The Great Park Pursuit

The Great Park pursuit kicked off last Saturday harmlessly enough at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison where we spent a brief but pleasant afternoon and afterwards heading over to Guilford to visit the Henry Whitfield State Museum, Connecticut's oldest house and New England's oldest stone house. Basically what you would call a relaxed family day together.
Fast forward to today, started out well enough. Park #2 in our pursuit is Salmon River State Forest which is especially fabulous being as it is only a 5 minute drive from home.
We go here often so the required letterbox clue should be a piece of cake; we did the Petroglyph letterbox series New Years Day 2007.
After stamping in the second box one of us (OK it was me) decided that instead of hiking out the way we came in why not do the loop? Ha, almost 3 hours later, the last hour complete with rain, we ended up at Day Pond!
Thank God for cell phones, not ours we don't have one, but a fisherman did and we called the inlaws who rescued us complete with muffled laughter all the way back to our car.
Well I really can not complain, getting lost with my two favorite guys in the whole wide world is not really a bust and oh my golly, this is a beautiful forest, you should be so lucky as to spend time lost in here!

Yep, he's a Yankee alright!

The temps were in the high 60's on Thursday and Mason said he was hot. A few minutes later he appeared all decked out in his new swim trunks with hose and sprinkler in hand. Notice there are no leaves on the trees, that the garden has yet to be planted? Small details meant to be ignored people; even blue lips and I mean purple blue did not dissaude this boy from spending just about all day Thursday and Friday in and out of that sprinkler!

Mystic Seaport

Today was Educators Day at Mystic Seaport, one of our favorite living museums. Highlight of the day; Mason making rope, easily identifiable from other rope due to his signature; 2 strands of purple entwined with the sisal. Bonus, he got to bring home his rope!

Airline Trail

Mason invited his grandfather to hike with us down the East Hampton end of the Airline Trail today and Pop Pop was very agreeable to the suggestion. So was I! About 1/2 mile in and Jim turned around and headed back out while Mason and I finished the 3 miles to the Bull Hill Rd section of the trail in Colchester where at the end Pop Pop was waiting with his chariot to take us home, yea, it's easy enough going in, its all downhill!

Salmon River State Forest

The sun is out, Jon is in Virginia and Mason and I were hot to get out of the house.
So off to Salmon River State Forest we went for a little letterboxing and Blackledge River fun.
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=322798&depNav_GID=1631
Letterbox #20 is ours!

Easter Week Special

Beth and children arrived late Saturday evening just in time to spend Easter Sunday with her ever so happy mom. The week has been full and busy starting with the whole family worshiping together Sunday morning, picking up after the Easter Bunny and a scrumptous Easter dinner at Jon's parents house.
Monday the kids and I went ice skating in Cromwell with a detour to Kid City on the way home in Middletown. Tuesday we spent the day in Mystic at the Aquarium. Wednesday was a beautiful almost 60 degree day so off to Hurd Park for a little letterboxing and hike. Thursday the destination was Imagine Nation museum in Bristol and our grand finale today was New Haven; the Peabody and Ikea, Beth had never been to either one!
They leave early tomorrow morning, Mason and I both shall be aimless for the next few days trying to figure out what to do next.
I miss them already.

Timber Rattlesnake Country

May thru October is prime Timber Rattlesnake season in the Meshomasic State Forest so we decided to visit in March for a little hiking & letterboxing over in the Portland/Glastonbury section. A bit windy & chilly but still a good day to be outside and no 'Crotalus horridus' encounters!
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=322834&depNav_GID=1631

Located right down the road is the old Portland Nike Site, (Surface to Air Missile Battery intended to shoot down enemy bombers during the Cold War), where we went next to do some exploring. This was one of the maintenance access shafts that has been filled in although it looks like someone has been busy trying to dig it back out.