Ellington: Complete! Chuck Wagon Restaurant Here is my list of everything I've done in Ellington! I’m very excited to write this page. This is the 14th of what may ultimately be 169 town completion celebration pages! Yes, of course I am fully aware of how absurd that is. Send your condolences to my wife and … [Read more...]
Nordic Moon Meadery
Pretty Lo Ki Nordic Moon Meadery, Ellington April 2019 What you're reading right now is a placeholder of sorts. As I write this in August 2019, Nordic Moon's tasting room is not yet open. I don't know when it will be open. It might be open when you're reading this... or maybe it never opened. If and when it does … [Read more...]
The Scandinavian Gift Shop
Scandi Candi Ain't So Dandi The Scandinavian Gift Shop, Ellington April 2019 In April 2019 I totally planned to visit this place and write a page about it. In May 2019 I totally scrapped that idea because really, it’s just a store that sells stuff and I didn’t visit with the owner present or during one of its … [Read more...]
Connecticut Valley Distillery (RIP)
Smuggler's Done Connecticut Valley Distillery (RIP), Ellington RIP 2018 You have found yourself on (yet another) page on CTMQ that exists for no other reason than to satisfy my list-completion OCD. I not only never visited the Connecticut Valley Distillery, I never drank any of its signature Smuggler’s Rum. I … [Read more...]
Kimball Trail & Batz Property
Batz&*^% Crazy! Kimball Trail & Batz Property, Ellington April 2019 Please don't be alarmed. Yes, I'm combining two trails, miles apart from each other, onto one page. I don't even know why I'm doing this, as it's not often that I do. Both properties are owned by the town of Ellington, both (more or less) have one … [Read more...]
NCLT: Ernie Boothroyd Nature Preserve
Finding Balance Balanced Rock Trail, Ernie Boothroyd Preserve, Northern CT Land Trust Ellington After finding the trailhead here, out in the far eastern reaches of the Ellington panhandle, I was immediately struck by how nice the sign was. It's clearly quite new, but the creator used some great fonts and the … [Read more...]
NCLT: Swann Farm
My Swann Song (For a Week or Two) Northern Connecticut Land Trust (NCLT): Swann Farm, Ellington 0.5 miles, March 2019 Normally, I would write up a half-mile hike, hit publish, link it at the appropriate places, not really tell anyone, and call it a day. But this half-mile hike, which is certainly not a hike I'd … [Read more...]
Hockanum River Trail: Windemere Avenue
That's Some Kinda Bridge Hockanum River Trails: Windemere Avenue ~1.3 miles one way, March 2019 If you are reading these Hockanum River Trails south to north, you have already read the Dart Hills North Trail page. If you haven’t, it’s a fun one and you should. I’ll wait. We’ve made it. All the way up to the … [Read more...]
Cold Creek Brewery & Tavern
Cold Creek Brewery & Tavern Ellington Multiple 2015-2019 visits With the explosion of breweries in Connecticut between 2012 and (at least) 2020, there were bound to be some weird bumps along the way. One such weird bump is Cold Creek in Ellington. The brewery appeared to be fairly successful; operating like any … [Read more...]
Metcalf Nature Preserve
I Met a Calf Metcalf Nature Preserve, Ellington ~0.75 miles, March 2019 Regarding my title above, I didn't actually meet a calf on this hike. But since it's in Ellington, you believed me, didn't you? Of course you did. Ellington is one of Connecticut's fastest growing towns which means there are new houses … [Read more...]