Nature's Path & Way To Go - Courant.com

A Journey To A Windswept Island In Goodwin State Forest

Peter Marteka — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:53:00 GMT

Maybe it's because I read "Treasure Island" too many times as a kid. Or maybe it was the islands of grass -- known as "witches heads" -- we would hop across as kids to get to the other side of the swamp.

Farmington's Winding Trails Finds New Use For Trees Damaged By October 2011 Snowstorm

Peter Marteka — Thu, 09 May 2013 22:47:00 GMT

For many of us, the October snowstorm of 2011 is a bad memory: Power was out for days and thousands of trees were toppled or damaged.

A Country Estate In The Heart Of The Litchfield Hills

Peter Marteka — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:58:00 GMT

This column is for all of you who dream of having a little country estate. A place where you can walk along stone walls braced by giant maple trees every few feet.

Visiting The Meriden, Waterbury & Connecticut Railroad In Middletown

Peter Marteka — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 22:57:25 GMT

Maybe it's the sight of grass and trees growing up through the gravel and railroad ties. Or the rotting trestle that spans a small river and fills the air with a light scent of creosote. It could be the echoes of water dripping in an abandoned tunnel.

Discovering Historic Plymouth

Peter Marteka — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 02:26:01 GMT

The plan was a good one. I would drive out to Plymouth and hike a place called Peat Swamp Woods and explore the ruins of an old carriage factory.

A Visit To Killingworth's Nineveh Falls

Peter Marteka — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:16:00 GMT

When you combine a vibrant river, a waterfall, and a gorge with high cliffs lined with huge hemlocks, there is bound to be a legend involved. Killingworth's Nineveh Falls is no different.

A Spring View Of Winter Erosion Along Cape Cod's Outer Beaches

Peter Marteka — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:12:00 GMT

Last weekend, I went to Coast Guard Beach – a beach on the Cape Cod National Seashore I've been visiting since I was a baby swaddled in a blanket – and found it unrecognizable.

Griswold Preserve In Old Lyme A Natural Oasis Along Route 1

Peter Marteka — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 02:11:00 GMT

Three words I love to hear when people talk about my column: "I never knew." As in, "I drove/ran/biked/walked past this for years and I never knew it existed."

In Orange, An Easy Hike Leads To Splendid Views

Peter Marteka — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:56:00 GMT

To reach most overlooks in the state, one must scramble up craggy rocks, swing over bottomless chasms and grasp the sides of ledges with your fingernails.

Former Nike Missile Site Decays In Portland's Meshomasic State Forest

Peter Marteka — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:26:00 GMT

While growing up, my days after school and on weekends consisted of building forts in the woods where my friends and I would defend the forests and valleys against invading soldiers.

Guilford's Chaffinch Island An Escape From The Winter Doldrums

Peter Marteka — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:47:00 GMT

Maybe it's the grimy, three-week-old piles of snow at the side of the road.

Finding A Stunning View Of The Connecticut River From The Top Of Hubbard Brook Preserve

Peter Marteka — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 22:36:43 GMT

The original plan was to walk along the banks of the Connecticut River on the abandoned Valley Railroad in Middletown and search for bald eagles.

Portland Officials Hold Hope For Converting A Portion Of Air Line Railroad Into Hiking Trail

Peter Marteka — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:39:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, I wrote a column reminiscing about my childhood adventures along the former Air Line Railroad in my hometown of Portland and whether that portion of the former Boston to New York route would ever be converted to a hiking trail.

Visiting Bartlett's Tower In Bloomfield

Peter Marteka — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 00:06:00 GMT

An old, broken iron gate leans against a stone pillar and a barely discernable carriage road snakes up through the woods along the spine of a traprock ridge.

Portland Still A Gap In State's Air Line Trail

Peter Marteka — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:07:00 GMT

Sigh.

A Wintertime Visit To The Shores Of Cape Cod

Peter Marteka — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:50:00 GMT

Pochet Island's Tremendous Views Of The Atlantic

It's January, a time many people escape to an island.

Bringing The Charter Oak And East Coast Greenways Out To Bolton Notch

Peter Marteka — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:55:00 GMT

State Department of Transportation proposing $11.4 million trail extension

OK, I'll admit it. A few years ago, I was losing hope that the gaps along the Charter Oak Trail and Hop River Trail would ever be filled.

Hiking To See Ice-Locked Waterfalls In Granby

Peter Marteka — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 23:34:54 GMT

About this time last year, what appeared to be a real New England winter had settled over the state.

Southford Falls State Park A Respite In Our Darkest Hours

Peter Marteka — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 23:50:11 GMT

During life's darkest hours, the woods have always been my security blanket. It has always been a place where civilization disappears, replaced by the peaceful sounds of wind whispering through the pines or an owl hooting deep in the forest.

Sometimes The More Traveled Paths Aren't So Bad

Peter Marteka — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:29:15 GMT

East Haddam's Scenic Beebe Road A Step Back In Time

Everything has its exceptions, and this column is no different.

Improvements Make Manchester's Cheney Rail Trail Easier To Walk

Peter Marteka — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:43:53 GMT

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Shortly after parking my car near the railroad tracks in Manchester, I heard the sound of a train whistle. And I knew in an instant it wasn't a train as I saw Susan Barlow wearing an engineer's hat and blowing into a wooden whistle.

At Madison's Bauer Park, A Glimpse Into State's Agricultural Past

Peter Marteka — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:15:20 GMT

Connecticut loses approximately 8,000 acres of farmland to housing developments and urban sprawl each year, according to the Connecticut Farmland Trust. That's why places like Bauer Park are so special.

A Revolutionary Spirit At Woodbridge Preserves

Peter Marteka — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:54:07 GMT

When the "Still Revolutionary" state tourism campaign came out last spring, my first reaction was to scratch my head. But the more I thought about it, the more the slogan made sense.

Rediscovering The Connecticut River In Windsor

Peter Marteka — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 00:05:55 GMT

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Many towns and cities have turned their backs on the Connecticut River since early in the 20th century, so New England's longest waterway often flows unnoticed through our state.

In Search Of Ghost Cats In Northwestern Connecticut

Peter Marteka — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 03:56:35 GMT

Group Hopes To Document Existence Of Mountain Lions In Connecticut

I was a "want-to-believer" walking into the lion's den — Bo Ottmann's mountain lion's den.