Boooo! The Haunting in Connecticut, 2009 Straight up: I'm not a horror film fan. Sure, there are a few I've liked. From the campy fun (Evil Dead) to the cool (The Ring) to the not-really-horror (Get Out). By and large, they're all terrible. I simply don't enjoy torture and gore and cheap scares. The … [Read more...]
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Intro
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Massachusetts border (Suffield) to New Haven The summer of 2020 - the pandemic summer of 2020 - sort of forced my son Calvin and I to begin riding Connecticut's rails-to-trails in earnest. Nothing was open for visits in any normal way, so why not ride our bikes. Unfortunately, Calvin … [Read more...]
CTMQ’s Guide to Southington
Everything Southington I’ve been exploring and writing about Connecticut since 2006. After a decade, I began compiling CTMQ guides for each town in the state. I plan on “completing” Southington CTMQ-style... as well as the other 168 towns, cities, and boroughs in Connecticut. That is the ultimate goal of CTMQ. … [Read more...]
Southington’s Town Trails
Southington's Town Trails If you read Southington's Wiki entry or the town's website, you'll note that the bedroom community is described as being in between two mountain ranges. And while that's technically true, if you were standing in the center of town, you would hardly notice either. But hey, there's a … [Read more...]
Southington Land Conservation Trust
Southington Land Conservation Trust Queen Street. I-84. I-84. Queen Street. I know some Southington residents who are pretty darn happy with their town, and probably don't want outsiders like me urging people to check out the town beyond the major thoroughfares. Well, tough. The town owns and maintains a … [Read more...]
444. Milldale Train Depot Museum
It Happened to Me Southington (Google Maps location) June 22, 2019 Historic preservation is a funny thing. A lot of what gets saved is obvious, but a lot is not. Take, for instance, the Milldale Train Depot, a tiny little building in Southington not unlike hundreds, if not thousands, of very similar little depot … [Read more...]
Transcend Beer Crafters (née Skygazer Brewing)
Beer From Uranus Skygazer Brewing Company June 2019 In June of 2020, two of the three owners announced they would be taking the Skygazer name and beers elsewhere - likely contracting at 12 Percent. The third owner, who was the brewer, is keeping the small Southington space as Transcend Beer Crafters. The original … [Read more...]
Witchdoctor Brewing Company
Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang Walla walla, bang bang... Witchdoctor Brewing Company, Southington November 2018 Some of you must be familiar with that terrible song "The Witchdoctor." You know, the "Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla, bang bang" song? Interesting fact: the guy who wrote and originally … [Read more...]
Kinsmen Brewing Company
I've Got Friends in Bro Places Kinsmen Brewing Company, Southington September 2018 Kinsmen: Sure the fancy definition has something to do with relatives and such, but colloquially, your kinsmen are your family. And sure, “family” means blood relatives, but it also means much more. In the case of Kinsmen Brewing, … [Read more...]
Goofy Giant Things!
I honestly have no idea how many goofy giant things populate our fine state. I know of two giant chairs, and I know I will be exploiting my small child by sitting him in them. I'm sure there are other goofy giant things that I will find on my travels. Some will have stories, some will not. Without further … [Read more...]