Connecticut and more Massachusetts

    Since the Fourth of July was a rain out many communities celebrated on the 5'th; except for Boston who had their celebration on the 3'rd. As for us after numerous years of playing host to holiday gatherings we just want to be low key. We found a car show in Worcester on July 5 and spent the day there.

You never know what you are going to see sometimes; in this case it was good to see Jesus at the show

Many cars were on display and an auction was held. Someone actually bought this 1930 Chevy coupe:

A 1962 Ford station wagon as old as me:

Hotrods from the old to the new 

Worcester is the site of the Massachusetts Vietnam Veteran's Memorial:

We drove back to the campground and took in the fireworks from the side of the on ramp:

  We took a day trip to Hartford, Connecticut a few days later. Doreen wanted to see the Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe houses. I didn't realize they lived in Hartford and were actually neighbors. Twain's house is more elaborate than Stowe's:

Mrs. Stowe was retired from writing when Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain was his pen name. No one called hi m that) built his house across the yard from her in 1874. At that point in his life he was still an aspiring writer and not well known. Luckily for him his new wife was socially connected and her family was well to-do and his in-laws provided the couple with a new home along with servants as a wedding gift. Clemens chose the property in Hartford because at that point Hartford was the wealthiest city in the country and the publishing center as well. The house he built was controversial at the time because it did not conform to any specific architectural style. Clemens knew he had to be as outgoing as possible to attract all of the famous personalities of the day if he was to make a name for himself.

  The house is amazing inside but of course no photography is allowed. Extensive woodwork adorns the interior and each room is decorated in a different motif: the parlor is Moroccan; the dining room African; the foyer Indian, etc. Clemens' favorite room where he did his writing is the billiard room on the second floor. There, at a small table, he penned his masterpieces The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the sequel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 

  A short walk from the house is the Mark Twain Museum. I recommend purchasing the guided tour of both homes to hear all the interesting facts and tidbits about both authors. The Stowe house is not that impressive. Mrs. Stowe was the most prolific author of her time. She was probably the richest and most famous celebrity in America at that time. Stowe made a small fortune off of Uncle Tom's Cabin and the twenty other books she wrote. She was socially active in political issues of the day including her most passionate cause as an abolitionist. 

Up next is Vermont.

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