May 14, 2010
The leaves are full and fresh, temperatures are ideal, and the songbirds have arrived in Connecticut. This is a great time for picnicking, especially if you can find one of those special, quiet spots where the picnic tables are spread out and the scenery is special. Find an isolated table, bring lunch or dinner, and keep your binoculars ready. The sight of a scarlet tanager alone would make the outing worthwhile.
My outdoors column called Walkabout appears May 29 on the cover of The Hartford Courant Living section. In it I talk about four very special picnic sites around the state, each with privacy and a view. Let’s hope for beautiful weather.
The birthplace of Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union general killed in the Civil War, is today a little-known and little-visited picnic site within the Natchaug State Forest in Eastford, Ct. The stone chimney is all that remains of the Lyon homestead, and serves as a centerpiece for the picnic area, with four picnic tables, grills and a water pump.
In addition to those mentioned in the column, here are a couple of other very nice picnic spots:
In Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union, take a left off the entrance road to the boat ramp on Bigelow Pond. To the left of the ramp on a rise are a couple of tables with nice views of this quiet pond. In June, mountain laurel blooms profusely along the shore of the pond. Very nice.
In the Housatonic Meadows State Park picnic area in Sharon, stay to the right when you enter and follow the road to a small parking area next to the Housatonic River. You’ll see the table. Fly-fishers and kayakers are part of the scenery here.