Let's Get Hoppin' Colonial Road to Bolton Notch State Park, 6.9 Miles Manchester, Vernon, Bolton, June 2020 Alright, let's get going with this thing. 20.2 miles of graded stone dust trail from the center of Manchester east to the Airline Trail in Windham. (I suppose I should mention that means Calvin and I will … [Read more...]
Hop River State Park Trail: Section 2
Spurring Adventure Rockville Spur, 3.7 Miles Vernon, June 2020 I first began chronicling these rails-to-trails trails when my son Calvin could join me. I sort of ignored them for a many previous years until I realized that several are actually Connecticut state parks... and since I'm visiting every Connecticut … [Read more...]
Andover Memorial Bridge
Take a Gap 12 Years Andover Gap/Memorial Bridge Andover Quick! What's the hottest, hippest, and coolest thing in all of Andover, Connecticut? You guessed it, it's the little covered bridge over Hebron Road, just off of route 6 and next to the town's history museum. Yes, Connecticut has two "really real" … [Read more...]
Hop River State Park Trail: Section 3
Another Notch in Our Belts Bolton Notch State Park to Parker Bridge Road, 8.5 Miles Bolton, Coventry, & Andover, May 2020 As Calvin and I rode the first mile or so of this section of the Hop River State Park Trail, I pondered aloud, "This may be one of the coolest stretches of Rails-to-Trails in all of … [Read more...]
Bolton Notch State Park Intro
Bolton Notch State Park Bolton & Vernon It's funny when you realize after 14 years of writing this website and hiking all around the state that there's more to do at a state park you thought you'd entirely explored already. Such is the case here, at Bolton Notch. Now, granted, I like to find and write … [Read more...]
Hop River State Park Trail: Section 4
Hoppin’ Cold Parker Bridge Road to Willimantic River, 4.1 Miles Andover, Coventry & Columbia, November 2019 I used to race. Bicycles. Road race. For years. I raced for UConn back in the early 1990’s which meant I used to train in cold weather. I used to race in cold weather. I can’t count how many times I … [Read more...]
Hop River State Park Trail Intro
A Hop, Skip, and... a Bike Pump 20 Miles, Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Manchester and Vernon For years this page existed to tell readers that I wouldn’t be completing the Hop River State Park Trail. Then my son got a bike and liked to ride it. Then I got a bike and I liked to ride it. Then I got a bike … [Read more...]
TSTL’17.2: Bolton Notch State Park
The Sky's the Limit 2017 Hiking Challenge #2 Bolton Notch State Park, Bolton February 19, 2017 We were so emboldened by yesterday's 2017 TSTL kick-off hike that we decided to do another one the very next day. I drove the boys up to Bolton Notch State Park; a place I'd been to a few times before. I mention … [Read more...]
Shenipsit Trail: Section 3
Section 3: A Seriously Mixed Bag Manchester, Bolton, Vernon, ~ 12.2 miles March 14, 2010 I’m glad I had a partner for this hike – the learned Dennis Paul Himes (trailname: Cumulus) – or else I may have gone crazy. For this is one very strange stretch of the Shenipsit. Four towns, 3 town parks, 2 state … [Read more...]