THE ADVENTURES OF PLATY AND THE GANG Elephants & the New England Trail 2024

(click on pictures for a larger view)

A group of us (Noel & Laurie, Jim & Cheri, and us) made the trip to Solomon's Castle  for Lunch and a tour. Everyone had a good time and ate too much.

Lions and Tigers

A group of us went to the Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary.

 Luckily no one was injured or eaten. 
Afterward we all had lunch at The Cracker Shack Cafe.

Washing Elephants 

Judy decided that we needed to wash an elephant because we had never done it before.  We had to get reservations months ahead and it's not cheap.  The first task was to prepare their breakfast.

I think it liked her earring.  

She got to wash the butt end and I got the front.  I think we did a good job but when they returned it back outside the first thing it did was throw dirt all over it's back.  What a waste!!!  

Back to the New England Trail

Judy decided she wanted to continue her hike on the New England Trail. She had started it in 2022 but was unable to finish it at that time. You can see those adventures HERE.

The trip took 4 days of driving and we arrived at our destination campground on 6/2. It's Little City Campground in Higganum, CT. Out in the middle of nowhere but is very quiet.  Very few people during the week.

Judy started hiking on 6/3. It was a 4.3 mile section she had skipped in 2022. she expected to complete it in 2 hours but took 3. It was pretty difficult over a couple of mountains.

On this day she had a choice of taking the longer less steep route or the shorter steeper route.  Guess which one she took???   When she came out look at the blood running down her leg.

We had planned on traveling for a couple of months to visit a few places and escape the Florida heat but Bob's back started acting up so we decided to return home.  By the time we reached Florida his back was so bad that he couldn't walk. So it was to the ER.  After x-rays, CT scans and MRIs it was decided it was degenerative discs, a bulging disk and artritis of the hip. He was referred to 2 specialists but couldn't get an appointment for 2-3 months. After 2 weeks the pain went away.

We decided that the 8 days of driving all day probably aggrevated an existing problem. 

As an alternative way to get to Connecticut we decided to fly and rent a car. So here we are on our 4th trip so Judy can continue the trail. First by RV, next by Amtrak Auto train, then by RV and finally this one by air.

On Sept.6th she was on the trail again!! The first day she crossed Beseck Mountain and the Powder Hill ski area.

She finished the day in the parking lot of New Guida's Restaurant. It is famous for it's  hot dogs so we had to try them.  They weren't that good though!!
She hiked the next day over Higby Mountain. Lots of views of the trail to come.

On the top of Chauncey Peak the cliff had collapsed and they have orange construction fence to keep you from falling off.

This was her stopping point for the day. The next day would be Lamentation Mountain.
After Lamentation Mountain the next few days we a jumble of things. First was a 2.5 mile road walk that she had already hiked in June.  The next section centered around Castle Craig.

Castle Craig Tower is a stone observation tower atop East Peak in Meriden.  The tower, which was dedicated on October 29, 1900, was given to the people of Meriden by Walter Hubbard, President of the Bradley & Hubbard Manufacturing Company, and one of the most generous of the city's philanthropic citizens.

The round stone observation tower of native trap rock was built by local stone masons in 1900.  It stands on East Peak with an elevation of 976 feet.  The tower is 32 feet in height and 58 feet in circumference.  An interior stairway provides access to the observation deck.  On a clear day, an observer may see the Sleeping Giant Mountain Range to the south, and catch a glimpse of New Haven, the glistening water of Long Island Sound, and even the dim profile of Long Island.  To the north, the foot hills of the Berkshires in Southern Massachusetts, vicinity of Mt. Tom, are discernible.

She decided instead of hiking uphill that she would start at the top and go down each side.  This would eliminate the steep climbs.

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The next couple of days were a mixture of woods and road walks.

 She finished the day at the Rogers Orchards.  Of course we had to have fresh apple cider and apple cider donuts.

She finished her last hiking day in the town of Plainville with a roadwalk through a construction area.

The spot where she would start the next section is behind the digger but that will wait until next year.

66 miles to go!!
After she finished hiking she decided to play tourist and go to the zoo.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo has a proud history of over 100 years as Connecticut’s only Zoo. As an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participant in its Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs, they are committed to the preservation of endangered animals and are actively developing strategies that will protect species and preserve their wild habitats.

It is a small but very well kept zoo.  We spent a few hours there checking out the Mexican wolves, black-tailed prairie dogs, and the arboretum.

They even have a carousel!!  

We flew back to Florida and the hot weather on 9/15.