Road Trip to the Heartland of Connecticut

Since we are still sweltering here, what better time for a road trip?  After all, the car has air conditioning.  Connecticut is so tiny.  A forty mile drive took us to New Britain, Connecticut.  This city of 75,000 was first settled in 1687.  It's called the "Hardware City" because it was here in the 1840's that the Stanley brothers began manufacturing door bolts, rules, levels, planes and various other items usually found in hardware stores or used by craftsmen.  The Stanley Tool Company as well as Black and Decker still have their corporate headquarters in this town.  Oh, and just for your trivia knowledge:  the wire coat hanger was invented here as well as basketball dribbling (at the YMCA in 1895).  The other 'first' we came to see is the New Britain Museum of American Art - the first museum in the world to show only American Art.  

This was a gem. A small museum with a specific focus, an outstanding curator, and an amazing collection.  The pictures speak louder than my words, so, for my art fan readers, here's the link 
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/115478608971584948192/albums/5903090782419452529?authkey=COuM2Y-tzJq7bg 
My favorite memory of this museum is two fold:  One, Drake asking the security guard a question, and two, seeing the work of Graydon Parrish for the first time. Check it out.

After the museum, we headed for an 1801 house in Bristol, Connecticut that holds the American Clock and Watch Museum.  Did you know Bristol, Connecticut was the place where the manufacture of clocks and watches began in the United States?  All thanks to a young man by the name of Eli Terry who had the bright idea of making clock works out of pre-cut wooden pieces instead of brass, thus reducing the price and making clocks affordable for everyone, not just the upper classes.  He also invented the 'shelf clock'.  As opposed to standing clocks (grandfather clocks, for example), shelf clocks could be loaded stacked into boxes into a wagon and sold by a traveling salesman all over the countryside.  This was a very quirky place filled with amazing time pieces.  I saw my first atomic clock here, and got a tutorial in clock making and how the United States revolutionized the entire industry worldwide.  We were the only people in this museum on Saturday afternoon.  The pictures tell the story:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/115478608971584948192/albums/5903223830678622673?authkey=CMSC873s9IKfGw

All in all, a great road trip, but I still haven't seen the New England Carousel Museum - Drake picked the clocks.  Still time.  Carousels are my favorite ride at the Fair, and I'll just have to keep lobbying to see this place.  

Best news of all:  The heat wave has broken.  Highs are going to be in the low 80's instead of the mid 90's with 100+ heat indexes.  Jackson (or Al, as I call him) is really the most grateful of the three of us.  Drake says I can't change the name of the cat, but, I'm not paying any attention, and Al doesn't seem to mind. He even comes when I call him now.  My daughter with the limited sense of humor will NOT be amused.