|
| |
Brooklyn - Part 4
Written by: Janet Pope
Photography by: Donald
Day 2
We awoke to the smell of frying sausages and baked blueberry muffins at our B&B, The Bird in Hand. What a wonderful way to start the day; crisp white linens on the table and a pot of fresh coffee by our cups.
After more direction-giving time, Don and I proceeded to get lost since all the trees looked the same. We were a little late when we arrived at Teal’s Trail Wood in Hampton, Connecticut, but we quickly joined a group of walkers. This was Walk Number 15, which toured Pulitzer Prize Winner, author and naturalist Edwin Teal’s home and property. This walking tour was listed as a two-hour jaunt so we made sure to wear our sneakers.
One of our guides was Elizabeth, a woman who looked possibly in her 80s though she was as robust and agile as the rest of the group; maybe more so. She was a former writer who interviewed the Teals and developed a friendship with them. She added a wonderfully personal and unique touch to the sharing of this local "celebrity."
The grounds are pretty much the same as when the Teals lived there; albeit a little more overgrown. Mr. Teal had built a little writing cabin where he went to escape the world and to write. The plain wooden structure overlooks the lake and afforded him a tremendous view of the wildlife. Everywhere you looked there was a tremendous view. Mr. Teal wrote books about nature and, from the surroundings, you could see from where he drew his inspiration and his insights. After trying to keep up with Elizabeth for two hours, we headed toward Willimantic in order for Don to get some better photographs of the Frog Bridge. There’s something eerie that draws you to them. Directly across the street is McHenry’s, which is a quick snack shop that advertises foot-long hot dogs and they are true to their advertising.
We headed over to the UCONN campus and the William Benton Museum of Art. It was opened in January 2004 and houses mostly modern art. After checking out their collection of paintings and sculptures, we were feeling pangs of hunger. Modern art does that to Donald, but everything does that to Donald.
The buzz on campus was about ice cream at the Dairy Barn. Right in the middle of the campus is a working farm with a real ice cream parlor! Since the service line went out the front door, it felt like home. So we joined the line and tried to avoid talking about dieting. The homemade ice cream was a big hit, with not only the students, but the town - this was a long line. The ice cream was worth the wait so don’t miss it if you’re in the neighborhood.
Also, on campus, is the conveniently-located Blue Oak Café in the Nathan Hale Inn. With low lightning, candlelit tables and cranberry-tufted booths, the restaurant has a relaxing and warm atmosphere. Donald enjoyed the grilled Portobello mushroom caps that were served over greens tomatoes and red peppers. I started my meal with a sensational spinach salad topped with blackberries, candied walnuts and raspberry dressing. My dinner choice was a grilled rack of lamb that was decorated with raspberries and for dessert was raspberry/ blueberry pie. Do you notice a raspberry trend here? Although situated on the UCONN campus, this restaurant is a far cry from college food.
The next morning, after checking out of the Bird in Hand B&B, we fit in one more walking tour at the Nathan Hale homestead in Coventry. A local historical and national figure, Captain Hale is Connecticut’s official state hero. At age 21, Hale was an American spy captured by the British in the Revolution. He was hung in 1776, but his famous line lives forever in our history books, "I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." The Hale family’s homestead is open for tours, but the tour we took was a walking one that shared the history as well as the beautiful Connecticut countryside. On our way back to the city we took advantage of the beautiful autumn weather, as we stopped at outdoor markets and farm stands.
The quiet corner of Connecticut has a lot to offer beside quiet time. There are plenty of historical spots, antiquing, restaurants and scenery. We originally sought out Brooklyn, Connecticut because of the curiosity for its name, but discovered that, although the locale was different, the similarities that made them both unique and special are the same; their history, their restaurants, but mostly their people.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
|
|
|
|
|
|
