Town Revisit: East Hampton

Last Thursday we decided to do some geocaching. The last time we managed to go geocaching was in January...in another country. I don't really know what happened for the last ten months.


Day one: We got lost. We got as far as the river and realized we were on the wrong side it. Oops. We had a nice walk through Hurd State Park though.



Day two: We found an old abandoned mill followed by some old abandoned railraod tracks. After some thought, effort, and climbing up the side of a steep hill we found the geocache. Yay, success!


Maybe next year we'll be more on the ball...

And since Bruce lives in East Hampton, there will probably be more information about the town as time goes on. Here's a little more about this small town. It was the hometown of one of Connecticut's governor's, Bill O'Neill. It is also home to Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Company which is the only company left in the US that produces bells exclusively. You will notice its impact on the town as many things are named after the town's nickname Belltown. The town's street signs also display a bell.

East Hampton also has a large lake in town named Lake Pocotopaug.

Comstock Bridge, to the right, (one of three remaining covered bridges in the state) is part of East Hampton as well.

We'll be adding more information about this town as time goes on.

Check out our first East Hampton visit.

Town #46: Madison

We also drove to Madison and explored a bit. We stopped at one of the places Madison is known for, R.J. Julia Booksellers, to experience the largest independent bookstore I've been to in Connecticut. It's a bookstore that sort of feels like a Barnes and Noble, but they do it all as an independent. There are over 300 events held at the bookstore every year, so there is always something to go see. The gift selection feels almost as expansive as the bookstore itself. And if you get hungry there is a separate cafe area. The food won't be prepackaged and/or microwaved like you'll get at a large chain bookstore. We had the quiche, and it was wonderful.

One particularly nice thing the bookstore does is give a little blurb about many of the books on the shelf. This is like the staff recommendations most people are familiar with (and the bookstore does have one of those shelves as well) but it's just more extensive and gives a great sense of involvement with its customers. I also greatly appreciate the free bookmark they give you when you buy a book. It's free advertisement for them and something an avid reader is always searching for. The only drawback to this bookstore is how far it is from where we live.

Our last stop was to the Meigs-Bishop House, one of the historic sites in Madison. The house was built in 1690 and is now a teahouse and British food shop. We didn't stop for tea but we bought several treats from the extensive selection of jellies, beverages, sauces, and candies. Who says the English don't eat anything appetizing?

Madison is also known for Hammonassett State Park which as the longest public beach in Connecticut. But if you're a resident of the state, you'll pay between $9 and $13 to get in. Non residents pay a considerably higher price. The cost doesn't seem to detour anyone though. It's one of the most popular outdoor places in the state and will even cause traffic backups at times.

Madison stats:
Population: 18,812
Size: 36.8 square miles
State Parks: Hammonasset State Park
Historic Places: Allis Bushnell House, Hammanasset Papermill Site, Madison Green Historic District, Meigs-Bishop House, Jonathon Murray House, Shelley House, State Park Supply Yard

Town #45: East Hampton

Last weekend we took off walking.

Later we decided to go for a hike. It turned out to be more of walk though as the trail we were on was very level. That makes sense considering its history.

The Air Line Rail Trail, once railroad tracks, now is a path that stretches across the state.

We walked right over the Rapallo Viaduct, but did not find a marker. We did stumble upon the Lyman Viaduct marker though much further down the road. The Rapallo Viaduct was originally a railroad bridge that spanned 1,380 feet. The Lyman Viaduct was a railroad right-of-way at one time.


We started in East Hampton and walked for at least six miles round trip. There was an encounter with a baby snake, and we were briefly chased by two small dogs. Good time!

East Hampton stats:
Population: 15,363
Size: 36 square miles
State Parks: Hurd State Park
Historic Places: Belltown Historic District, Comstock Bridge, Middle Haddam Historic District, Rapallo Viaduct