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| American Legion Post 84 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1926, Simsbury, Connecticut |
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| Fife and Drum |
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| Simsbury Police |
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| Simsbury Fire |
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| Packard |
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| Cadillac |
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| Ford Model A |
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| Ford Model T |
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| Windor Fife and Drum |
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| Windsor Fife and Drum |
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| Simsbury Junior Girl Scouts |
Saturday, May 19, 2012 – Art Walk Simsbury!
I’m always pleasantly surprised by some of the jewels Simsbury has to offer when I just take the time to look around. As I strolled Hopmeadow Street today for the Art Walk, I was happy to see that the Simsbury United Methodist Church was open. I recalled hearing from a friend that the church has a collection of stained glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany and I was happy to finally see them. The interior of the church, done in the Late English Gothic style by Hartford architect George Keller, is beautiful. My blog post Simsbury Center National Historic District has photos of the church’s exterior. I found lots more to look at around town, especially some beautiful flowers in full bloom on this spectacular May day.
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| Louis Comfort Tiffany Window |
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| Tiffany Window |
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| Tiffany Window |
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| Tiffany Window |
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| Tiffany Window |
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| Tiffany Window |
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| Tiffany Window |
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| Tiffany Window |
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| Vault |
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| Ros Bud |
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| Peony |
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| Iris |
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| Cup Flag |
I paid my second visit to Great Pond State Forest in May of 2012. I was hoping that the great stand of rhododendron would be blooming but it was still too early. Instead I was able capture some shots of various birds, insects and flowers. In a few weeks the lily pads will be blooming and the pond will be teeming with frogs judging by the thousands of tadpole egg sacs I saw.
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| Dragonfly |
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| Damselfly |
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| Baltimore Oriole |
In late April, 2012 I took a walk around the Simsbury Farms Family Fitness Trails in search of blue birds. I had seen some the previous week when I was unfortunately without my camera. It seems that blue birds are camera shy because I didn’t see any this visit. Still I was able to get some nice shots of dandelions. Simsbury Farms is a town-owned recreational complex off Old Farms Road. The Family Fitness Trails wind around the perimeter of the public golf course. Most of these shots were taken at the Apple Barn. You can find out more about Simsbury Farms at Town of Simsbury.
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| Scalped |
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| Fro |
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| Dandy |
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| Violet |
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| Dappled |
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| Mosquito |
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| Hedgehog Ridge |
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| Half Moon |
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| No Wind |
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| Almost |
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| Robin |
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| Nevermore |
In April of 2012 I visited the Conncticut state-owned Nod Brook wild life management area. This a a beautiful sight that sits at the base of Talcott Ridge. You can look up and see the Hublein Tower. The two ponds are home to fish and birds. In fact, when I visited, I saw several large fish jump clear out of the water to catch mosquitoes. The hike is an easy one. You can find out more at Simsbury Land Trust.
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| Hublein Tower |
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| Talcott Ridge |
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| Bobbers |
In April, 2012 I hiked the perimeter of Great Pond which is located in the center of Connecticut’s Great Pond State Forest in Simsbury. Even in early spring before the big bloom, the pond and its surrounding landscape is beautiful. I particularly love the huge stand of rhododendron at the northeastern edge of the pond. There’s a parking lot off of Great Pond Road and the trail is easy to find. The terrain is easy to traverse and there are lots of photo opportunities.
In early April, 2012, I hiked the River Walk in Simsbury. To get to the trail, park in the lot at the foot of Mall Way. Cross Iron Horse Boulevard and go down the wooden steps that lead to the trail. This is a very easy hike. The trail leads through some diverse scenery – across an open field, along the Farmington River bank, and through the start of a beaver pond. The property is owned by the Town of Simsbury. You can find out more by visiting the Simsbury Land Trust.
I hiked the Bog Walk trail in West Simsbury, Connecticut in March, 2012. This is a very easy hike with a trail the runs on top of an esker (glacial gravel). The Simsbury Land Trust built a boardwalk that extends out over the bog. From it, you can get a close-up view of the plantlife. Being in the bog is like being on another world. It is a harsh environment that gets direct sun. It teems with life and feels barren at the same time.
I hiked the orange and red trails in Onion Mountain Park in March 2012. The park is owned by the Town of Simsbury. The orange trail is fairly steep. The red trail is not well cleared and for the more adventurous. There were several large fallen tress from a previous storm and the trail was blocked in some places. The scenery on Cathles Trail is better although Onion Mountain is still worth the hike. Wear good hiking shoes, preferably waterproof. There are several marshy spots, particularly on the red trail. Park in the lot off West Mountain Road.
sightsofsimsbury 