Ended up at this park by accident and we can't wait to go back and explore a bit more…read more At first this park seems like an open field and parking lot but if you walk over the bridge and pond, it opens up to the rest of the grounds and the Connecticut tobacco museum. They have a few farm animals like horses, cows, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, and more. The barn includes information about all of the animals and the nature center has more information about Connecticut's nature scene. There's also a trail that seems to lead pretty far out. We'll check it out next time.

Wonderful hidden gem especially for families with small children. They have trails a barn with…read moreanimals and the playground which our children loved.

Came here for a run while staying near BDL and really enjoyed the trail along the Connecticut…read moreRiver! You really get that feeling that you're out in nature--the sights, the smells, the sounds, everything. The path is suitable for walking, running and cycling. How I wish I could enjoy it in the fall with the changing colors!

Absolutely gorgeous, magical day, the kind that makes one thankful for the opportunity to enjoy…read morenature...sunny, mid 60's, low humidity, gentle breeze. Blue heron right after you enter from the south terminus. Lots of turtles basking. Eagles (adult and 2 juvies) visible in their nest, with another adult high above about 50 yds north. Another uge (we don't pronounce the "h" where I'm from) blue heron about 7/10ths of a mile from the start. Ducks, geese, hawk. Haven't seen a rabbit yet this year. My theory is that overcutting on the bank of the canal-side has caused rabbits to change their habits (seriously). No place to hide from predators. Everyone friendly...strollers, fishermen, bicyclists.... I tried to make a video of the song, "I was strolling thru the park one day, in the very merry month of May...". Lucky for the reader / listener that my phone was having memory issues. Always a 5 star!

Soooo there is evidence that dinosaurs once roamed Connecticut and it's located in the town of…read moreWindsor, CT. It's not a protected archaeological site so it's very accessible to the public, although there is no formal parking lot so pay attention to how you park and respect the property. I love these roadside oddities, I find them irresistible on many fronts and seek them out in my travels. These scrapyard works of art exhibits a very creative mind. These colorful creatures are pretty amazing so if you get the chance to enjoy them if only for a few moments I highly recommend doing it...

These are literally just some metal dinosaur sculptures that are on the corner of a residential…read moreroad, and they're fantastic. They're well-made and fun to look at. There's no real parking since it's just a residential street, so you have to park off the side of the road and walk to the corner. I went in the fall and it was really nice, but a bit muddy. There's also a geocache hidden here that was fun to look for and find!

This is a very easy and accessible trail - just about a mile loop. Lots of Farmington River views…read moreand a bridge or two. The path is wide, flat, and paved with a gravel section you'll find after you walk under the overpass and end up by Bart's Hot Dogs. The main parking lot is on Palisado, kind of Kitty Corner to Bart's. The main entrance path soon turns into a "T", so you have the option of heading left to Pleasant Street Park (.4 miles) or right to Mechanic Street (.5 miles). We went left, walked all the way to the boat launch behind Bart's, then doubled back. It was a very enjoyable walk with great scenery everywhere we looked.

One of my new favorite walking trails! I was looking for a meeting place that is halfway for my mom…read moreand I and this is PERFECT. I love walking along the river and the paved trail makes it easy to walk as fast or as slow as you'd like. As a bird nerd, I could spend hours birdwatching here. I saw bluebirds, cardinals, blue jays, robins, hawks, ducks, and more! But what I enjoy the most is the fit trail exercises they have at the beginning. As my mom gets older, she's trying to find ways to get stronger. We've committed to going to this trail once a month to do the fit test, which includes stretches and bodyweight exercises, so we can track our strength progression. The one downside to the trail is that there's no bathroom or port-a-pottie. But otherwise, we are so grateful we found it and are excited to be new regulars!

It was very peaceful place to walk as well as very friendly people the little mini beach with the…read moresand is very cool

The playground fits into the park perfectly...a tree house and more…read more... Provided by Premier Park & Play from Newton, MA

If you like kayaking, canoeing, SUP, fishing, or have a power boat, etc., and love flat, calm…read morewater, Rainbow Reservoir may just be the place you're looking for. There is a small hill leading down to a nice boat ramp. The parking lot is paved with marked spaces for vehicles pulling trailers, and non-trailer vehicles. There was one porta potty and I found it to be clean. I was there on a weekday when kids were back in school, and found it to be quiet with very little activity, but I was told it can get very busy in the summer on weekends.

July 2016. I am downgrading the spot to 3 from 4. I have been seeing parasites on the fishes…read morecaught here. Most recent trip m, 4?sun fish & one bass, everyone of them got parasites. Either yellow like grain of rice type or tiny black spots in meat. Do not eat fishes caught at rainbow reservoir! If you like fishing, I am sharing my fishing spot especially because I need to write good & useful Yelp reviews :) My spot is to the left of the rainbow reservoir boat launch. The boat is infrequent but the jet ski is a bit annoying to fishermen. However, the spot is productive if you can cast far enough, there is a steep drop off that goes down about 15-20 feet, all kinds of fish there. I've taken my kids there many times, caught sun fish, bass, carp, catfish etc. all at the same spot. Don't eat the bass!!! High Mercury content. Ok to eat sunfish & carp, but carefully check the fish for parasite as I've seen them last year, they look like little grain of rice but yellow in color, yikes! Other than that, it's really fun spot to take the kids & you can BBQ right there as well!

"If I were a painter And could paint a memory…read moreI'd climb inside the swirling skies to be with you" (Norah Jones) The East Granby Farms Town facility has quite a lot of features - the  Kilbon Recreation Center for community classes, its home for the town's Historical Center, it boasts a baseball field and basketball court, picnic facilities, and some gorgeous scenery for your hiking enjoyment. But none of those are the prominent feature you'll see when you drive into the South Entrance. There, you'll be greeted by an enormous concrete silo painted with an equally enormous farmland mural. You see, when the Town of East Granby converted the old Viets farmstead into a public park, they left the landmark L. H. Viets silo standing and commissioned a mural to be painted on the silo. It covers the silo from top to bottom and is really quite a gorgeous work of art showing farm scenery, farm animals, rolling hills and a blue sky. Definitely worth your time to swing into the parking lot and check it out.

The Viets family of East Granby operated a farm and livestock business on this site for many years…read more After the business closed, the land came into the possession of the Town of East Granby, who converted it into an almost 500 acre public park with a recreation center and hiking trails. In a beautiful nod to it's prior owners, the Town not only decided to leave the Viets Farm concrete silo standing, but also commissioned the painting of a mural on it to serve as a huge welcome sign to the park. It stands in the main parking lot entrance to the complex on Route 187. The gorgeous color mural covers every square inch of the silo with a lovely farm motif of animals, scenery and a blue sky. The original lettering was left undisturbed: L. H. VIETS & SONS CATTLE & HORSES It really is a gorgeous and very unexpected sight to see!!

This park and monument are located near the intersection of Main Street and Bridge Street (Route…read more140) in East Windsor. The park is at the village green with a monument inscribed with the words " Joseph E. Tracy Veterans Memorial Green -No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave." There is a veterans monument in the center of the green - a simple stone base with an engraved plaque. The plaque has become tarnished and is in a water streaked state of disrepair that makes it difficult to read. I believe the inscription says "In tribute to those men and women of this community who nobly answered their country's call by patriotic service in all her wars beginning with the founding of the American colonies." The plaque was dedicated on May 30, 1938 by the Barry Poulter Post No. 40 of the American Legion "and grateful citizenry". There is a large flagpole in front of the monument, and the green also has a nearby bench inscribed with the words "Service Above Self". It was a gift of the East Windsor Rotary Club in memory of Raymond LeBroux, one of the Club's charter members.

This artistic and very original memorial can be found on town owned land that was renovated into a…read moresmall park known as Mulberry Park. It was dedicated in 2007 and stands at the corner of Mulberry and Elm Streets. The park contains a unique memorial dedicated to the Gulf War Veterans in the form of two benches. They are inscribed with metal plates bearing the names of the Gulf war vets from Windsor Locks. The back rest of each bench bears an image of the American flag. The iron frames on the sides of the bench are decorated with the US Shield of an American Eagle. The tribute was planned and installed by Girl Scout Troop 589 as part of a Gold Award Project that also included landscaping and plantings. It's a simple and beautiful tribute. Well done girls !!