Bangin' The Hartford Gun Club Oldest Gun Club in America, East Granby & Windsor There are very few pages out of the (literally!) thousands here on CTMQ where I don't actually do the thing I'm writing about. This is one of those rare pages and I'm not even a little bit sore about it. Okay, maybe I am a … [Read more...]
Lake Basile
BaSilly Lake Basile East Granby, Granby, Simsbury I'm sorry, for those of you familiar with tiny Lake Basile. I know right now you're wondering why in the world it features on this website. It's a little pond (not a lake) choked with vegetation that no one really thinks about. I get it, I do. There's just … [Read more...]
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail: Section 1
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Massachusetts border to Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury (~11 miles) June/July 2020 Annnnd away we go! Definitely one of Connecticut's top few bike paths... greenways, rails-to-trails trails... whatever we call them. It bisects the state, right down the middle from Suffield to New Haven. … [Read more...]
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Intro
Farmington Canal Heritage Trail Massachusetts border (Suffield) to New Haven The summer of 2020 - the pandemic summer of 2020 - sort of forced my son Calvin and I to begin riding Connecticut's rails-to-trails in earnest. Nothing was open for visits in any normal way, so why not ride our bikes. Unfortunately, Calvin … [Read more...]
Cowles Park
Don't be Cowled Cowles Park, East Granby May 2019 Before setting out at Cowles Park, whether on foot or on mountain bike, just know that you will take a wrong turn somewhere. You won't get lost in any real sense, but you will get confused. (If you get lost in a real sense, your sense of direction needs some work, … [Read more...]
Newgate WMA
Hunting for Trail Newgate Wildlife Management Area, East Granby May 2019 When I set out to explore Connecticut’s wildlife management areas, I don’t ever have high hopes. I think that only one champions its hiking: (Sessions Woods in Burlington). Most are just plots of land to be used for hunting, birding, and/or … [Read more...]
Brignole Vineyards
!!!! Brignole Vineyards, East Granby May, 2019 Brignole Vineyards is very excited. And they have reason to be; while relatively new to the local winery scene, Brignole immediately vaulted to being one of the most exciting to visit if only for their beautiful building alone. I suppose when you're located on the … [Read more...]
Tariffville Gorge Cascades
Not Too Taxing Tariffville Gorge Cascades Simsbury & East Granby According to one map, I just learned that the Farmington River through Simsbury and East Granby is actually entirely Simsbury’s. Huh. That’s not usually the case - and I'm not sure it's accurate anyway. Something I’ve known now for several years is … [Read more...]
ELT: Tariffville Gorge
An Ever Source of Confusion Tariffville Gorge, East Granby April 2019 The Eversource Land Trust is one of those entities that sort of exists on the fringes of CTMQ-land. It's real, and it's exactly what it sounds like: the massive utility company puts some land here and there into trust. Then they pretend they are … [Read more...]
EGLT: 4 Okay Hikes
If You Can't Trust a Land Trust... Part 2 East Granby Land Trust, East Granby April 2019 Ian Clarke Preserve (Formerly Newgate Farms) Eastfield Farms Great Marsh Pond Meadow (Formerly Pond Lane) A lot of land in East Granby has been set aside for recreation. And recreation in my case almost always means … [Read more...]