Hidden in Plain Sight

The art of discovering cultural and natural treasures in everyday landscapes, whether in Connecticut or elsewhere.

“The essays and photographs take readers on a point-by-point journey to reveal the rich stories behind many of Connecticut’s overlooked landmarks, from the Merritt Parkway and Cornwall’s Cathedral Pines to roadside rock art and centuries old milestones.” -Connecticut Explored

In the course of the mundane routines of life, we encounter a variety of landscapes and objects, either ignoring them or looking without interest at what appears to be just a tree, stone, anonymous building, or dirt road. But the “deep traveler,” according to Hartford Courant essayist David K. Leff, doesn't make this mistake. Instead, the commonplace elements become the most important. By learning to see the magic in the mundane, we not only enrich daily life with a sense of place, we are more likely to protect and make those places better. Over his many years working at the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and writing about the state’s landscape, Leff gained unparalleled intimacy while traveling its byways and back roads. In Hidden in Plain Sight, Leff’s essays and photographs take us on a point-by-point journey, revealing the rich stories behind many of Connecticut’s overlooked landmarks, from the Merritt Parkway and Cornwall's Cathedral Pines to roadside rock art and centuries-old milestones.

“Leff’s meditative exploration inveigles and delights.” -John R. Stilgoe, Harvard University

“Though the eyes of the 'deep traveler,' things we experience every day driving and hiking through Connecticut, from roadside rock art to old growth forests, take on new meaning. My recommendation: Hop onboard and take the journey!” —Nicholas F. Bellantoni, Connecticut State Archaeologist