Oddfellows is a very special place. I've worked here for three years and the community is unlike…read moreanything I've ever seen! The kids that attend our classes really thrive. I love seeing everyone grow up and blossom into amazing young performers and artists!

My nearly 4 year old son has taken three sessions of classes at Oddfellows. No matter the theme of…read morethe class, my son has enjoyed using his imagination to create and perform. The teachers are knowledgable and lead age appropriate activities. My family has been very happy with our experience at Oddfellows.

A small but nicely maintained park! There were a few parking spots but most were taken the day I…read morewent. There were porta potties too which was convenient. The flower bridge was blocked off with cones due to some upcoming construction. I explored the landing which had quite a few picnic tables and benches. The brick pavers and landscaping were done beautifully. There were steps down to the river with a lovely view of the flower bridge. The town fo Simsbury hosts summer concerts here and other events. This is a lovely and relaxing place to picnic with a lovely backdrop of the Farmington River and flower bridge.

It might be one of the smallest parks you'll ever visit, but the scenery is terrific…read more You see, the park with that awkward name, "Hop Brook Landing at the Flower Bridge" is just one-half acre in size. But because it sits along the Farmington River and overlooks Simsbury's magnificent flower bridge, it will be a popular destination. This tiny park includes a pavilion, benches, bike racks, walking paths, picnic tables and access to Hop Brook for area kayakers and canoeists. We visited today, to get out of the house and take a break from being housebound by the Corona-virus. There were a few families with kids walking around, people sitting at the tables chatting, a lone kayeker in the water, and a lively group of high school age girls goofing around and laughing as they rode their skateboards in the parking lot. I can't wait until the summer when the bridge is full of flowers, when people can interact without social distancing, and when all we are living through today has become a distant memory.

The banks of the Connecticut River, in Hartford and East Hartford were not maintained and…read moreovergrown. The area was under utilized despite the beautiful river view. In the early 80s, they cleaned up the area and connected four parks via the Riverwalk. This area gave me Waterplace Park Riverwalk, in Providence, RI vibes. The other parks are Charter Oak Landing, Riverside Park, and Great River Park. There is a bridge that connects the city with East Hartford, it goes over the river and connects it to the Great River Park. I visited this place during the Taste of the Caribbean and Jerk Festival. The place was clean and large with beautiful views of the river. The CT Science Museum is also connected. It's a great venue for different events; food trucks, vendors, and live bands. It was spacious and we enjoyed walking around and seeing the river.

The Mortensen Riverfront Plaza hostess's the Jerk Festival every year. I come every year to enjoy…read morethe festivities, food, and my favorite, the riverfront. The riverfront is beautiful. While enjoying the riverfront, you can enjoy your food, listen to music, and enjoy all the boats coming in and out of the dock. It is truly relaxing. I always end up staying at the riverfront for hours. This year the festival was packed and the lines were very long. It was maybe an hour wait for each truck. This year I passed on the food since this my fifth year here and I really didn't feel like standing in the lines. The festival truly is a great event and I look forward to coming each year.

This 4,400 acre nature preserve was owned by the former senator and governor of Connecticut, George…read moreP. McLean. It opened in 1932 and per Mclean's will, it was to be used as a wildlife sanctuary and opened to the public. There are two horse trails and 20 miles of hiking trails. This land is mainly in Granby and parts of Simsbury and Canton. People are allowed to walk, hike, run, walk leashed dogs with the exception of certain trails, snow shoe, cross country skiing, photography, and scavenger hunt. Waze took me to one of the side entrances and not the main lot; parking was on the side of the road. There was one parking spot which is a little bit safer but it was taken. Upon walking into the sanctuary, the trail was blazed and goes down a hill. There was an entrance to a trail at the beginning. We walked on a small bridge over a brook and up a hill. This hill was slightly steep and you can see a large pond at the bottom. It was beautiful and peaceful! I can't wait to explore some more. Next time, I will go to the main lot which had plenty of parking spaces.

McLean Game Refuge was my 2nd hike of the day, and as a novice hiker, I enjoyed this walk. The…read moretrails were wide and well maintained, aside from a few large BMs left on the trail that could've been left by a big dog, animal or another hiker (hopefully not). We also checked out an abandoned cabin against my wifes better judgement. If you aren't looking for a challenge, and prefer the company of trees, birds and squirrels, this place is for you.

Was looking for a comfortable place to swim in the NB area, and this place fits the bill. I go lots…read moreof different times and have always had my own lane; the staff is friendly and engaged. I'm not spending a lot of time on the cardio machines but was surprised to see modern machines with personal video screens, and do not seem to be overly crowded. I'm hoping to sneak in some racquetball at some point. It's not the "hip, young, beautiful people" kind of place but the membership is reasonable compared to other local pools.

Be careful--there is absolutely no accountability regarding the children, and there isn't a single…read moreperson in charge whom you can actually reach. I have never seen such a mess; it is impossible to get in touch with anyone. Be warned: this organization takes no responsibility for anything, and they steal money. Be prepared to hire a lawyer if problems arise--and they *will* arise, because nothing here is done properly

"Down by the old mill stream Where I first met you"…read more(The Mills Brothers) Mills Pond Park is an embarrassment of riches, both natural and man-made. There's a trail that takes you down to a pretty pond, waterfall, and wetlands. There's a recreational bonanza of options, with an Olympic sized pool, tennis courts, two baseball fields, basketball courts, a football field, a park, a softball field, a skate park, two pavilions, a soccer field, wading pool, and playgrounds. There's even a large public art display at the park's entrance which I've reviewed separately. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-canton-gate-canton?hrid=_woQOmg74ws2Myhd1Zb0mA&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) One thing ruined our perfect visitor experience. As we were walking around the ballfields, we saw a guy in a gray hoodie and gray pants with his black lab running around freely. They were hundreds of feet apart and he was yelling at the dog to come over. But the dog didn't because he or she was busy squatting and taking a dump on the ballfield where kids play. Did Mr. gray hoodie clean up after Fido? Nope, he just ignored that steaming pile of dog doo, leashed up his dog when it finally sprinted over, and calmly walked away along East Hill Road. The selfish, careless, inconsiderate arrogance was incredible to witness. So, if you're playing out there on the fields, watch where you step.

A large and clean neighborhood park. It has all you need to get fresh air and exercise…read more Tennis courts, basketball courts, pool, baseball/soccer field, playground, small gym equipment, skatepark, and a view of the pond. There is a pavilion with a few picnic tables; you can contact Canton recreation to reserve them for a party. The parking lot has plenty of spaces. There's no trail, just a small paved portion behind the skatepark. I saw plenty of people walking around the park and around the field. My kids really enjoyed playing in the playground. There's a double swing you can put your small child in and you can sit on the swing as well; that was a first for me. A gem and I'm lucky to live close by and be able to use this establishment.

Cute little playground in the middle of The Shops of Farmington. This is located in front of Barnes…read more& Noble and Dick's Sporting Goods. There are plenty of parking and picnic tables under shade on the median. The playground is gated with a couple of benches. There are no swings but the playscape was big enough to entertain a few kids and my toddler. There is a slide and two tunnels. Even though it's on the smaller side, kids were still running around having fun with tons of space around them. The playground is also on turf (fake grass). I think this is a great touch to add this playground for the kids; once they are done shopping/eating at the restaurants with their parents, they have a space to let the energy out.

If you're looking for an easy paved trail, this is the one. The trail is wide and goes around the…read morereservoir. Many joggers, walkers, dog walkers, and people pushing strollers. Dogs on a leash are allowed, it's wheelchair accessible, and kid friendly. If you bring your dog, signs says to pick up after them. The Nepaug dam has a beautiful waterfall with serene sounds. It was built between 1914 to 1916 and created the 951 acre reservoir about 35 feet deep. There is a parking lot; on nice weekend days, it does get full. Overall, it's one of my favorite trails because I can take a stroller/wagon to lug my babies. Also, the view is amazing!

One of the good things that happened to us from the Pandemic was it got us out of the house on…read moreweekends to visit so many of the parks and hiking trails in our area we had never visited before. We must have hit 30 different venues in 2020, and we started 2021 by visiting another new place that turned out to be a terrific find. The Nepaug Reservoir Trail is a mile long and is wide, paved, flat and about as easy to walk on as any trail we have visited. We parked at the main parking lot on Route 202, walked through a chain link gate, and found the start of the trail to begin our scenic walk around the reservoir and across the historic 100-year old Nepaug Dam. The 600-foot long dam has a concrete spillway in its center. The spillway is over 100 feet tall and is quite spectacular. The trail around the dam has a few cutouts that serve as observation platforms to take you out over the top of the dam. You will love the view ! We saw quite a variety of folks out there today -young families with strollers, couples of every age, joggers, lots of leashed dogs, and even a few hoverboard operators. What a great way to kick off the New Year.