Outdoors - Courant.com

A Journey To A Windswept Island In Goodwin State Forest

Peter Marteka — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:53:00 EDT

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.

Groups Organize Hikes For All Ages And Ability

By STEVE GRANT, Special to The Courant — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

May and June offer some of the most comfortable hiking conditions of the year, and the hiking opportunities for people of all ages — children through retirees — are abundant.

Walking Tour Of Waterbury Shows Off Rich History, Architecture

By STEVE GRANT, Special to The Courant — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 EDT

Like so many other small cities in the Northeast, Waterbury has endured decades of economic stress because of the decline of its industrial backbone.

Griswold Preserve In Old Lyme A Natural Oasis Along Route 1

Peter Marteka — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:11:00 EDT

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."

Now's The Time To Use Try Out Those Snowshoes

By STEVE GRANT, Special to The Courant — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 EST

No excuses.

Winter Walks Along Connecticut's River Trails

By STEVE GRANT, Special To The Courant — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 00:00:00 EST

Maybe a winter walk will help.

A Simple Request To Preserve A Place Of Natural Beauty

Peter Marteka — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:21:00 EDT

There are complex wills and there are simple wills. There are detailed final requests and simple final requests.

An Abandoned Golf Course Turned Nature Preserve In Berlin, Middletown

Peter Marteka — Thu, 4 Oct 2012 18:11:00 EDT

I found an old photo of Berlin's Pistol Creek Golf Course showing immaculately trimmed greens, pristine fairways and golfers making their way around the scenic,18-hole course.

Ever Heard Of Barn Island? It's Worth Exploring

By STEVE GRANT, Special to The Courant — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:00:00 EDT

This Connecticut Property Full Of Trails, Marsh And Access To The Coast

Look at the official state transportation map and down in the lower right hand corner near the Rhode Island border is a patch of property identified as the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area.

No Folly In Bethany, Just Beauty

Peter Marteka — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:26:00 EDT

When U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated a treaty with the Russians to purchase Alaska in 1867, it was called "Seward's Folly" because many believed the "last frontier" was a wasteland.