In the Village

I live in Connecticut, with a family of two elementary aged twins. We take a lot of day-trips, and as we are learning about our Connecticut History in the fourth grade, we've decided that there are still so many places to visit nearby. With our current gasoline "crisis"---if you live in Connecticut, or even close by in NY or RI or MA, coastal CT is still worth visiting. You don't have to be rich & famous, as some would have you to believe. Read this book and step back only about 30 years in time to a quieter life in a small town along the south east coast in CT, and you'll peek into a world that is sadly, slowly--disappearing. With his meticulous research and easy going writing style, you will see into the very heart of the village--as it grew from those old dry Puritan societies of religious and farming men, to the lively tapestry of ethnic groups that it still is, today. The town of Stonington shifted its center from upland at the Road Church, in old "Wequetequock" to a place on the water called "Long Point" and so began its life as a major seaport. I have lived in Connecticut most of my life and one of my very favorite places to wander through--is Stonington Borough. Sadly, the fishing fleet is depleted, but you can still hear the old ghosts of seacaptains and the Portuguese families who made this small village one of the best reasons to take a day-trip to explore it. Wear GOOD walking shoes, and take your camera. Come in Autumn when the tourists are mostly gone. Water Street is where all the shops are, and you can find a pleasant place for coffee in quite a few establishments. The street is very narrow and becomes "one-way," so the best thing to do is find a spot to park at its beginning and walk down, and back up. The Lighthouse is a museum now, and well worth a visit too. If you are a painter, don't forget your easel or sketchbook. There are so many wonderful spots to visit, read the book for the fun of it and you may agree that Stonington is worth a visit. Even if "you can't get there from here" as the Yankee saying goes, the book is a fun and intimate read about life in a small, coastal New England village. How I wish it could remain frozen in time!