The Connecticut 169 Club:

Your Passport and Guide to Exploring Connecticut

The Latest Book by Martin Podskoch

CT 169 Club Graphic Design by John Denner

How to Purchase

To Purchase the new revised edition of CT 169 Club Book Directly from the Author:

Please send a check for $31.85 that includes $29. 95 for the book plus $1.90 for CT Tax for the 8.5 x 11 hard cover book with over 300 photos & maps and 376 pages. You will also get free shipping by USPS mail. Send to:

Marty Podskoch

43 O’Neill Lane

East Hampton, CT 06424

East Hampton, CT Author and Historian Marty Podskoch scripted a brilliant solution for fragmented families and town-tied locals. With his latest Book, The Connecticut 169 Club: Your Passport and Guide to Exploring Connecticut.  Podskoch navigates readers from out behind the blue screen, off the interstate and onto Connecticut backroads to meet and merge with fascinating neighbors and uncover cool curiosities tucked into the 169 towns and cities in the Nutmeg State.

“The Connecticut 169 Club’ is a Guidebook to Adventures in Every Corner of the State”.   – CONNECTICUT MAGAZINE

What People are saying!

The CT 169 Club is a wonderful guide to the beautiful and historic places in Connecticut and a great way for families to set out and explore.

Kara Sundlum

TV Host, Better Connecticut

Reasons for Visiting All Of Connecticut “From the Northwest Corner to SE Shore, Connecticut has it all! Regardless, if you live in the state or are just coming for a visit, the list of things to do will never run out. With all four seasons, there’s so much to do across almost 3.6 million acres of land and water. Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the shoreline or one of several gorgeous lakes, and don’t forget boating on the Connecticut River, Leaf peeping in the fall while visiting one of CT’s wineries is a favorite for many. We’ve got skiing in the winter at any of a number of resorts, and a host of state parks to watch the arrival of spring. You’ll find friendly people in every single town, all 169 of them!”

Scott Haney

TV Host, WFSB Channel 3 meteorologist and co-host of "Better Connecticut"

Nothing defines Connecticut better than its 169 towns.  From the beginning of settlement, we have been a “hiving off” people, settling here, reaching out there, one town becoming the parent of many towns, each fiercely independent, with its own home-grown character, history, and special sense of self.

The state of Connecticut has an exceptional geographic diversity, too, so our towns are extraordinarily beautiful and breath-takingly varied. From the Gold Coast to the Quiet Corner, the Litchfield Hills to the Long Island Sound, Connecticut has 169 kinds of picture-book perfection, from bustling cities to postcard-worthy village greens.  You owe it to yourself and your family to see them all. Because in Connecticut, the sum of the parts truly is greater than the whole.   This wonderful book is your invitation to do just that. Join The Connecticut 169 Club: Your Passport and Guide to Exploring Connecticut. Visit every town. See the sights. Hear the stories. Eat the foods. Meet the people.  You’ll be glad you did. And, you’ll either be prouder than ever to be a Connectican, or you’ll wish you were one!

Walter Woodward

State Historian

Your Passport and Guide To Exploring CT

 

From the quaint splendor of the town of Kent in the northwest hills of Connecticut to the great restaurants that dot the shoreline of Westbrook to New Britain’s industrial roots, travel  and history author Martin “Marty” Podskoch, a retired reading teacher who now lives in East Hampton, CT has compiled interesting information for his new CT Travel Guide Book on the 169 town’s, cities and village’s in the State of Connecticut in the hopes of encouraging people to visit every one of them.

Podskoch will be giving Connecticut residents a preview of the Connecticut 169 Club in his weekly column in The New Britain Herald, The Bristol Press and the Willimantic Chronicle, giving readers a first-hand look at the splendor that every nook and cranny that our state has to offer.

“It doesn’t matter what age people are or what means of transportation people use to get there,” the 74-year-old CT Author and Historian said. “The whole idea is to get people to see the many beautiful places in our state.”

The CT 169 Club is a collective effort. Podskoch recruited the best and the brightest Connecticut writers, historians and officials ­each contributing a passage about their town’s histories, haunts; favorite food fixes and historic CT landmarks.

The reward for visiting all 169 sites: Podskoch will present you with a Leatherman patch in honor of the legendary vagabond, who, during the mid-to-late 1800s, walked a 365-mile circuit through Connecticut and adjacent sections of New York.

Podskoch also will help organize a dinner in the fall of next year to honor those determined souls who have made it to every municipality. During that event they will get their Leatherman keepsakes. “Anyone can attend,” Podskoch says. “Members will share their stories and adventures.”

The Connecticut guide book, Podskoch’s ninth book, entailed nearly two years of collaborative effort. “I got 183 writers and co-writers to write about their towns, in 550-600 words. It could’ve been the town clerk, it could’ve been the librarian, it could’ve been the town supervisor.”

The Connecticut 169 Club is not to be confused with the Run 169 Towns Society, whose members strive to run races in all 169 state municipalities.)

Connecticut 169 Club Logo

Retail Locations

The Book is Also Available at these Connecticut stores and organizations:

Beacon Falls

Beacon Falls, Historical Society, Town Hall, 10 Maple Ave, mkrenesky@yahoo.com

Bethany

Bethany Historical Society, William L. Brinton, 203-393-2100 x1106 wlbrinton@bethany-ct.com

Bethel

Byrd’s Books, 126 Greenwood Ave.  203-730-2973   byrdsbooks.com  Alice Hutchinson

 Bridgewater

Burnham Library, 62 Main St S, 860-354-6937

 Brookfield

DiGrazia Vineyards. Address. 131 Tower Road, 203–775-1616 or 203-217-7415  digraziavineyards@gmail.com

 East Haddam

Shagbark Lumber True Value, 21 Mt. Parmassus Rd. 860–873-1946

 East Hampton

Ace Hardware, 25 E High St # 3-4-5, East Hampton, CT 860-267-7943

Black Birch Grace Gift Store, 95 Main St, East Hampton, CT 860-222-5645 blackbirchandgrace@yahoo.com

Old Bank Flowers & Greenery, 70 Main Street, East HamptonCT 860-918-1779

Paul & Sandy’s, Too, 93 E High St, East Hampton, CT 860-267-0143

 East Hartford

East Hartford Historical Society, 307 Burnside Ave. East Hartford 860-568-2884 craigrj@comcast.net

Glastonbury

River Bend Bookshop LLC, 2217 Main St. Glastonbury 860-212-8253 meghan@riverbendbookshop.com

 Greenwich   

Greenwich Historical Society, 47 Strickland Rd, Cos Cob  203-869-6899 bjohann@greenwichhistory.org

 Groton

Johnson’s Hardware, 40 Fort Hill Rd.  860-701-4325 Corina johnsonshardware@aol.com

 Hadlyme

Country Market, 1 Ferry Rd. Hadlyme, CT 860-526-3188 

 Haddam

Haddam Historical Society, 14 Hayden Hill Rd. 860-345-2400 director@haddamhistory.org

 Hartland

Hartland Historical Society, 141 Center St, West Hartland, 860-379-9722 hartlandhistoricalsociety@gmail.com

 Hebron

Something Simple Restaurant, 12 Main St.

 Killingworth

The Cooking Company, 187 CT-81, 860-663-3111

Litchfield

Workshop Inc. 10 Cobble Ct. 860-567-0544 workshopinc@gmail.com

Madison

R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Road, 203-245-3959, rjjulia.com

Madison Historical Society, 14 Meeting House Ln, 203-245-4567 doeb117@gmail.com contact@madisoncthistorical.org

Manchester

Manchester Town Hall, Customer Service & Information Center, First Floor, 41 Center St, 860- 647-5235

Marlborough

Marlborough Senior Center, 17 School Drive, 860-295-6209 socialservices@marlboroughct.net

 Middletown

Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore, 413 Main St. 860-685-3939

 Morris

White Flower Farm Store & Gardens, 167 Litchfield Rd, 860- 567-8789 nfappiano@whiteflowerfarm.com

Bella Luna Gifts, 11 Watertown Rd. 203-768-9930

 Mystic

Bank Square Books, 53 W. Main St. Mystic 860-536-3795, banksquarebooks.com

 New Canaan

Elm Street Bookstore, 35 Elm Street, (203) 966-4545 kathleen@elmstreetbooks.com

 

New Haven

Atticus Bookstore & Cafe New Haven 203-776-4040 Jayna Richardson

jrichardson@chabaso.com

 Niantic

The Book Barn, 41 W. Main St. 860-739-5715, bookbarnniantic.com

 Old Saybrook

Harbor Books, 146 Main St. 860-388-6850

 Plainville

Plainville Historical Society, 29 Pierce St, Plainville, 860-747-6577 nancy@plainvillehistory.org

 Portland

Portland Historical Society, 492 Main St. 860-342-5455 htmlworx@snet.net

 Ridgefield

Books on the Common, 404 Main St. 203-431-9100 Ellen Burns  info@booksonthecommon.com

 

Keeler Tavern Museum, 132 Main St. 203-438-5485

 

Ridgefield Historical Society, 4 Sunset Ln. 203-438-5821 ridgefieldhistory@sbcglobal.net

 Rocky Hill

Dinosaur State Park and Arboretum 400 West St, Rocky Hill 860-529-8423

 Salem

The Red House Cultural Arts Center – 22 Darling Rd. 860-608-6526 barry@fordfolios.com

 Seymour

Country Card Corner, 7 Klarides Village Dr. 203-888-5944 Chris Headden

 

Lizzie’s Corner, 36 Bank St. 203-888-1030  lizziecornerconsignment@gmail.com

 Southington

Barnes Museum, 85 N Main St. 860-628-5426 secondom@southington.org

 Sterling

Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, 227 Ekonk Hill Rd. 860-564-0248 Ashley  info@ekonkhillturkeyfarm.com

Toland

Tolland Historical Society, 52 Tolland Green, 860-870-9599 society@tollandhistorical.org

 Thomaston Library

Thomaston Library, 248 Main St. 860-283-4339 Debra Radosevich dradosevich@biblio.org

 Tylerville (Haddam)

The Cooking Company, 1610 Saybrook Rd. Haddam,  860-345-8008

Union

Traveler Restaurant, 1257 Buckley Hwy. I-84, exit 74, 860-684-4920 Art & Karen Murdock karen17@cox.net

 Washington Depot

Hickory Stick, 2 Green Hill Rd. 860-868-0525 books@hickorystickbookshop.com

 West Cornwall

The Wish House Book Store, 413 Sharon-Goshen Turnpike, 860-672-2969 wishhouse@optonline.net

 West Haven

West Haven Historical Society, 686 Savin Ave. 203- 932-0088 whhistoricalsociety@gmail.com

 Weston

Lang’s Pharmacy, 190 Weston Rd. Frank Randazzo 203-226-7800 weston@langspharmacy.com

 Wethersfield

That Book Store LLC, 446 Silas Deane Highway, 860-529-5500 Karen Opper

 

 Willimantic

The Hoot, 86 Storrs Rd. 860-456-2775

The Windham Textile and History Museum, 411 Main St. 860-456-2178

Wilton

Lang’s Pharmacy, 8 Center St, 203-762-6700

Winsted

True Value of Winchester, 276 Main St. 860-379-6747 Jim Jackson, Ken Johnson, Brian Kalay

 Woodbury

Canfield Corners Pharmacy, 2 Main St. N. 203-263-2595 Mary 

ANSWERS & QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO USE THE PASSPORT

Many people ask if there is a certain stamp in each town or do you need a stamp for each town.
Another writer asked, “I am not sure just who or where I am to get the stamp/signature. Do particular places have a stamp? ( it varies some towns & businesses have one) Can I visit one of the many passport wineries and have them stamp the page? (Yes) Is it the honor system? (Yes) I want to ‘follow the rules’!

Ans: Some businesses have a stamp or a sticker. You can also go to a town clerk and they will place their town seal on their town page. Some like to get a stamp cancelled in their book at a post office. Just paste a US stamp on your page and ask them to hand cancel it. There is no set stamp.
Or just meet someone and ask them to sign your book. You now have met someone who can also give recommendations on ice cream, restaurants or place to hike. Have fun meeting people in towns and enjoying the views.
This is the honor system and begins when you get the book not places you visited a year or more ago. We ask you to meet people and enjoy the interesting history, places, restaurants, ice cream etc. in each town.
Travel: Go by yourself, with your spouse, a friend, grandkids etc. Go by car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, kayak, walk, run etc.
Share stories and photos at Facebook “Connecticut 169 Club – Share Your Stories”

 

Question: What do you do when you visit all 169 towns and get signatures, stamps or stickers for each town?
Ans. You just need one of the above (signature, stamp or sticker ) in each town.
Make a copy of the chart at the back of the book stating the day you visited the town and you checked it off.
Mail the Check-off list copy to me (address below) stating the last town visited. The first one turned in will be L-1 meaning you were the first to get your book signed etc. in all the towns. This is the honor system. No one has the time to check every town. Then at the dinner or luncheon held in some town in CT in the Fall, they will be honored with a “Leatherman” Patch.
Please send check off list with dates ASAP to:
Marty Podskoch
43 O’Neill Lane
East Hampton, CT 06424

Website Design by John Denner

Excerpts From The Book

CT 169 Gathering

CT 169 Gathering

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Vernon Connecticut

Vernon Connecticut

Tolland County Originally part of Bolton, Vernon, Connecticut in Tolland County, contains the smaller villages of Rockville, Talcotville, and Dobsonville. Vernon’s claim to fame was its mills, the first of which was a cotton spinning mill est. in 1809 and powered by...

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