10 Places You’d Take a Tourist to See in Your Hometown

I live in a very small town surrounded by other small towns. There aren’t 10 interesting places to see in this little village, so I’m going to include other towns in the area. I’m sure that there are probably 45 other places or things to do, but this is a list of my favorites.

1. Cady-Copp Cottage. It’s the oldest standing house in Putnam, CT, some 250 years old or so. Sweet Baboo and I visited it a couple of times and it’s included on the National Register of Historic Places. There has been a lot of fund-raising held to preserve it.
2. The antique district of Putnam. I’m not sure how many there are, but it’s a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. Or sunny or snowy…..
3. The River Trail Walk in Putnam. A little over a mile in length, it runs parallel to the river. Duh. Very pretty and well paved — a nice way to see wildlife, too.
4. And speaking of the river, we have River Fires 2 or 3 times in the summer. Braziers/barrels are anchored in the river and filled with wood, then lit at twilight. Great music and lot’s of people just wandering around, enjoying it.
5. A nice long ride through charming Woodstock, while it’s still rural. Houses are popping up practically overnight and it’s not the bucolic area that it once was. Just another casualty of progress. In the meantime, there are lovely vistas, spectacular landscapes and rolling hills.
6. Old Trinity Church in Brooklyn, which is purported to be haunted. The church is open a few times every year, not used except for special occasions.
7. Zip’s Diner in Dayville. Everybody should eat in a diner once in their life. The food is good, plentiful and cheap.
8. Fourth of July fireworks. The streets are closed off around Rotary Park with fireworks at 9 or so. For a small town, we have the best fireworks show in the area!! There are literally thousands of people that come to it.
9. In October, there is an event called Walking Weekend put on by The Last Green Valley, a non-profit organization. Historical and nature walks are held in old mills, along rivers, cemeteries, old schools — very informative and the weather is usually nice.
10. Relay for Life in Woodstock each May, benefiting the American Cancer Society. There is nothing to prepare you for the humbling and emotional feeling you will get the first time you see the luminaria ceremony. Each luminaria is lit in memory of a loved one who has died of cancer. There are hundreds of them along the walk, showing how widespread this despicable disease is.