wintär vacation pt 2

tallest point within 25 miles of the coast between Florida and Maine

freshly returned from the west coast, Arya and I went into the factory in Waterbury to tie up loose ends before the 2.5 week staff vacation. we drive by Castle Craig (such a funny name for a castle) every time we commute betwixt our home and work, and for whatever reason never made the stop. well, being it the Hollidays and all…. why not. we set the GPS for Hubbard Park and hit the trail.

Hubbard park was designed by the famed Freddy Olmstead, better known for his work with NYC’s Central Park and a bunch of stuff in Seattle. well… this seldom visited (at least in the winter months) Olmsted park in Meriden (the “dirty ‘den”) is some spectacular work by ol’ Freddy O.

the pedestrian bridge across the highway we pass under on the way to nutmeg needleworks co.

3 responses to “wintär vacation pt 2”

Chris

January 8, 2023

Hi Ron, I’ve enjoyed reading your recent splurge of blogs. I don’t use social media so blogs are my main means of consumption for all things bicycle. I too live near a Meriden – ‘Pleasant Valley’ in Ye Olde English. Your Meriden does look very pleasant (or maybe not, if you call it the ‘dirty den’!). The one near me is something of a cycling mecca in England – the village green has the National Cyclists’ Memorial and there’s also a bench dedicated to Walter MacGregor Robinson (who wrote under the pen name of Wayfarer and as a big fan of riding the rough-stuff on a seriously overgeared bike, an early proponent of bike-walking).

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1. ronnie romance
  
  January 8, 2023
  
  hi chris! wow fascinating —- thanks for sharing! our Meriden may have been a pleasant valley — or certainly was 200 years ago — but its been a bit used up by industry that boomed and busted. I do very much need to visit ye olde England and visit some of these sites! again thanks for sharing and have a lovely Sunday
  
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  1. Chris
    
    January 8, 2023
    
    With Birmingham and Coventry (once the centre of the UK motor and bicycle industry) on the doorstep, we may be able to give a run for your money in the used-up-by-boomed-and-busted-industry stakes. There’s still a fair bit going on – Brooks in Smethwick is one to add to your visit list, should you find yourself in this neck of the woods.
    
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