Tag: saville dam

May 26, 2018 – Massachusetts – Ashland State Park

Today we visited Ashland State Park, located in Ashland, Massachusetts.  Ashland State Park is a 470 Acre Park with a 157 Acre Reservoir.  The Park has a dam, a spillway, and several beaches for guests.  The Park was initially created when the Reservoir was built in 1895.  Ashland State Park has several fun facts, with a movie partly partially being filmed there in August 2014 (“Sea of Trees”), and even a helicopter crash in August 2016.

We spent almost four hours at this amazingly beautiful park, mostly traversing the trail around the Reservoir.  We arrived bright and early, leading us to meet many, many other dog friends.  I choose Ashland State Park today, as I knew it would be a hot day, and thought it was a perfect way for the dogs to cool down.  Although Wilma is not a swimmer, she waded and sipped some water along the way. Shadow continually swam, and often enjoyed just sitting in the Reservoir.  We enjoyed many stops for these water moments, and also spent some time at the dam, where Wilma even found a little turtle!  We saw a beaver dam along the trail, crossed some unique bridges, found some good sticks for chewing, and some round rocks for climbing.  This was really a great find, and as usual I took plenty of photographs along the way.  Definitely a perfect location for a hot New England day (Rating:  5)

 

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April 23, 2018 – Getaway to Connecticut – Day Two

We started a relaxing Day Two of our getaway in Connecticut waking up at a beautiful, dog-friendly accommodation called Green Acres Bed and Breakfast.  Green Acres is an early eighteenth century farmhouse located in Simsbury, CT.  I felt immediately at home upon arrival, being greeted by the innkeepers’ three rescue dogs.  This property was beautifully landscaped with fountains, and a pool.  We stayed longer than planned chatting with the owners, who were quite hospitable.  Although it is easy to find a place that allows dogs, it is hard to find one that is truly dog friendly.  This was a dream find for a crazy dog mama like myself.  Before we departed I enjoyed an elegant breakfast, and left feeling like a queen.  It is definitely a place we plan to stay at again.  (Rated:  5)

 

Our first stop on Day Two was the Stratton Brook State Park in Simsbury, CT.  Stratton Brook State Park was Connecticut’s first state park to be completely wheelchair accessible, and is a designated “Trout Park”.  This was a very simple park, but had some lovely trails through the woods, over a creek, and even several ponds, popular for fishing.  Shadow enjoyed a swim in the creek, while me and Wilma watched from the little bridge above.  We then discovered another adorable covered bridge, perfect in shape, and bright in color.  I love scouting out covered bridges.  They sometimes make me feel like a professional photographer, stunning in their own solidarity.  (Rated:  3)

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For our second stop we briefly visited Collinsville, CT.  Collinsville is considered a small village in the town of Canton, CT.  Collinsville was built around the Collins Company factory.  These factory buildings were powered by the river, and have since been rented out to local businesses.  We traversed the bridge over the Farmington River, taking photos along the way.  Just a quick stop before we headed off to a more dog friendly area, a little too industrial for me.  (Rating:  2)

 

Next we journeyed to Enders State Forest in Granby, CT.  This was definitely my favorite location of our Connecticut getaway.  The Enders State Forest incorporates nearly 2100 acres of wilderness, including the Salmon River, and approximately five waterfalls abutting the trails.  The sounds of the babbling brooks, numerous hide-outs along the River, and steep, rocky views provide quite the sensory experience.  Some good exercise along the trails, but yet a relaxing retreat.   Definitely a true gem of a park.  (Rating:  4)

 

 

Our next stop was one of those spontaneous pit stops, directly along the roadside. This location was the Barkhamsted Reservoir, Saville Dam.  The Saville Dam is on the Farmington River, and forms the Barkhamsted Reservoir, the primary water source of Hartford, CT.   We had driven by this area once before, but this was the first time we had some extra time to wander, and of course shoot some photos.  The sun was beaming on the Reservoir, and the view amazingly picturesque.  One of our humorous moment occurred at this site.  As some of you may know Wilma just turned one, so has many unpredictable moments of joy, and really just utter chaos.  On at least three occasions she began rolling on her back, and started flailing down the hill.  I attempted taking a video, which I will post below.  I am not sure if I captured the moment for my audience, but definitely did capture a memory.  The Barkhamsted Reservoir and Saville Dam may be a place to explore more at a future time.  (Rating:  4)

 

Our last stop of the day was at Soldier’s Monument in Winsted, CT.  Although I am far from a history buff, I love the gorgeous landmarks that are created to memorize, and honor those who sacrifice their lives for others.    The Soldiers’ Monument and Memorial Park is a Memorial for the American Civil War.  It was initially dedicated on September 11, 1890, while renovations and additions have occurred since.  It is a small area, but very picturesque with the main monument located at the top of a little hill.  (Rating:  3)

 

So this brings me to the end to our Two Day Connecticut getaway.  We had a wonderful time exploring, and look forward to our next new Adventure.  Evidence of a successful vacation can be seen below, the best travel buddies I know!