Where: Hartford, Connecticut
When: February 13, 2015
With: Dave
Next up on our road trip through Connecticut from the Litchfield Hills was the city of Hartford. A city, I'm sad to say, that terrified me.
In fairness, I was there in the middle of the winter on a cloudy, cold day and there was no one outside. It was like being in a ghost town. Plus, we're pretty sure we saw a bloody body part in a plastic bag while wandering around (Dave told me to just keep moving). And while some of the buildings around would probably be pretty in the sunshine, it was hard to detract from the desolate feeling the city gave off.
However, I'd like to believe that back in the late 1800s, this was a wonderful place to live for two big reasons. The first, is art.
The Wadsworth Atheneum was opened in 1844 as one of the first public art museums in the US. It mostly features the art work of the Hudson River School, which was really nice to see since it's lots of beautiful paintings of sunsets and landscapes of the Hudson River Valley. Definitely a nice museum.
The second reason I have to believe this was a great place to live in the late 1800s is that Mark Twain (aka Samuel Clemens) made this his home after leaving Missouri. This was the main reason for our trip to Connecticut's capital.
After moving here in 1871, Sam's wife Livy designed her dream home to a tee. She hired a famous New York architect to create this Victorian paradise. When it was completed, Twain remarked "It is a home - and the word never had so much meaning before."
When: February 13, 2015
With: Dave
Next up on our road trip through Connecticut from the Litchfield Hills was the city of Hartford. A city, I'm sad to say, that terrified me.
In fairness, I was there in the middle of the winter on a cloudy, cold day and there was no one outside. It was like being in a ghost town. Plus, we're pretty sure we saw a bloody body part in a plastic bag while wandering around (Dave told me to just keep moving). And while some of the buildings around would probably be pretty in the sunshine, it was hard to detract from the desolate feeling the city gave off.
However, I'd like to believe that back in the late 1800s, this was a wonderful place to live for two big reasons. The first, is art.
The Wadsworth Atheneum was opened in 1844 as one of the first public art museums in the US. It mostly features the art work of the Hudson River School, which was really nice to see since it's lots of beautiful paintings of sunsets and landscapes of the Hudson River Valley. Definitely a nice museum.
Also, the museum seems to have inspired some sculptures around the city that make me think it could be prettier with some sunshine and people.
The second reason I have to believe this was a great place to live in the late 1800s is that Mark Twain (aka Samuel Clemens) made this his home after leaving Missouri. This was the main reason for our trip to Connecticut's capital.
After moving here in 1871, Sam's wife Livy designed her dream home to a tee. She hired a famous New York architect to create this Victorian paradise. When it was completed, Twain remarked "It is a home - and the word never had so much meaning before."
The home stands in stark contrast to the rest of Hartford. Aside from its beauty, its also the only old home left if this area of the city. Everything from the arches to the brick patterns makes this a stand-out piece of architecture. Inside, they've kept over 10,000 Victorian-era artifacts so that the home looks as authentic inside as it does outside.
While wandering inside, we saw the very rooms where Mark Twain penned some of his greatest classics, including his stories of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. We also got a glimpse into his personal life, with his and his children's bedrooms. It was so cool, like stepping into a time machine.
Alongside the house is a museum celebrating the life and works of Mark Twain. It's very interesting and includes a Lego Mark Twain, so...win.
Plus I got to see what Dave would look like if he was a 19th-century school girl named Becky. Double win.
So maybe I'm being harsh on Hartford. After the shock of the bloody body part, we wandered the city a little more. Maybe when it's sunny and warm, it could look nice? Either way, very cool to see Mark Twain's home.
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