Entering Connecticut

  17 July to 19 July 2023 - Lancaster PA to Bantam CT

After almost two weeks of meandering travel, we entered Connecticut, the first of the six states that we plan to tour this summer. Weather has been consistently hot (in the low 90s) and humidity is very high. Sunny days means Canadian smoke is pervasive, especially in eastern Pennsylvania and New York, and air quality is very poor. Fortunately, we have dodged stormy weather on our travel days, but experienced several thunderstorms while in camp. We will be close to the Atlantic coast for the next several days and hopefully, the smokey air will be reduced.

Saw Amish farmers out spraying their fields.  Corn looks much healthier than what we saw in Illinois. I think they got more water than northern Illinois, where we live. Perhaps too much water - there are lots of news reports of flooding and crop damage in some areas. We didn't see flood damage but the rivers are high.

Pennsylvania was founded on principles of religious freedom.  That continues to this day.  This statue was part of a large temple complex in a small town.  We have also seen other Hindu temples and Muslim mosques.

While many farms we saw were in good condition, we did come across abandoned farms that were being overtaken by nature.

We cut through a corner of New York before entering Connecticut.  Actually, stopped for lunch in Fishkill, a town where one of my 6th great grandfathers lived in the 1700s. While we ate, we got a front row seat to a very noisy thunderstorm.  Fortunately, it was over by the time we finished lunch.

We crossed over the Hudson River many times last year when we toured New York.  Never did we see such pollution.  The Canadian smoke made it very difficult to see the other side of the river.

Connecticut is the fifth state we entered on this trip and the first where we have not yet camped.

The navigation system told us to turn left on this road and then it was a short mile down a country road to our destination.  Unfortunately, the road dead ended in less than 75 feet, and we were stuck with our fifty-foot rig. I thought we were going to have to back up onto a busy highway, but Russ managed to get it turned around.  When we reached the campground, we found out the bridge that had been there had been washed out when Hurricane Irene came through in 2011 and it wasn't rebuilt because it was on private land.  So much for the nav update we installed before leaving Illinois. Turns out Google Maps also shows it as a through street.  

We spent a day touring the Litchfield Hills region of Connecticut.  Beautiful country roads to wander around on with small towns that were founded long, long ago, many in the 1730s and 1740s.

Some towns had beautiful Victorian homes and stately colonial homes.  Stonewalls, but old and recent, were prominent.

Lots of streams and rivers crisscrossed the area.

We stopped at Kent Falls State Park and walked across a small, covered bridge to reach the falls.

This looked like a wonderful way to stay cool on such a hot day.  The falls are 250 feet high. You can hike up to the top where there is another swimming hole.

It was a hot, humid day but there were a few families picnicking on the park grounds. Too hot for me! 

The Housatonic River ran alongside the road for some distance.

This covered bridge crosses over the Housatonic River and is one of the last three covered bridges in Connecticut. This version was built in 1864. Previous bridges were destroyed by floods.

An example of the many country roads we traveled on in Litchfield Hills.  I can see why the area is such an attraction in the fall, leaf colors must be spectacular!