carousel Museum — Bristol, CT

The museum preserved the firefighting legacy of Carlyle “Hap” Barnes, who was an avid collector of equipment, memorabilia and technology. The collection consists of over 1,000+ pieces of apparatus, some dating back to 17th century. Opened Wednesdays-Saturdays 10am-5pm and Sundays 12-5pm. Admission fee is $8/adult, $7/seniors + students, and $5/kids age 2-14.

Fire Fighter fireboat at Mystic Seaport Museum — Mystic, CT

The Fire Fighter currently docked at Mystic Seaport Museum once helped with recovery efforts during September 11th. It has the ability to pump 20,000+ gallons a minute, which made her the most powerful fireboat in the world. The Fire Fighter was the longest serving fireboat for New York, decommissioned in 2010. The historical vessel is available for guided tours during Mystic Seaport Museum hours.

I have visited the Fire Fighter many times in the last few years when she visited City of New London then Mystic Seaport Museum. It is always so fascinating to walk around this historical vessel and think about all it has gone through. It’s like that saying, ‘only if those walls could talk’. The guides are always knowledgable about the history of the boat. As it was mentioned, it served during Sept. 11th - there is a piece from the rumbles that was created into a cross and now mounted on one of the doors on Fire Fighter. During summers, they sometimes do water works where they use the pumps. It’s such an amazing historical vessel.

Around the state, there are many historical fire stations that have been restored, functioning as private residences (do those people still slide down the pole?!) or abandoned. I can’t list them all here as there are that many through out the state. I love to look for old fire stations and photograph them on my travels.

I also enjoy seeing historical fire stations that still operates currently and some stations that have older fire trucks. I’m always looking for LaFrance trucks because my great grandfather painted the lettering on some of the trucks when he worked at the plant in my hometown of Elmira, NY.

*An antique LaFrance Westport (CT) firetruck.*

Thank you to all firefighters for what you do to keep the communities safe and always there for us! A special thank you to my brother, my favorite firefighter who I am so proud of!