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HARTFORD TRAIL (12K-EC96/567) Connecticut Valley Volkssport Club, AVA-784 |
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DIRECTIONS |
COM MENTARY |
| 1. From Ramada Inn, turn left on Asylum Street to Trumbull Street. (third left) |
You will pass City Place the tallest building in Connecticut on the corner of Trumbull and Asylum. |
| 2. Cross Trumbull Street and turn left to Pratt Street (first right) |
The Hartford Civic Center will be on your left. |
| 3. Right on Pratt Street to Main Street. (first right). |
This revitalized street’s sidewalks are paved with bricks noting generous donors. |
| 4. Right on Main Street to State Street. (first left) |
This is the open air markets third year. State Street is now a brick paved pedestrian Mall. |
| 5. Left on State Street, follow fence on right to Central Row. (circling the Old State House) |
The Old State House (featured on this years award ) will be on your right. Watch for celebration activities! |
| 6. Use cross walk to the right after the fence and turn Right on Central Row (no sign) to Main Street. (first left) |
To your left as you cross the street is a two sided glass office building of the Phoenix Insurance Company. |
| 7. Left on Main Street past the Wadsworth Atheneum (first building on second block. |
Center Church and the Ancient Burying ground, resting place of Hartford and Connecticut founders is to your right. |
| 8. Bear left through Atheneum Square crossing diagonally. |
The Wadsworth Atheneum is Hartford’s fine art museum, Hartford City Hall will be on your right. |
| 9. Right on Prospect Street to Arch Street (first right) |
The Hartford Times building is on your left, bronze plaques note presidential speeches given there. |
| 10. Right on Arch Street to Main Street (first left) |
Hartford Public Library will be on your left. |
| CHECK POINT: When was the sculpture of Mark Twain on the corner of Arch and Main dedicated? | |
| 11.Left on Main Street to Elm Street (first right) |
You will be crossing a bridge, over what used to be the park river. |
| 12.Right on Elm Street (follow left sidewalk past traffic circle) |
After the city was hit with the 1936 flood, plans took shape to enclose the Park River so it would not devastate the city again. The filling in process was underway by 1944. |
| 13.Right at Crosswalk across Elm Street into Bushnell Park. |
With the Park River buried, a new traffic circle emerged in 1946. Names for the great Polish general Casimir Pulaski, the circle |
| 14.Follow sidewalk past playground on your right. |
Helps move cares on to 8-84 and 8-91. |
| 15. Left on sidewalk after playground, passing pond on your right. |
Bushnell Park consists of 36 open acres in the western part of downtown area. |
| 16. Left diagonal on sidewalk after passing pond. |
The carousel to your right is open April 15 - May 15, week-ends only May 15-August 31 Tuesday-Sunday 11am-5pm |
| 17. Leave Bushnell Park, through the Capitol Gate, as marked on sidewalk. |
In 1872 the citizens of Connecticut voted to have a single capital in Hartford, replacing the dual capitals of Hartford and New Haven. |
| 18.Cross Trinity Street and turn right to Capitol Avenue with the Capitol on your right. |
Bushnell Memorial, home of the Connecticut Opera, Hartford Ballet and Hartford Symphony Orchestra, will be to your left. |
| 19. Right on Capitol Avenue to Broad Street (first right after highway on-ramp) |
The Connecticut State Library Supreme Court building will be on your left. The Legislative Office Building and the Connecticut State Capitol will be on your right, tours: Monday-Friday, 9:30-3 every 30 minutes except 12 noon. Hungerford Street (3K), |
| 20. Right on Broad Street to Farmington Avenue (first left) |
The State Armory (Headquarters of the National Guard) on your right The Hartford Courant building (Hartford's major newspaper) on your left. |
| 21. Left on Farmington Avenue to Prospect Avenue (about 1.5 miles) |
You will be passing the YWCA on the corner of Farmington Ave. |
| 22. Right on Prospect to Elizabeth Park Entrance (last driveway on left before second stop light, Asylum Street) |
Just before Sigourney Street the home office of the AEtna Life Insurance company will be on your left,100 Farmington Avenue (5K). This is the largest colonial style office building in the world. Across the street is the Cathedral of St. Joseph (Roman Catholic). You will pass the Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe houses, open year-round Tuesday-Saturday 10-4, Sunday 1-4, on your left between Laurel Street and Owen Street. (6K) There will be several restaurants and convenience stores along this street. Beacon Street (7K) |
| 23. Left into Elizabeth Park, follow the park road with the rose arbors on your right and green houses on your left to Asylum Avenue. |
This Park was named for the wife of Mr. Charles Pond, former treasurer of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. He willed this 90 acre estate to the City of Hartford. The Gardens are in full bloom in the months of June and July. |
| CHECK POINT: What is the name of the park foundation? |
(look on the building just before the Green houses? Record you answer in box 2 on your Walk Card. (green house (9K). |
| 24. Right on Asylum Street back to the start/finish point (about 2 miles). |
The Governor of Connecticut’s Mansion is on the northeast east corner of the intersection with Prospect Street. (10K)Near the bottom of the hill Elizabeth Street joins Asylum, the Connecticut Historical Society will be on your right, museum open 12-5, Tuesday-Sunday (closed Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day), little brook past Historical Society (11K), past Woodland Street St. Francis Hospital will be to the left, Huntington Street (12K) and then after Flower Street the headquarters of the ITT Hartford Insurance Group will be on your left. You will pass Union Station, Hartford's Transportation Center on the left before the railroad overpass. |
| 25. Finish: Ramada Inn, 440 Asylum Avenue |
We hope you enjoyed your visit to Hartford. If you have any comments, please pass them on to us c/o Bob McDougall, P. O. Box 251, Glastonbury, CT 06033-0251 (860) 342-3062 |
| Places to Eat along the trail: | ||
Pond House Restaurant |
Elizabeth Park |
Grill & Snack Bar |
Readers Feast |
529 Farmington Avenue |
Vegetarian, try the quiche! |
The Oasis Diner |
267Farmington Avenue |
Classic American, try the turkey! |
Tanners Restaurant |
207 Farmington Avenue |
Dairy Bar |
The Arch Street Tavern |
85 Arch Street |
Bar & Grill, try a Wubba! |
Scarlett O'Hara's |
59 Pratt Street |
Bar & Grill |
Blimpies |
101 Pratt Street |
Sandwiches, try the Hot Roast Beef! |
The Original Pub |
358 Asylum Avenue |
Bar & Grill, try the Pizza! |
Hot Tomato's |
1 Union Place |
Finer Dining, try the Garlic Bread! |
