Mom and Dad Are Here

(Amy)  Mom and Dad Squires arrived in New Haven Friday evening.  It is so good to have them here with us for a few days.  Yesterday we set out for Essex and East Haddam to enjoy the quaintness and beauty of the area.  We were lucky to be visiting Essex the same day they were having an antique boat show at the marina.  Though we know nothing about boats, the antique boats were just beautiful.  This boat was pretty cool, the owner lives on it; it even has a small working pipe organ on it!

After Essex, we made our way to the Devil's Hopyard State Park, a beautiful area. 

                      

Mom and Dad at Chapman Falls.

We had a delicious picnic lunch here.  We all loved a southwestern chicken wrap recipe I tried from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food website.

I love this bridge!

After lunch we went on a hike and just explored more of Devil's Hopyard.  It was great to be out in such beautiful nature!

Our next stop was Gillette Castle State Park.  It is certainly an unique place to visit.  We loved the interior of the castle.  William Gillette was an actor who made a fortune portraying Sherlock Holmes in the early 20th century.  He designed his castle to appear like an old ruin of a castle.  He constructed the interior of his castle with interesting details that incorporate elements of the theater and stage.  He certainly was an eccentric but brilliant man.

We made a quick stop at the Nathan Hale Schoolhouse in East Haddam.  Here, Nathan Hale (a Connecticut state hero) taught school for about six months.

To top off the day we ate a delicious dinner at the Gelston House, which we would highly recommend if you are ever in the area.  It has a wonderful atmosphere, fantastic food, and a beautiful view from the dining room of the Connecticut River and the East Haddam Bridge.  Following dinner we saw a showing of Half a Sixpence at the Goodspeed Opera House.  It was an adorable show and we enjoyed it so much.  The Opera House was built in 1876 and really is a delightful venue.