"Under the bridge downtown I could not get enough"…read more(Red Hot Chili Peppers) We took the southern route on the hiking path today. The path is wide, flat, paved, free of rocks, tree roots or debris, and definitely low impact. The best view was at the beginning, when we made a right turn by the boat launch. That was the best water view we saw all afternoon, except for a few slivers of the river we saw through the tree line. It was a very pleasant walk, maybe two miles or so to the end of the path and back to the boat launch. There wasn't a lot of scenery, except for the trees and some scattered benches. Whenever the path neared the water, we could hear boat engines of visitors enjoying the beautiful weather on the water. We also smelled food grilling and heard some music down on the shore, although we couldn't see anything. It was a calm, easy walk to the end and back to the boat launch and a cool view of the Bissel Bridge. Next time, we'll head north and see what that route holds in store for us.

Came here with my dog and it's a quick 30 minute paved walk along the water…read more It's a boat launch during the summer, but it was pretty empty during this time a year Picnic tables along the route. Prey clean minis the parking lot

The owner is just a complete and total jerk in my opinion and that makes dealing with them very…read morestressful and upsetting. Everything is an argument, everything is a hassle, everything is based around it being a problem for him and them. He always wants you to know how much he is doing for you and what a pain you are with your boat. I cannot stand this kind of self-referential person and for this reason I would just never return to buy a boat here. In the end I decided to get a new boat because dealing with this place is so misery inducing and the owner is just too much. You must know that if you buy a boat you need a strong dealer to back you up and with A&S you have the opposite. Run don't walk.

I recently purchased a new 23' recreational runabout & ski boat at A&S Boats. The experience far…read moreexceed all expectations. These people listened to my requirements for quality, performance as well as adequate seating for a large family and friends. We decided on a 23' Chaparral with a 250 Yamaha VMax. (The beast does 59MPH at 5900rpm - Redline is 6000) Massive pulling torque too for skiers) Having been boating for over 40 years and having owned multiple boats, I have much experience regarding overall performance, quality & related customer service. I'd like to say the sales experience was top notch. Having spent about 10 hours with the new boat the thing exceeds all expectations. The motor is a torque machine, a beast and so quiet! The handling is incredibly smooth and stable. The hull is the best I've ever experienced! Overall quality of hardware, accessories and trim are excellent. During the sales process the entire staff (Sales, Parts, Service) was excellent. Everyone was highly communicative via email, phone & text. Very easy to talk to real people who actually care and return calls in the most courteous and professional way. One special event that occurred right after delivery was I "short turned" the trailer and gouged the side of my brand new boat! Ughhh. I went crawling back to A&S expecting to be treated like a burden, having committed such a "freshman" move. Was I ever wrong. Both the owner, service manager and my salesman (Captain Joe) made me feel like a normal human being. They shared equally embarrassing personal stories which really put me at ease. They followed up by putting my boat as a top priority and, working late and extra hours hours (in the middle of their busiest season!!) returned my boat within days looking brand new! If I had been sent to a fiberglass shop I'd have waited 4-6 weeks missing much of the short New England Season. I could go on. In short, this dealer is straightforward, honest, hardworking and highly professional providing the best customer service I've ever received. I highly recommend considering A&S Boats for all your boating sale, service and parts needs. These people are true professionals under the excellent leadership of Mark, the owner.

The Farmington River Watershed Association was founded in 1953 to protect the Farmington River and…read moreits coastline. It covers an impressive area of 600+ square miles in CT and MA that includes 33 towns and seven recreational areas. All those square miles can accumulate quite a bit of unwanted trash, so once a year the Association holds an Annual River Clean-Up for volunteers to clean up what our thoughtless neighbors have tossed aside. Today, we were part of a massive 250 person swarm of those volunteers from across the Farmington Valley. We signed in at the Association office and were offered breakfast; fresh bagels and cream cheese (courtesy of Brookside Bagels) and coffee (courtesy of Starbucks). We chatted with some of the other volunteers and noticed a group of 8 kids who were there for a birthday party. The birthday girl was 9 years old today. How cool is that? We received our work gloves and trash bags and set off for our destination. Some of the places that were targeted for clean-up were the Tariffville Gorge, Curtis Park, and Iron Horse Rails to Trails. We headed over to Curtis Park, and walked the soccer fields, brush and shoreline. Scraps of paper, cigarette boxes, soda and beer bottles and cans, Dunkin Donuts cups and bags all found a home in our trash bags. One thing that didn't make its way into our bag (hell, we couldn't even lift it!) was a humongous truck tire and rim that some considerate litterer dumped near the shoreline so nature lovers wouldn't back into it while parking their vehicles. Curtis Park wasn't too bad for litter, so we headed over to the Tariffville Gorge where we found a more generous bounty of trash. While the litterers at Curtis Park mostly seemed to be beer drinkers, the litterers at the Gorge seemed to prefer hard liquor because we found a bonanza of nip bottles and pint bottles. We also found an old rusted fender and a hunk of a car muffler. Some of the other things we found were drink boxes, a plastic quart of motor oil, and quite a few supplies for the do-it yourself smoker. We filled our bags and headed back to the Association office for a very nice lunch donated by Simsbury businesses, Little City pizza donated ten pizzas, Antonio's Restaurant chipped in with fifty grinders, and Fitzgerald's Supermarket provided a huge amount of cookies for dessert. What a great day we had. We chatted with dozens of civic minded community service minded folks, we met two very dedicated leaders of the Association, we observed great support by the business community, we saw some spectacular scenery, and we picked up a lot of nasty trash that will never find its way into the river to harm the fishes and pollute the watershed. That's a pretty good day in my book.

I had heard of pedal taverns but never a pedal cruise. What a fun concept. Although most of us were…read moretoo lazy to pedal, we still had a wonderful time. They have 10 seats set up at a bar top style long table where you can pedal away and reach into the coolers in front of you to grab your drinks, which are BYOB. We brought lots of snacks and sandwiches also. Although there are only 10 seats, there are plenty of extra seating areas on the cozy boat. We had 19 guests with us. Captain Dave and first Mate Michelle were great hosts. We hooked up our phone to their Bluetooth speaker to play all our favorite songs. We went on the Sunday afternoon Cruise, which took us out along the shoreline out to the Island area and back. It was a lot of fun, laughs, and an overall enjoyable afternoon.

Bring ear plugs to save your hearing. Bring motion sickness pills to save your stomach. Don't sit…read morein front, cause you will get wet. Really an annoying boat right.

My husband and I had planned a two hour cruise in Mystic on the Argia on the day we were…read morecelebrating with our family visiting from California. We were looking for an activity that would be fun for a multigenerational group of 23 people with toddlers, seniors, and everyone in between. We had been in communication with Oliver for months in advance. About two weeks before the big day, we saw that the forecast called for showers throughout Memorial Day weekend, particularly the Sunday of our planned cruise. We monitored the weather and decided to make a decision closer to the day. Throughout the entire process of planning, Oliver was responsive, reliable, accommodating, and kind. On the morning of the trip, Oliver gave us multiple options and worked with us to make sure that we could cancel and get a full refund due to the inclement weather. He provided us with agency up to the last hour of decision making. On a day that could have been really stressful, Oliver alleviated some of that stress. That is exceptional customer service, and that is the reason we will be coming back to the Argia for another special occasion. Highly recommend working with Oliver and his team if you get the chance!

We had the privilege of witnessing the pure beauty and raw power of the majestic wind and sea on…read morethe sail boat in Mystic going into the Long Island Sound for Father's Day!! It was the most eye opening and glorious day and experience! It was such a spectacular view on the water. The captains provided such insight and history of the residents and homes in the vicinity. The captains were highly knowledgeable and talented.

Brought 2 small outboards in for servicing that had sat around without be properly preserved for 2…read moreyears. The smaller out board they fixed but charged me more than half what a new one would cost. Had I known that I would have just done it myself or bought a new one. The other one, a Suzuki 15 which was only 2 years old they told me was in horrible condition and not worth fixing and that the repairs would cost over $2K, whereas a new one could be bought for $2800. I am not a professional mechanic and never have been, nor have I ever worked on a fuel injected outboard but in the space of 4 hours and less than $100 in parts, including a injector testing tool I got it running fine. Very disappointed in this company. Not likely to do business again.

I left "exact" instructions on what I wanted done. They did other things (not requested) instead…read more They did a compression check on my motor (not requested) and said it was bad. I did my own compression check. All 3 cylinders were good. They pulled my water separator filter (not requested) and didnt replace the seal or tighten the mount bolts. They left my bilge pump motor running and killed my battery. Not going back there.

Have past by the Mill Pond Park crossing over the bridge with my former 4H'r on our way to the Fair…read moreGrounds. Often thinking, this Historic Mill Pond and upstream stretch of the Scantic River must be tackled. That day finally arrived. A later Monday afternoon in July. Should be quiet. Wrong, the Park was bustling. Busy with Park goers: Nature people by the pond, one person enjoying their laptop on a shaded picnic table, kids on the playscape, other kids fishing with a parent and some with a grandparent, and then there were the kayakers loading and others unloading bound for and some returning from the same adventure. A great Small Town feeling. I unloaded and hiked my kayak & gear down to the boat ramp. Chatted with a few, the usual, the great weather, did you fish, how far did you go or plan to go. Public Safety Notice: 1. The upper side of the Mill Dam is dangerous and boaters are warned to stay clear. 2. If you're a first timer like I was, bring a GPS to track your route out and back. There are many dead-end coves and depending on the water level numerous ways to lose the River. There are Orange markers/blazes to follow the River Trail. 3. Wear your Personal Flotation Device (PFD). The Pond, in July was weedy and there was a great deal of surface algae in sections of still water. The main flow of the Scantic was fairly clear and on this trip the water level allowed easier passage across sunken or semi-sunken obstacles. Yes, bugs abound, but so do fish for anglers and foul for watchers.