Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Sullivan Drive Murals - Guilford

Sullivan Drive Entrance - October 2014
A day of hiking in Guilford, and the most memorable moment was when I got out of my car at the Sullivan Lane entrance and was greeted with freshly painted murals on each side of the concrete bridge that spans the East River.   Look at the transformation between the top and bottom photos -- what was once an eyesore is now an attraction.


Sullivan Drive Entrance - January 2012
According to an article in The Day, the paintings were done by students from Guilford High School to commemorate Guilford's 375th anniversary.  They did a great job! Not being local, I don't know what each of these pictures represents, so if anyone knows and wants to leave a comment below, please do so. I did try to identify some of them (thank you, Google Image Search). That also goes for the names of the artists. They deserve credit. As does the Town of Guilford, which has done an incredible job of welcoming the NET through their community. The quality of the trail (and the speed with which it was constructed) is very impressive.

South wall
Guilford Trail Station - the NET goes right across it.


Hyland House Museum
Henry Whitfield House aka the Stone House (oldest in CT)

NET Logo.  Interesting vandalism to this one....Goblins on the cliffs?  
First Congregational Church
The Red House - Grass Island


The Annual Citizen's Day Parade. Each year has a different theme.

North wall




The Guilford Fair




To top it off, there was new signage at the trailhead just a few feet up the road from the bridge. 

New NET signage
In the center of the big field were a couple of kestrel houses, which look just like bluebird houses, only much larger and higher. Kestrels are tiny falcons, and this looks like good habitat for them.  Hope it works out.