Shelton, Conn. is a fairly small town, located in "the valley," sandwiched between Monroe, Trumbull, Derby, Seymour and Stratford. Shelton is further broken down into various subsections including Huntington, White Hills, Pine Rock, and Downtown. Every resident has complained about the fact that there isn't anything to do in this town, but we made do with what we had. Here are some of the telltale signs you grew up in Shelton, Conn.
1. Indian Well State Park.
With the Housatonic River flowing through this park, you could sit on the beach and watch the boaters/kayakers sail by. It definitely wasn't the cleanest beach, but it did its job on a hot summer day. Also, if you were adventurous enough, you would take a hike up to the waterfall and jump in (even if it was frowned upon).
2. The Melon Heads.
You always heard the legends of the Melon Heads that lived deep in the woods of Saw Mill City Rd.
3. Getting your Christmas tree, strawberries, blueberries, and pumpkins from Jones Family Farm.
It's no secret that Jones Family Farm is the best around. People come form neighboring states just to get their tree here. From trudging to the top of the mountain in the snow to cut your Christmas tree down (or cheating and buying one from the barn), to riding the berry ferry in 95-degree heat to go pick some berries, we've all had some good memories at Jones Family Farm.
4. Picking apples at Beardsley's Cider Mill & Orchard.
After picking apples, you would go inside and have a delicious cup of apple cider and a warm cider doughnut.
5. Having great food places to go to.
There's Shelton Pizza Palace, Center Deli, Royal Bakery, Sassafras, Billy D's, Plaza and Riverdale Diner, Roma's, Vincent's, Porky's...just to name a few.
6. Going to recreation soccer, baseball, or football games at the Nike Site.
Whether you were there to actually watch/play the games, or just to hang out with friends and get the awesome fried food from the two concession stands, the Nike Site was the place to be when it came to sporting events.
7. Going to the Thanksgiving Day football game.
Every year on Thanksgiving Day, Shelton High football plays against their rivals of Derby. Spoiler alert: Shelton always wins.
8. Celebrating Shelton Day.
There are many booths and vendors lined up and down Howe Ave. with crafts, food, and activities. You were guaranteed to buy some Shelton apparel to show your pride.
9. Watching the Memorial Day parade downtown
Girl scouts, boy scouts, first responders, armed forces, sports teams, and bands all marching their way through downtown Shelton, and across the bridge to Derby. Your family probably always had the perfect viewing spot where they would sit every single year.
10. Late-night trips to Riverdale Diner.
Riverdale Diner was basically the only place in Shelton open passed 10 p.m. Sadly, they have recently shortened their hours and are no longer open late at night, leaving the town nowhere to go to get an omelette at 3 a.m.
11. Concerts on the green.
Many Wednesday summer nights were spent listening to various cover bands while eating pizza or a Subway sandwich on a blanket with your friends and family.
12. Watching the fireworks on "the slab."
Residents swarmed to the annual Derby-Shelton display on the slab. There was music, food, and of course, awesome fireworks.
13. Going to driving school at Airway.
And sitting through those awful videos that were definitely filmed decades before you were born.
14. The Wiffle Ball Factory.
Yes, Shelton is home of the Wiffle Ball factory. This is the only semi-cool thing to come out of this town.
15. And lastly, always explaining to your out-of-town friends what a "Gael" is.
"I don't really know, it's just some sort of a viking."
