newsandviewsjb

NEWS&VIEWS by Jacqueline Bennett

Posts from the “Tourism” Category

Large Turnout at Old Sturbridge Village for $5 Friday

Posted on August 24, 2013

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Well before doors opened at 9:30 a.m. yesterday morning, long lines of visitors waited outside to take advantage of $5 Friday at Old Sturbridge Village living history museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Sunny skies and comfortable temperatures cooperated to drawn in the large crowd. Once inside, visitors were able to immerse themselves in what life was like in a New England village circa the 1830s, from farming sheep and cattle to horse-drawn rides, oxen at work, an old schoolhouse, Meeting Houses, a “Hartford to Worcester” stagecoach ride, a shoemaker at work, water-powered carding and grist mills and much more. Meeting Houses were a focal point of New England villages. In addition to the Center Meeting House with an…

Old Sturbridge Village Offers $5 Friday on August 23

Posted on August 13, 2013

Interested in stepping back in time? Old Sturbridge Village (OSV) is offering visitors a chance to do so on August 23, at a reduced ticket rate called “$5 Friday.” This will be the third and last $5 Friday for the 2013 summer. The opportunity is being made possible by the Southbridge Credit Union, according to the OSV website. Admission is usually $24 for adults, $22 for seniors, $8 for ages 3-17 and free for age 2 and under – although this season OSV is also offering free admission for ages 17 and under throughout the month of August. A living history museum, at OSV visitors can experience what life was like in America centuries ago by visiting the blacksmith, potter, and farm animals such…

Dawn Breaking Over Hyannis Port

Posted on August 8, 2013

As I write this dawn is breaking over Hyannis Port. It is a sight I have seen firsthand many times and am wistful for this morning. I never tire of it. It soothes me. Regardless what turmoil may be stirring, if I transport myself to Hyannis Marina awaiting the sunrise and early arrival of the ferry boats from Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard – I am calm. Soon enough the cruise lines will start to depart, or make their way into the harbor. Passengers with backpacks slung over their shoulders-disembark. Another day begins….

National Hot Dog Day is Tuesday! July 23, 2013

Posted on July 22, 2013

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Long, short, plump, skinny, all-beef or not, hot dogs are an American favorite. So much so that the iconic food has its own day – National Hot Dog Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 23. Virtually every American community has a special spot where a unique version of the hot dog is served. In Connecticut, one of the best can be found at Bart’s Drive In Restaurant at 55 Palisado Avenue in Windsor, located on the banks of the Farmington River and just a few miles from the capital city of Hartford. Bart’s Famous Hot Dogs are prepared on the Magic Grill that has been pleasing palates in Central Connecticut and beyond for more than sixty-five…

Mystic Seaport to Launch “America’s Last Surviving Wooden Whaleship” – Charles W. Morgan

Posted on July 15, 2013

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Visitors continue to climb aboard the Charles W. Morgan for an up-close look at its restoration in the final days before a July 21 launch of “America’s last surviving wooden whaleship” by Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. Yesterday, a steady stream of visitors of all ages ascended the wooden stairs leading to the Morgan to get a  firsthand look at the historic vessel that is slated to embark on its 38th voyage in the spring of 2014 and make its way to historic ports throughout New England. According to the story of the Morgan provided by Mystic Seaport, a maritime museum, the 19th Century whaling ship was designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States secretary of the interior in…

Colchester Connecticut Farmer’s Market Growing

Posted on July 8, 2013

Story & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb  Now in its fourth year, the Colchester Farmer’s Market is growing and is in a new location on the Colchester Town Green. The expansion is good news for Connecticut grown produce and appears to mirror a statewide trend. “This is our fourth year. Every year this market has grown twenty-five percent and this year I expect it to grow fifty percent,” said Jeff Savitsky, market master, during an interview July 7. “Everybody seems to be more interested in their health and people want to know where their food is coming from,” added Savitsky “and its putting money back into the local economy.” A fourth generation farmer, Savitsky’s farm is called Lake Hayward Farm and is part of…

Field of Flags at Old Sturbridge Village Honors America’s Military

Posted on July 3, 2013

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb  Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts is honoring America’s military with a Field of Flags located near the entrance to the village. A gift of $25 will sponsor a flag to be added to the field and help provide free admission to OSV for an active military member and his or her immediate family. A flag can also be sponsored in memory of a loved one or a military veteran. Further information about sponsoring a flag is available at the OSV Vistor’s Center.  On the Fourth of July, OSV will once again hold what is described as a very popular fireworks event in the evening. Earlier in the day, a 1 p.m. program will feature a naturalization…

Destination: Willington Pizza House in Willington, Connecticut

Posted on June 30, 2013

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb Willington Pizza House in Willington, Connecticut is the kind of extraordinary restaurant travelers hope to stumble upon. Having stacked up numerous awards and having been featured in the New York Times and on “Good Morning America” and “CBS This Morning”, the specialty pizzas here are legendary. On Route 32, about a mile and a half from the University of Connecticut Storrs campus, it is a favorite eating place for some of UCONN’s biggest sports stars as evidenced by an array of photos on the walls showing the well-known athletes and television sportscasters with restaurant owner Jeff Kelly. Located in a 250-year-old converted farmhouse, the long light gray building with red and white trimmed exterior has a quaint…

Destination: After Second Storm Dock & Dock in Old Saybrook CT Rebuilding – Again

Posted on May 2, 2013

Write-Up & Photos by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb This time of year is when my sisters and I would have been making Mother’s Day reservations at Dock & Dine in Old Saybrook, CT. In fact, we brought Mom there for the last Mother’s Day we spent together before she passed away in 2010. Since then the restaurant, which is located right on the waterfront of the Connecticut River as it enters Long Island Sound, has sustained extreme damage from two storms – first from Hurricane Irene and then a few months ago from Storm Sandy, which devastated much of the United States’ northeastern shoreline. Having heard that the owners of Dock & Dine were rebuilding for the second time, we decided this past weekend to…

“Arsenic & Old Lace” To Be Windsor, Connecticut Tourism Focal Point

Posted on April 14, 2013

By:Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb (2013 update-the committee has decided to hold off on the Arsenic & Old Lace project)   The acclaimed Broadway play “Arsenic & Old Lace,” a dark comedy later made into a movie starring Gary Grant, will be the focal point of a tourism initiative in Windsor, Connecticut. May of 2014 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the death that led to an investigation which revealed Amy Archer-Gilligan, the proprietor of a home for the aged located in Windsor during the early 20th Century, to be a serial killer. She was alledged to have poisoned an estimated sixty victims including two of her husbands, as well as, boarders at the home.   “Most people do not realize that this is a true…