A Fun Stop at the PEZ Visitor Center - Orange, CT

On our way to a weekend in Connecticut, we bumped into

a perfect example of one of those "off the beaten path" attractions:

The PEZ Visitor Center in Orange, CT!

We couldn't resist taking a slight detour to pop in and check it out!

Some fun facts:

PEZ candy was first created in 1927 in Vienna Austria.

They were originally round, but were shortly thereafter

changed to the brick shape that we know so well.

The first PEZ flavor was peppermint, and that's where the candy got its name.

"Pffefferminz" is the German word for peppermint;

they took the first letter P, an E from the middle, and the last letter Z. 

There are only 2 PEZ manufacturing locations in the world.

One is in Orange, CT, the other in Traun, Austria.

Every year they ship 5 billion candies & 70 million dispensers to 90 countries!

Since we grew up with PEZ, and our children grew up with PEZ,

we had a blast looking at all the memorabilia.

Here are some of our favorites~

Appreciating my nurse friends~ 

Mare, Lee, Kendall, Paula, Cris, Tara, Joanne, Darlene...

Just for "pun"...

 By the way, the Star Wars Collectors Set was introduced in 2005.

It was the first of many PEZ limited edition sets.

Here are a few of them~

...and on a more serious -and patriotic- note~

Shout out to the alma mater.

So, yes, I am truly famous!

Enjoy this YouTube video!

Such a fun place to visit!
35 Prindle Hill Rd, Orange, CT 
Website
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The Bascule Bridge of Mystic, CT (+Mystic Pizza)

For us, a point of interest and intrigue in Mystic, Connecticut was 

the bascule bridge that stretches across the Mystic River,
joining the two sides of Mystic.

It was so impressive to watch! "Bascule" is the French word for see-saw.

This drawbridge, built in 1922, has 2 counterweights made of concrete, weighing 285 tons each!

This photo gives you a good idea of the enormous size of these weights

in contrast to the size of the people passing under them.

Bonus:

When I've mentioned that we've vacationed in Mystic, CT,

I've been asked several times if there really is a "Mystic Pizza"

from the 1988 movie starring Julia Roberts. Yep, there sure is!

Other blog posts from our Connecticut vacation:

Mystic Seaport

Abbott's Lobster in the Rough

Strolling Through Stonington

S & P Oyster Co.

Our Sunset Sail on the Schooner Argia

Ford's Lobsters

Touring B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill

Touring B. F. Clyde’s Cider Mill – Old Mystic, CT

One of those "off the beaten path" must-experience places,
B. F. Clyde's Cider Mill is set apart from the most popular tourist sites.
Located at 129 North Stonington Road in Old Mystic,
it was one of our favorite stops while we were in Connecticut.

This is the home of the oldest steam-powered cider mill in the United States!
Just a quaint wood building tucked away amid the trees.
Nothing innovative or industrial looking about it.

B. F. Clyde's is open from September through late December.
It's a national historic mechanical engineering landmark!

We really enjoyed watching how the press operates.

Ground apples pour out into fabric-lined frames.

The apples are spread evenly using a state-of-the-art tool called a "garden hoe."

The fabric is folded over...

...then topped with another frame.

The process repeats several more times.

Now it's time for the press to do its work.

The apple juice runs out and is collected below.

With my thanks to Lee C., I share this YouTube video

so that you can see the Cider Mill come to life!

A collection of old cider jugs hangs from the rafters.

It warms my heart that they're still family owned and operated! 

Six generations of Clydes have been making cider since 1881!

After our tour of the mill, we popped over to their little shop,

filled with good things like sweet apple cider, 

apple pies, local honey, fudge and maple syrup.

This was the most delectable melt-in-my-mouth apple cider donut

I have ever had the pleasure of tasting!

Here's B. F. Clyde's 

website and Facebook page.

Did I mention the donuts?


If you'd like to read more posts from our
Mystic, Connecticut vacation,
you can find a list of links HERE!

Ford’s Lobsters - Noank, CT

Ford's Lobsters in Noank, Connecticut is a favorite of locals.

It's perched waterside with plenty of inviting red umbrella-ed tables.

Outdoor dining? I'm in. Next to the water? Perfect.

A colorful collection of lobster buoys.

Here's what I ordered: a big salad featuring feta, watermelon and

succulent cooked-to-perfection scallops!

Steve chose, not the lobster roll, but the lobster bomb!

It's what folks come from all over to experience at Ford's.

Enamel bowls stacked at the ready for creamy bisque.

Ford's Lobsters is at 15 Riverview Avenue in Noank, CT.

Here's their Facebook page.

A list of all the posts in my Mystic, CT series

with their links can be seen HERE!