Putnam Memorial State Park - Redding

Putnam Park CT
Putnam Park CT

Connecticut State has had many nicknames - The Nutmeg State, The Constitution State, ...The Provision State. The latter name is applied with respect to the fact that Connecticut, a state since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, supplied more food and cannons to The Continental Army than any other in The Revolutionary War.

While CT does not boast of decisive battlegrounds, its supply lines and warehouses were necessary to defend. William Tryon The Tyrant led an invasion of Connecticut in Fairfield County that resulted in the successful destruction of the Danbury army supply depot. The following year General Putnam established an encampment in Redding along Black Rock Turnpike - the route Tryon had previously used.

This camp was partially to meant to deter any additional raids on the rebuilt supply depot. Today, Putnam Memorial State Park preserves the site of this encampment. It is the oldest state park in Connecticut by virtue of the fact that it was named as a State Memorial and preserved before the existence of the CT State Park System.

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The Mattatuck Trail and Legend of The Leatherman

By Morrowlong (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Morrowlong (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Mattatuck is a Blue Blazed Trail featuring 36 miles of trail through state forests and parks in North-Western Connecticut. It passes through nine towns. The Black Rock Park Section traverses The Mattatuck State Forest and Black Rock State Park. It is a loop trail and is moderately strenuous.

Pine forests that cover this section of trail make it ideal for any season. Two lookouts provide good vistas. The trail also passes through a cave that the legendary and mysterious Leatherman slept in once every 34 days. The lore of the Leatherman has reached far enough to become known to Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, who wrote a song entitled: Leatherman.

Visiting West Point Military Academy - Hudson Valley

West Point Academy
West Point Academy

West Point Military Academy is an exclusive university and academy of military studies. The Hogwarts-like campus perches on an extraordinary vantage point along The Hudson. A bend in the river known as West Point requires careful and slow navigation. This made West Point an advantageous defensive position.

The bluffs were fortified for The Revolutionary War, and The Continental Army was successful in preventing The British from sailing up-river and dividing the colonies. Shortly after the war it became a military training center and eventually was transformed into a formal academic and military academy. You can tour the fortifications on land and on an island, and also walk much of the campus of this national landmark.

Touring Springwood at Hyde Park - Hudson Valley

Hyde Park on the Hudson
Hyde Park on the Hudson

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born and raised at his family's Springwood estate in Hyde Park. He called it "The Center of The World." And, in many ways it became that. He entertained The King and Queen of England - feeding them hotdogs at a picnic on the forested property. He also met with Winston Churchill and Stalin at Springwood to layout WWII plans.

The influential were not limited to Franklin Roosevelt; his wife Eleanor who became the first delegate to The United Nations also had a home at Springwood. JFK also visited Springwood to seek Eleanor's endorsement. You can tour Springwood and the neighboring Vanderbilt home in Hyde Park. These tours will are full and long - and require at least one full day.

Storm King Arts Center - Hudson Valley

Wave Field - Maya Lin at Storm King
Wave Field - Maya Lin at Storm King

There are sculpture gardens and then there is Storm King. Storm King is an outdoor sculptural art museum featuring works from modern, post-modern, and contemporary artists. The collection includes dozens of works from internationally recognized artists, each piece expertly placed on the park-like Hudson Valley property. Storm King has recently become a favorite exhibition forum for environmental artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and Maya Lin.