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Split Down the Middle, and a Walk Down Recent Memory Lane

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 In all my years of driving through the center of the Connecticut River Valley, it wasn't until I looked a bit closer at a map of Connecticut and realized something peculiar to me. Unlike other towns in the state, Haddam's northeast corner lies on the eastern side of the river. It seems like a no brainer to have the river assist with town's boundaries.  Middletown and Portland are comfortably separated by a bridge, just as Hartford is with East Hartford, Windsor is with South Windsor, Old Saybrook is with Old Lyme, so on and so forth. So what's the deal?  Why is Haddam like this? This section of Haddam that lies on the eastern side of the river is called Haddam Neck, and is accessible via Rt 151, right between Portland and East Hampton, in the tiny village of Cobalt.  (Does Haddam Neck have a sign?  Still don't know about that one.) The Wikipedia page, as with most of the pages for towns in CT, didn't offer much information as to this strange split, other than t...
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Where It All Began

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      I frequent Connecticut's Route 17 very often.  I love how easy the drive is once you cross the Arrigoni Bridge into Portland, traveling past humble businesses and historic houses situated high above the river with amazing views of the valley... at least the 17A route.  Keep driving forward and, if you're lucky to come by at a time where the river isn't flooded, you can drive by the old fair grounds, a very good depiction of what I would call "New England Marshland."  Sometimes you can even spot fishermen or bird photographers lingering along the riverbed in this spot, taking in the beautiful bend of the river that often gets overlooked by outsiders.  Continue on 17 for long enough and you'll enter the stunning historic district of South Glastonbury, with houses aged centuries and humble farm stands greeting you along your drive.      If you're coming from the North, however, there's a sign you pass by mere feet across the Portland ...
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The Weird Interest and The Art of Spontaneity

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    I've lived in Connecticut for my entire life.  I was born in Middletown and grew up around Central Connecticut (on both sides of the river, for my Eastern Connecticut people) for the rest of it, and I like to think I've come to know this area like the back of my hand.  But one thing has always stuck out to me.     Have you ever seen those road signs scattered around?  They kind of look like this:     Apologies for the crude visual.     But scattered around the entire state, there are green road signs welcoming you to the various communities located within, with the name of the town/census designated place/village/single field with a name centered inside a white outline of the state, and a little "Connecticut" placed in the bottom right corner.  For as long as I can remember, I've been utterly fascinated by these signs.  They seemed to crop up in the most unassuming places.  Some of them are in the center of town, ...
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