Amazing Tales from Off the Beaten Path

TV Cameraman Inside Ground Zero

Ground zero. 9-11. World Trade Center. John Maher was one of the first TV cameramen inside the buildings, while they were still burning. He shares his surreal memories and experience.

An Ancient Hiking Rite Still Practiced

It's an ancient European tradition. Hiking a town’s boundaries still occurs in three CT towns (Madison, Guilford, and Durham). They carve a ceremonial stone and place it where the towns meet.

Boxer / Opera Singer / Queen of the Rum Runners

Nellie Green was a famous rum runner and bootlegger during Prohibition. She was also an accomplished boxer and opera singer. She survived the 13 years when alcohol was illegal, keeping her patrons well supplied with alcohol - as well as supplying many downstream customers throughout the state.

PT Barnum's Incredible Legacy

PT Barnum – the world’s greatest showman. Not only did he entertain millions with his American Museum and famous circus, but he was a major benefactor to his adopted hometown of Bridgeport - establishing the first hospital, bank, ferry service across Long Island Sound, and even a beautiful cemetery.

Skydiving's First Jump

Skydiving became a popular sport in the U.S. in the 1950s. The first commercial jumping operation, at a rural grass landing strip, catered to college students with nerves of steel. Early skydivers completed breathtaking stunts, like a surprise landing in Manhattan's Central Park.

Island of Miracles

This stunningly gorgeous island instills hope and virtue in all who visit. A highly successful 12-step alcohol avoidance program is based there. It hosts spiritual retreats and offers majestic beauty and serene calm. You'll also find internationally renowned dahlia gardens and a highly unusual religious relic – an 800-year-old mummified arm..

How Ethan Allen Created a New State

Vermont was formed by Connecticut. Ethan Allen, from Litchfield, CT, created the infamous Green Mountain Boys, a militia that fought for land rights and independence for people living in the wilderness that would later become Vermont. Connecticut's Seth Warner later led the Green Mountain Boys to significant military wins during the Revolutionary War.

A Forgotten Village Abandoned and Hiding in Isolated Woods

This lost village hosted 100 inhabitants in the 1700s and 1800s in an exceptionally remote area of New England. Called the Barkhamsted Lighthouse Village, it was founded by a man and woman who lived an almost Romeo and Juliet love story. Archeologists accidentally found it and have pieced together the unusual back story.

Just 30 Defenders Hold Off 1,300 British During 4-Day Attack

During the War of 1812, the British Navy blockaded Long Island Sound. Just before the British sailed to Washington to burn the White House, they stopped for what was supposed to be a cannon bombardment of a tiny village. The village defenders were outnumbered 1,300 to 30, but they won The Battle of Stonington.

The Fatal Paparazzi Car Crash Involving Marilyn Monroe

Residents of rural Roxbury, CT take it in stride when celebrities live among them. They left alone famous playwright Arthur Miller and his wife Marilyn Monroe. The media did not. During a wild chase, on the day of their engagement, a New York Times reporter was killed in a crash on Roxbury's rural back roads trying to snap their picture.