“Misty, moisty was the morn, chilly was the weather; there I met an old man, dressed all in leather…” So began a familiar song from my boyhood. In Watertown, Connecticut, we hiked a portion of the Mattatuck Trail that passed through Leatherman Cave, named for the local legend who in the 1800s walked a regular circuit of about 360 miles between the Hudson and Connecticut rivers every 34 days or so, subsisting on handouts from the local families he passed on the way and sleeping in caves. The trail climbed through tall mountain laurel thickets, ran along the edge of a high rocky cliff, and descended to and through the fairly substantial cave formed by rock slabs below the cliff.
Earlier in the day, we biked along the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail from Farmington to Simsbury and back, a scenic paved bike path mostly on a former rail bed (formerly the tow path for the canal between New Haven, Conn., and Northampton, Mass.). It’s part of the East Coast Greenway, a bike route from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida. The weather was pleasant, and we had occasional glimpses of the river and “Avon” (Talcott) Mountain with its tower that was so familiar to me, growing up in the Farmington valley.
Glad to see you on the road.
Hello from rainy Dover – rain on the Father’s Day run at Margaritas today…having a quiet day at home. Lovely two days in a row-played golf with Mike and a lady friend yesterday, beautiful weather for the Somersworth Children’s Festival and the end of bike week in Laconia.
Glad you are on the road – happy trails, keep smiling and keep the blog going – love to you from Dover, Janet, Mike and Terry
How cool – I didn’t know there was a bike path from Maine to Florida! How fun you got to bike through Farmington & Simsbury. I really miss New England. 🙁
Wish you could include a map link of where you are posting about so that I can keep track of you 😉
xoxox, Jaime
Wow, you 2 amaze me! You are a living Testament to the GOOD LIFE!!! So neat! You inspire me! Live it up! Fantastic blog. Smiling as I picture you on your Great Adventure!
So whereabouts on that trail was that cave you were standing in?
Leatherman Cave on Mattatuck Trail in Watertown, Conn., is right next to Black Rock State Park.
Wonderful to open your blog today. Did you know that Nicky Benton and his wife Rachel and their two boys live on Towpath Lane in Cheshire, CT? The towpath is just behind their home and is their favorite place to walk, run, ride, bike…..