Four Great Fall Bike Rides in CT (for beginners)

Fall 2020 was the year of bike riding for us.  In the past, trying out some of Connecticut's bike paths were on my bucket list, but there never seemed to be enough time between school, work, extracurricular activities, and busy weekend errands.  

This year, we found the time!  Of course, when I finally made the commitment to begin scanning stores to buy Little Lewie a new bike, most stores were sold out.  (Unsurprisingly, bicycle riding had become a phenomenon in the age of COVID, especially during those early months when there were less cars on the road, and bike riding became the perfect  solution for social distancing.)  Since we weren't prepared to pay $500+ for a bike, we repurposed our old ones.  My rusty old bike got some WD-40, and my mom's bike, with the exception of having flat tires, was almost in perfect condition.  Thankfully, Little Lewie didn't care about using a "girl's bike," and he was actually quite happy with my mom's padded bike seat!

Since we are beginners when it comes to bike riding at best, we chose four great bike paths, each known for being relatively flat, paved, and scenic.  Since Lewie hadn't been on a bike in about a year (the last time was during our Yellowstone trip), he told me that he had forgotton about how much fun bike riding could be!! For me, I enjoyed the time spent with my son and the beautiful scenery around us.  Connecticut is such a beautiful state with so much variety.

Hammonasset Beach State Park - Experience Connecticut's Coast

Being "Connecticut's largest shoreline park," Hammonasset Beach State Park boats over two miles of beach with a well-paved path for walking/biking.   The path follows the beach, some marsh areas, and goes right into the campground.  Since we're beginners and like to bike at a slow, relaxed pace, the ride took us about 45 minutes to go from one side to the other and then back.  Of course, the best part of this trip is being able to enjoy the beach afterwards.  Since we went off-season, the snack bars were closed, and it was too cold for swimming, but we still had a chance to walk on the sand and take in the sights and smells of the ocean.

West Hartford Reservoir - Experience Forest and Lakes

The well-paved trail around West Hartford Reservoir was easy to follow, and we loved that it had separate lanes for walkers and bikers.  Every once in a while we'd have a stray walker veer into our territory, but a quick "Excuse us" would help us get by.  Since we're beginners, this trail was the hardest because it was slightly hilly.  A few times, I had to gasp get off my bike and walk it uphill (red face and all), but going downhill made it so worth the embarrassment!  My favorite part of this ride is when we we followed the edge of the lake before we made another exhilerating downhill turn.  The rush of the wind against our faces was fun!

Farmington River Trail: Canton to Collinsville - Experience a Small New England Mill Town

The Farmington River Trail is one of my favorites.  I've gone on many walks here, but we've never taken our bikes.  The trail is fun because it follows the beautiful Farmington River and then climbs over a cool bridge, which dumps us right into the heart of Collinsville's Historic District.  Having been a mill town since the start of the Collins Company, an axe and tool factory established in 1826, its one of the few nineteenth century manufacturing villages (out of 200+ in the State of Connecticut) that still survives and "has retained [its] historic and architectural integrity of both individual structures and their setting." (Collinsville Historic District)  The best part of this trail is that it can be combined with a fun day of learning.  Bike racks make it possible, so you can stop in Collinsville to eat and to visit the Collinsville Historical Museum, which is located right across the street. (They have a great collection of artifacts and some wonderful docents that help explain the rich history of life in New England back in the 1700's, 1800's,  and 1900's.)

While I've been to the museum before, on this particular bike trip, the museum was closed due to COVID.  However, Lewie and I were able to enjoy a delicious outside breakfast from Lasalle's Market and Deli.  Oh, and they serve ice cream any time of the day, so I may have gotten a chocolate milkshake for breakfast while Lewie feasted on some French toast and chocolate ice cream for dessert. (I can't imagine what could make a bike ride more fun!)

Farmington Canal Heritage Trail: Cheshire to Hamden - Experience an Historical Canal and Railroad Route

The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail is an 80+ mile greenway in New England.  In Connecticut, it spans 54 miles through 11 towns, running from New Haven to Suffield.  The canal heritage trail has an interesting history, especially from 1825-1848 when an actual canal was constructed as a means of water/boat transportation to bring cargo between New Haven, Connecticut and Northampton, Massachusetts. (The decision to create this canal came from the fame and success of the 363-mile Erie Canal.)  It is said, "On average the Farmington Canal was 36 feet wide and four feet deep with a 10 foot wide towpath.  The canal boats themselves were 85 feet long and were pulled along by horses or mules."  Unfortunately, the canal was poorly constructed, which meant it had leaks, and at some points, the banks collapsed.  It was never able to turn a profit, and for this reason, "the shareholders of the Farmington Canal Co. petitioned the legislature for authority to build a railroad," which would replace the commercial operations of the Canal. (History FCHT)

Admittedly, Lewie and I only had a chance to explore about four miles of this route from Cheshire to Hamden.  In this area, "the canal route" is dissected by many side roads where our riding must stop to avoid oncoming traffic.  (In some cases, no cars are coming, and we can cross without stopping.)  We usually begin our trip at Lock 12 Historical Park, which is one of the last existing places where remnants of the canal can be seen.  (A lock is a device used for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on a canal waterway). Then we proceed into Hamden before turning around to come back.  I didn't take pictures from this year's journey on the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, but here are some fun pictures from the first time we did it in 2017.  (Lewie was nine.)

There are still more bike routes to explore here in Connecticut, but so far, these are our favorites.  I hope in 2021, we'll be able to find the same time again to enjoy them like we did in 2020.

Mystic Boat Adventures - Celebrating my Hubby's 50th

2020 has certainly been the year of milestones, both good and bad.  On September 16th, Big Lew celebrated his 50th birthday--a milestone I still can't seem to fully realize, considering that I started dating my husband in 2002, when he was just 32 years old!  Back then, Big Lew (and me) looked more like this:

Now, 18 years later, we're married, have a 12 year-old son, and a puppy named Bruce.  We've lost important people in our lives but also made new long-lasting friendships.  We struggled through the pains caused by addiction and illness but also learned from them, grew, and developed a new inner strength centered on gratitude and spirituality.  We've made both monumental decisions and trivial ones, but together, we've learned to respect our differences, honor our contributions, and celebrate life's moments--both big and small.  Together, we learned that life isn't always perfect, and sometimes the most well-intentioned plans go awry, but we've also learned that sometimes life hands us these perfect moments that can never be explained other than calling them a sheer miracle.

Before the pandemic, I imagined celebrating Lew's 50th surrounded by tons of family and friends from every stage of life.  (Thanks to good ole' Facebook, Lew has managed to stay in touch with people from grammar school, high school, college, grad school, and beyond.)  More than likely, the party would have been big and maybe even a little rowdy and overwhelming.  I think it would have made Lew happy, satisfying his extraverted instinct to be the life of the party; however, on the other hand, a celebration like this might have been sure to conjure up old memories too--memories of loved ones, like his parents, that might have been too painful to remember right now.  

Life is always about surprises, and so this year, instead of hosting a party and worrying about social distancing, we decided to look on Trip Advisor for an outdoor activity instead.  We found one.  Mystic Boat Adventures offered an opportunity for us to rent our own mini-power boat for two people and be part of a tour of the Mystic River and Seaport.  Since turning 50 only happens once, we spoiled ourselves and chose the three hour sunset tour.  People who went on the adventure raved about the tour, so the closer our date came, the more excited we became.  Now instead of a party, hubby and I had a chance to go on a fun date instead--just the two of us.

Taking the day off from work, we headed out to Mystic early, partly to get something to eat and partly to make sure we were at the dock on time.  (Our ticket said very specifically that if we didn't arrive 40 minutes early, we would have to forfeit our trip.)  When we arrived, we saw that a few outdoor seafood restaurants were closed due to new "after Labor Day" hours.  However, a small little sandwich & breakfast shop called Carson's Store was open, so we happily went in to order and then eat outside on their porch.  The store was darling, and their lobster rolls and sandwiches, like a lobster BLT, were to die for.  It was situated on a quaint street in Groton, CT leading to the ocean, where all the homes surrounding it were historic, most built in the 1800s.  While waiting for our food, I couldn't help but walk up the street a little ways to admire the old homes--I even snuck in a few pictures.

Eating at Carson's was the best decision we could have made, for not only did we not get hungry during our three-hour sunset cruise, but after the tour was over, we were wet, salty and uncomfortable.  There was no way we could have mustered up the strength and energy to sit for an evening dinner.  (My makeup didn't hold up well either!)

After parking at the dock and visiting a nearby restroom, it was our time for the boat trip.  Our tour guide brought us to our mini-power boats (there were five couples in total), and then he proceeded to give us a half an hour driving lesson.  I personally didn't have an interest in driving the boat, so I spaced out during the lesson and let Lew take the reigns.  He was happy to do it.  The next thing I knew, we were off to the races.  We cruised out into the open waters, then took it down a notch to tour the Mystic River, and then it was back out into the open waters again to do donuts, figure eights, and other fun boating stunts.  I jokingly told my husband, this was a guy's trip.  If I had my own power boat tour for women, I would have most definitely kept the cruising limit at 30, so we could enjoy a nice leisurely ride with a throttle in one hand and a glass of vino in the other.  (Then again, boating and alcohol are probably not a great mix.)

My favorite part of the tour was cruising down the "Mystic River."  We didn't see much wildlife, but we saw lots of beautiful privately owned million dollar boats.  They had names like "Gratitude," "The Whit's End," "Wanderlust," "More Overtime," "Seas the Day," "Tie the Knot," and "Mystic Mermaid."  Then we drove to the historic part of the river where we had a chance to look at replicas of the Amistad and some of the oldest whaling ships in the U.S.; they were all docked at Mystic Seaport, a 19th century seafaring village and museum.  During the time of our tour, the boats and the seaport should have been packed with visitors from all over the world, but because of COVID, the whole area was eerily quiet.  

After the beautiful tour, it was time to head back out into the open waters, so the boys could "play" with the boats.  It was a bumpy and windy ride back with lots of splashing.  (My clothes, hair, and face were wet and salty after the tour.)  Once everyone calmed down from their stunts, it was time to search for a perfect spot to view the sunset.  Our tour guide took us to one place by an island with a house.  (Unfortunately, the homeowner came out and made a fuss--she felt our boats weren't giving her privacy.)  So, we left that little cove and found another.

After the sunset, we scooted back into port--a little cold, tired, and wet from our adventure.  Thankfully, there was a place to change our clothes before the 90 minute drive home.  

It might not have been an expected way to celebrate my hubby's 50th, but it sure was a memorable one.  Maybe next year, I'll surprise hubby and Little Lewie with their own Mystic Boat Adventure for Father's Day...  We shall see.

A Quiet Start to 2017

So far this year has been, well, quiet.  We met up with two of my best friends from grammar school (and their families) to welcome in the New Year, and the next day (New Year's Day), my mom treated us out to eat at our favorite restaurant--the G.W. Tavern; (the G.W. stands for George Washington).  

This weekend, it snowed and was bitter cold, but Lew and I took a drive back up to the Northwestern Hills of Connecticut for our bi-monthly date.  This time we treated ourselves to the Boathouse Restaurant in Lakeville, CT--a new favorite.

One thing that I adore about our relationship is that we both love old, rustic places--and there are plenty to be found in New England.  The G.W. Tavern was once a colonial home (circa 1850) that contains a fieldstone fireplace and hand painted murals from around that time.  We love its charm. (Many homes in the town of Washington are even older--from the 1700's.)

The historical ties of the Boathouse Restaurant building is less known.  It appears to be from the 1800's, but the town itself, Lakeville, goes back to pre-Revolutionary times.  Some of the homes around the restaurant are from the 1700's, and the prestigious Hotchkiss (Boarding) School (right around the corner) was founded in the 1890's.

Here are just a few pictures of the G.W. Tavern, courtesy of their website:

The G.W. Tavern

The G.W. Tavern w/ its fieldstone fireplace and tribute to George Washington.

Here we are on New Year's Day at the G.W.

Here are pictures of the Boathouse Restaurant...

The Boathouse Restaurant in the summer... Picture it covered in snow...

Besides being quiet, I guess the start of this year has also brought some great dining opportunities. Rarely do we get a chance to eat at our favorite restaurants two weekends in a row!  It's probably not helpful with upholding my New Year's resolutions, but the ambiance, the company, and, of course, the food is oh so good!

Leap Day

My son and I did a little research on Leap Day and Leap Year.  Here is why we have an extra day every four years: "A complete orbit of the earth around the sun takes exactly 365.2422 days to complete, but the Gregorian calendar uses 365 days.  So leap years are added as a means of keeping our clocks (and calendars) in sync with the Earth and its seasons."  (You can read more interesting facts about Leap Year from The Telegraph here.)

For me, Leap Year means an extra bonus day added to the schedule, and since bonus days should be fun, I took the day off from work, and I let Lewie take a day off from school.  (Okay, I shouldn't advertise that too loudly, but Lewie hasn't missed any days from school yet this year.)  We played chase and hide-and-go-seek inside the house; I played MineCraft with him on the Xbox (I think he became annoyed at Mommy's lack of coordination there), and when the sun finally came out (it rained in the morning), we headed outside to play and work on his school geography project. 

Since Lewie is only in first grade, he isn't required to participate in this year's geography fair.  He confuses states with countries all the time.  But then, after considering the project some more, I thought we could make the project fun and interesting by focusing on our own hometown of Beacon Falls.  In order for young children to understand more about states and countries, shouldn't they first start locally? 

He had questions like, "Is there a president of Beacon Falls, and how many people live in our town?"  We didn't complete the entire project on Leap Day, but we did get a good start.  When the rain stopped, we hopped in our car and went to visit our Town Hall, library, churches, the train stop, and of course, our local parks (where Lewie spent the majority of his day on the swings). 

We still have more places to visit such as the fire station, police station, and senior center, but I must say we accomplished a lot in one day, and Lewie learned what it's like to meet people and ask important questions.  Besides taking regular still photos, Lewie brought his video camera and asked for a few interviews; my favorite is with our First Selectman.  (It needs to be edited somewhat, but Lewie did well for his first time.)

Here's what it's like to live in our little town...(in no particular order).

The Train Stop - This train runs to Bridgeport and then onto NYC.

Toby's Pond (One of our three town parks)

The Rimmon School House; this small building was one of the first two schools in our town. 
There must have only been about twenty children back then!

Entering our Town Hall.

Lewie posing with our First Selectman

Our library (inside the Town Hall).

St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church.
(This is my church from childhood, and now it's Lewie's.)

Lewie's elementary school.  (I went there as a child too.)

Our other church in town.  We often have our Cub Scout Pack Meetings in the basement.

Our favorite park in town - Matthies Park. 

The park used to be a summer residence for a prominent and affluent industrialist in the area. 
When he died, he gave the land to the town.

This was the summer residence, which now is an abandoned house on an island.

This is the way to the playground.

The falls inside the park.
(When I was little, I used to sit on this bridge and make a wish.)

Yes, we made Leap Day fun this year (and maybe even a little educational).  The geography fair will happen in a few weeks.  Wish us luck on the final project!