Star's Hollow ~ The Gilmore Girls

[ariel2007]

I don't find Celebration to be like Stars Hollow. It's nice, but to many tourists and too commercial. They try very hard to keep the small town feel, but it just doesn't work for me.

Yes its a shame its not as perfect. I love the Main Street area, and the houses are kind of picture perfect, but it did kind of lack atmosphere. I would love to see it during the holidays though

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Here is a thread I wrote about a quintessential New England town, it's a party my dad throws every year in October. This is Stars Hollow...well, really it's Blink and You Miss It, Connecticut but you get the jist.....

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1617672

Cast of characters:
Me - picture taker and food server
DH - aka chili man
Mom - The hostess with the mostest
Dad - The man of the hour
the kids - the laborers, gophers (go for this, go for that), and over all great kids

I awaken at sunny dark, as the kids would say, to the sound of DH's alarm, ANK, ANK, ANK!! Imagine the alarm at a nuclear power plant right before a melt down. Yeah that's the sound.
Wait a minute, didn't I just close my eyes???? UH HUH, 7 am comes early for those who go to bed at 2. However the bonus to finishing up chili at 2 is it's still warm at 7, and 9, and 11. But more on that later.

It was a dark and stormy night.... oh wait, sorry, that was the night before. It was a great big beautiful tomorrow (bonus points if you can name that ride). The sun was shining, the trees were bountiful with colors of autumn, it was a beautiful, crisp, chilly, New Engl....... hold on....... stop the presses.... it was 78º outside on October 21,2007. What is wrong with this picture??? It was a beautiful, hot, sunny, New England Day.


It's 8 am and the kids are up, dressed, and out the door, before the morning coffee is finished. There is work to do, wood, to be stacked, and people are already arriving. Now to get the idea of how this little shindig works, I live next door to my parents, my house was built by the son of a previous owner of their house, see where this is going. It's a family thing, anywho, I have a field in the back of my house owned by the nephew of the people who built my house, see I told you where it was going but you wouldn't listen would you. Now because my dad and all his friends have big toys like cars, steam engines, boats and the like, all modern cars park at my house and the cool stuff gets to go to his house. Go figure...

Around 10 DH and I make 2 trips from my house to Mom's with 10 gallons of chili, that would be:
6 pounds of hamburger
6 pounds of ground pork
2 pounds of bacon
1 pound of sausage
15 cans of black beans
15 cans of Dark red Kidney beans
9 large cans of diced tomatoes
4 cans of tomato sauce
spices (secret family recipe) I'd tell ya, but I'd have to kill ya
tobasco
red hot
garlic
cilantro
and various liquids (falls under the need to know secret category)

enough to feed an army, trust me! Mom made her world famous turkey soup, she is up to 3 soup pots and 4 turkeys. Plus all the goodies other people bring, bread, donuts, cakes, cookies, pies, side dishes, you name it, it was there. I don't think I will need to cook for a week.

At 11 people start filing in, we're hungry. Well sorry people lunch is in 1 hour, mumble mumble grumble. Hey, there is a ton of food in the dining room, go graze or something. Guys, there were a few men who never left the dining room, I kid you not. Every flat surface in that room was covered by food, it was on the table, extras were stored under the table, the benches and chairs were covered with food too. And that didn't count the food and drinks in the kitchen.

High noon - I send DH, aka chili man, out to announce "Foods on" He is loud, it's the irish in him, it works well in situations like these. Then the word gets back to the steam whistle guy so he toots the whistle, well really it's more like a whoooooohhh sound, it's loud too. I wish I had sound effects capability here. AHA! try here but turn it up real loud, warn the kids, DH's, DW's and the dog, http://www.crosby-steam.com/sounds/4crcr3s.wav
The way that the kitchen is laid out works great for this, the back door is right behind the stove and to the left, there is a 1/2 wall that divides the stove and the door. so picture the line at a cafeteria, they come in the door, get hot food, file into the dining room, circle the table and head back out. It's great and as long as you don't mind the dining room being like a bus ride back from the Magic Kingdom.
We were hoppin' one person serving soup, one person serving chili, we could not dish it out fast enough, the food was gone, gone, gone, in 45 minutes! By our bowl count we served over 350 people, but I'm fairly sure there were more than that there.

1pm I get to eat, anything but chili. I taste tested and smelled chili for 2 days, there is no way I'm touching the stuff. I did have some today though. We always set aside some for us since DH only makes it once a year.

We had an auction, my dad's friend is an auctioneer so he sold steam engines outside the big barn. As I was walking by, the first engine sold for $180 so I think they did really well. We also have a guy that makes t-shirts for the party and sells them for $10 a piece. He gives us the money to donate to charity, we made $380 for ST Jude's.
Anyway, all in all it was a fantabulous day. Here are some pics to get an idea of what life is like on a daily basis around here.

steam tractor

classic cars by the little barn

classic cars by the front of the house and road

the green Model T is my dad's

the back yard and big barn. the auction was just starting now

steam boat, very cool, but not as cool as the African Queen which was here one year.

steam tractor in motion

steam table with miniature steam engines

one of the trucks in the front yard

Thanks for lookin!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Yes its a shame its not as perfect. I love the Main Street area, and the houses are kind of picture perfect, but it did kind of lack atmosphere. I would love to see it during the holidays though

I've never been to Celebration I don't see how it could work either. Like ChrizJen's town, the backdrop is there but it's really all about the people that live there. They make the town what it is.
My dad had a friend, Dave, he was amazing. He was this gruff grey haired ol' ninny of a thing that would raze you about everything. But is was so cool and kind and if you needed a cord of wood he would bring it, and if you were stuck in a snow bank he would pull you out. He had the hardest shell of any man I know but once you got inside you were tucked in his heart forever. He was Stars Hollow.

 

[ariel2007]

Wow Buffy that looks so cool. I would love to hold a party or go to a party like that, it sounds so cool. And for people to own all those boats and steam engines, thats something different.

New England sounds really good to me. Whenever I see or hear things about it it always seems so typically American. And you get proper seasons, with snow and all. I think we should create a Stars Hollow in CT, and your Dad could have his party there every year.

 

[ariel2007]

I've never been to Celebration I don't see how it could work either. Like ChrizJen's town, the backdrop is there but it's really all about the people that live there. They make the town what it is.
My dad had a friend, Dave, he was amazing. He was this gruff grey haired ol' ninny of a thing that would raze you about everything. But is was so cool and kind and if you needed a cord of wood he would bring it, and if you were stuck in a snow bank he would pull you out. He had the hardest shell of any man I know but once you got inside you were tucked in his heart forever. He was Stars Hollow.

Yes I agree, I suppose if we had a Stars Hollow we would have to make sure the right people only lived there. People who were friendly and had community spirit. I would so love to live in a place like that, where everyone knows each other, where everyone helps each other out, where they have big community festivals and parties

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Works for me!! But you can keep the snow, I hate it!! LOL
Maybe a dusting every now and then but not the 12 inches of slush, mush, and ice. Blech!!

but if you are in the area on October 25th 2009, swing on by!

 

[ariel2007]

Works for me!! But you can keep the snow, I hate it!! LOL
Maybe a dusting every now and then but not the 12 inches of slush, mush, and ice. Blech!!

but if you are in the area on October 25th 2009, swing on by!

He he thanks, that would be so cool. But your about 3000 miles away

Its funny you mention the snow. I love, love, love Bill Bryson and in one of his books he writes about how cold it gets in the winter and how much snow there is in NE. Until then I always wondered how anyone could complain about snow, I love it , but then 12 inches is a bit excessive.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Yes I agree, I suppose if we had a Stars Hollow we would have to make sure the right people only lived there. People who were friendly and had community spirit. I would so love to live in a place like that, where everyone knows each other, where everyone helps each other out, where they have big community festivals and parties

but there is also a down side to that kind of town. Like where I live, everyone in towns knows your business. Heck, everyone knows what you had for breakfast by 10 am. If you are a private person, or have secrets, etc this is not the place to be.
Our town doesn't really have big festivals because we are divided by a very busy state road but there are other towns around that do have lots of great festivals and street parties and such. Sadly we don't have a town center like Stars Hollow, that is the key part of having that community based theme.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

He he thanks, that would be so cool. But your about 3000 miles away

Its funny you mention the snow. I love, love, love Bill Bryson and in one of his books he writes about how cold it gets in the winter and how much snow there is in NE. Until then I always wondered how anyone could complain about snow, I love it , but then 12 inches is a bit excessive.

3000 miles is nothing! LOL That's only about a 6 hour flight right?

12 inches is nothing either. You just need a 4 wheel drive truck or SUV. The year I met DH I had spent the night at my Best Friends house because we were going to go to the mall in Holyoke Massachusetts I wake up to HOLY S***!!! We had 26 inches of fresh snow over the 12 we already had. And it had iced over too. We drove up to my parents house, parked down the road and had to hike in knee deep snow to get to his house. The driveway had 6 inches if ice skimming the snow so we had to get garden hoes and axes to break the ice in blocks so dad could snow blow the rest of it. It took 6 adults, 6 hours to dig out.

Let me see if I can find a pic from last winter.

oh and I don't mind the snow as long as you don't have to go anywhere. It's the digging out I can't stand.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Here is a 150 year old Maple Tree that we have in our front yard

my mom's house

across the street

ice in the trees and on the grass

 

[ariel2007]

3000 miles is nothing! LOL That's only about a 6 hour flight right?

12 inches is nothing either. You just need a 4 wheel drive truck or SUV. The year I met DH I had spent the night at my Best Friends house because we were going to go to the mall in Holyoke Massachusetts I wake up to HOLY S***!!! We had 26 inches of fresh snow over the 12 we already had. And it had iced over too. We drove up to my parents house, parked down the road and had to hike in knee deep snow to get to his house. The driveway had 6 inches if ice skimming the snow so we had to get garden hoes and axes to break the ice in blocks so dad could snow blow the rest of it. It took 6 adults, 6 hours to dig out.

Let me see if I can find a pic from last winter.

oh and I don't mind the snow as long as you don't have to go anywhere. It's the digging out I can't stand.

It would probably be about 8-9 hours flight, so not that bad. But quite a long way for a party none the less

Crickey I thought 12 inches of snow was a lot, but 26 . Were lucky if we get about 3 at a push over here. And by the time it lays it just starts to melt again. And if you do get a chance to go out and play in it by the time you get there everyone has already been playing and its now just mush and ice . I really want to experience real snow for once, have you had any there yet?

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

No, no snow yet. We usually don't get much snow until December. We live close enough to the coast that conditions need to be just right for us to get a lot of snow. Those who live in North Western CT get more snow because they are up in the mountains.

 

[ariel2007]

No, no snow yet. We usually don't get much snow until December. We live close enough to the coast that conditions need to be just right for us to get a lot of snow. Those who live in North Western CT get more snow because they are up in the mountains.

Those pictures are so cool. The snow looks so beautiful and perfect. And the house looks lovely, very quaint.

How far from the coast do you live then . And have you heard of Des Moines?

I suppose living in a close knit town may be annoying with the whole privacy thing after a while. But if you haven't been brought up somewhere like that I think it would be a blessing to move to a close knit community. I would love it. I would love to be able to go to some traditional American town festivals and fayres, and see the more country places at times like Fall and harvest. I want to go apple picking and to pumpkin patches, experience Thanksgiving and see NE in the fall and winter. Theres so much in the US I want to see and experience, I don't know where to start

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Those pictures are so cool. The snow looks so beautiful and perfect. And the house looks lovely, very quaint.

How far from the coast do you live then . And have you heard of Des Moines?

I suppose living in a close knit town may be annoying with the whole privacy thing after a while. But if you haven't been brought up somewhere like that I think it would be a blessing to move to a close knit community. I would love it. I would love to be able to go to some traditional American town festivals and fayres, and see the more country places at times like Fall and harvest. I want to go apple picking and to pumpkin patches, experience Thanksgiving and see NE in the fall and winter. Theres so much in the US I want to see and experience, I don't know where to start

we're about 30 minutes from the ocean and close enough to Hartford (our capital) to drive there without hassle but far enough out that we are in the country. The house in the pics is my mom's it's a 1730 Cape style house. We have spent 25 years restoring it.

Yep, I've heard of Des Moines, it's in Iowa which is really far away from us. I don't think we've ever been to Iowa, I'd have to ask my dad. We've driven across country 6 times I think and we zig zagged up and down to get as many states as we could. I've lived in New Jersey, Hawaii, California, Georgia, and Connecticut and I still like Connecticut the best, except for winter. LOL But you can't beat the fall, the colors are amazing.

One of the things I like about living in this town is the fact that when I drive the boys to school every other car I pass is another parent or towns person I know, and we wave. It's a pretty friendly town, some families have lived here for 200+ years so there is history here as well.

The toughest thing and the greatest thing about visiting the US is the diversity of each state. It is so hard to decide where to start because everything changes. Maine is famous for their fishing, Vermont for their mountain trails, trees, and maple syrup, Massachusetts you need to go to a Red Sox games but out west you have Berkshire Mountains, and don't forget Boston, Rhode Island has Newport and all the big mansions like the Rockefellers, Connecticut has the casinos, the quiet corner with antique shops and bistros and Mystic Seaport which is a replica whaling village, there are tons of towns that look a lot like Stars Hollow and have stores like Luke's and Lane's moms antique store.
New York has the city but then if you head to Lake Placid, where the Olympics were held, it's totally different. New Jersey you have the shore, Pennsylvania you have Amish country, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh. Etc,
It would take years to go through all of it. But you take it one state at a time, but if you ever do get here I do recommend New England in the fall. There is no other place like it. I would do a driving tour starting in Maine since the fall foliage starts there and end here in Connecticut.


So where are you from??

 

[Tinker74]

Those pictures are so cool. The snow looks so beautiful and perfect. And the house looks lovely, very quaint.

How far from the coast do you live then . And have you heard of Des Moines?

I suppose living in a close knit town may be annoying with the whole privacy thing after a while. But if you haven't been brought up somewhere like that I think it would be a blessing to move to a close knit community. I would love it. I would love to be able to go to some traditional American town festivals and fayres, and see the more country places at times like Fall and harvest. I want to go apple picking and to pumpkin patches, experience Thanksgiving and see NE in the fall and winter. Theres so much in the US I want to see and experience, I don't know where to start

LOL..You sound just like me! ..I lOVE the USA!...but I live in the UK like you..

I would emigrate tomorrow ...but..My DS is 16 now and doing his GCSEs..after that it will be A levels..then UNI...And then my DD will be starting her GCSEs...I can't leave once the kids are grown because I would never live in another country to my kids..

My DH works in london for an American bank and could possibly transfer..But we can't ...so sad..

I dream of a lovely american town..

How about you Ariel?...You and your BF are young enough to make the leap before kids come along...have you thought about it?

 

[ariel2007]

LOL..You sound just like me! ..I lOVE the USA!...but I live in the UK like you..

I would emigrate tomorrow ...but..My DS is 16 now and doing his GCSEs..after that it will be A levels..then UNI...And then my DD will be starting her GCSEs...I can't leave once the kids are grown because I would never live in another country to my kids..

My DH works in london for an American bank and could possibly transfer..But we can't ...so sad..

I dream of a lovely american town..

How about you Ariel?...You and your BF are young enough to make the leap before kids come along...have you thought about it?

I would absolutely love to move over there, and my bf and I have talked about it on several occasions. The problem is I am really close with my family and don't think I could live that far from them and not see them regularly. The thing is my parents and little sister would love to move there too but my Mum won't leave my older sister and she doesn't want too . And then theres my grandparents.
And if we were going to move I would never know where to move to, there are so many beautiful places, how do you choose

You should just convince your kids that after they are all done at Uni that they really want to move to the US. I'm sure that shouldn't be too hard, just showcase all the wonderful things the US has to offer

 

[ariel2007]

Guess whats on today.... The Gilmore Girls. And 3 episodes in a row none-the-less . I have seen the first one in the week but I don't mind it means I get to see more of Star's Hollow looking all beautiful covered in snow. And one of them has Christopher in, which apparently causes problems with Lorelai and Luke, so I will have to see what happens there

 

[ariel2007]

Well I'm back from my mini Star's Hollow binge. Unfortunately I had seen them all in the week I guess they just repeat at weekends. But it was still good to see. And the ones they are playing just make me want to live in Star's Hollow even more . There must be somewhere out there like it

 

[HARASW]

I mean pathetic because it's so over, and we have nothing but memories and reruns.

But it's a good pathetic. Boy would I love to have someone give me the set this Christmas.

I didn't really think that you meant it in a bad way. I really do understand because I myself am a huge fan!!
I hope you find a beautifully wrapped set under your tree!

 

[HARASW]

Well I'm back from my mini Star's Hollow binge. Unfortunately I had seen them all in the week I guess they just repeat at weekends. But it was still good to see. And the ones they are playing just make me want to live in Star's Hollow even more . There must be somewhere out there like it

Yes, I think the weekend episodes are repeats from during the week. But, I never mind it. I could watch them over again and again.