[Cambium]

June 22, 2019.

Took a ride to the Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport, CT.

Gorgeous morning/day with temps in the 70s and dew points in the 50s. Not humid at all and with a breeze. Direct Sun was definitely summer hot though.

$16 per adult. Free parking




African Spur Thigh Tortoise. Things are YUGE





The reason why we went. Debut of the rare Amur Leopard cubs. Black was the female, other was a male.



Amur Tiger






Was getting crowded, everyone wanted a sighting. The cubs are only out for certain times. 9-11am, 2-4pm. Check on their site for more info.





Maned Wolf





Gators basking in the sun





Who..who. Barred Owl





I'd love to be that guy. I should of been a Zoo keeper.





Bald Eagle. Why doesn't this thing fly away, it's all open around it.





What the heck? Funky. Giant Anteater. Has a 2 foot tongue





Prairie Dogs. You can go underground then pop up in those plastic tubes sticking up above the ground. Kids love that.




Inside a rainforest. I was getting uncomfortable. Way too humid for me and smelled of urine.





Maybe it was this guys fault. lol





Yuck. Emerald Tree Boa





Whats historic about this greenhouse? I didn't go in.





Just to add, I don't support Zoos nor do I like them. These animals are in cages and not in their natural environment. Disgrace. But I figure I post these for others who want to see and maybe go and enjoy a quick walk at the zoo. There is a lake there as well. Small park. 180 acres. Bronx Zoo is 281. Massachusetts has a bigger one. Maybe I'll like that better if the animals have more room. I didn't want to rant about this too much.

[Cambium]

June 26, 2019.


Darien, CT, All from Route 1













You're gonna miss me when I'm gone.

[CTzen]

Cambium, thank you for the pictures. Especially the cubs!

IIRC, about 10 years ago, three rescued bald eagles were brought to the Beardsley Zoo. They had wing injuries and couldn't fly. This may be one of them.

[Cambium]

July 18, 2019


Welcome to Manchester, CT "City of Village Charm"




Corner Market




Neighborhoods all look the same after a while. lol. Nice area overall though.




Heading to 384.




I decided to take Route 5 to Merritt instead of I-91 to Merritt. Nice ride through the commercial area which reminded me of Milford's strip of stores. Especially the Newington area.


Only difference was that Milford is newer. Something about that Route 5 strip from Hartford(I think) to Meriden it seemed like a blast from the past. Maybe it was the open areas? The older structures? The spread out businesses? Tractors? I liked it! No pics sorry.

[Cambium]

July 20, 2019. Feels like 105° at lunchtime. Parents are watching their kids suffer in the sun while they stay in the shade.

A reminder to plant trees!!

[Cambium]

August 22, 2019


Beacon Falls, Connecticut. Did I tell you guys how I love this town? It has views, hills, dense woods, less congestion, easy access to main roads, ect.





Look at that sky! You wouldn't believe that its this hot.





They carved this area out and in this development there are some homes that sit down low and some on top of the hill. Google didn't go in there. Here's a view from the main road.

[DJDeadParrot]

Originally Posted by Cambium

I decided to take Route 5 to Merritt instead of I-91 to Merritt. Nice ride through the commercial area which reminded me of Milford's strip of stores. Especially the Newington area.

Only difference was that Milford is newer. Something about that Route 5 strip from Hartford(I think) to Meriden it seemed like a blast from the past. Maybe it was the open areas? The older structures? The spread out businesses? Tractors? I liked it! No pics sorry.

That would be the Berlin Turnpike. Part of the reason why it has that blast-from-the-past aura is that, before I-91 opened in the mid-1960s, it was the main motor road between Hartford and New Haven, dating back to 1909 [the straight-line route actually goes back before 1800]. Plans for the Wilbur Cross Parkway would have bypassed this route, but the state found that it would cost less to simply widen the existing roadway between Meriden and Hartford. Because this was the only segment that wasn't limited-access, traveler-oriented businesses, such as gas stations, diners, and motor lodges, flourished.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by DJDeadParrot

That would be the Berlin Turnpike. Part of the reason why it has that blast-from-the-past aura is that, before I-91 opened in the mid-1960s, it was the main motor road between Hartford and New Haven, dating back to 1909 [the straight-line route actually goes back before 1800]. Plans for the Wilbur Cross Parkway would have bypassed this route, but the state found that it would cost less to simply widen the existing roadway between Meriden and Hartford. Because this was the only segment that wasn't limited-access, traveler-oriented businesses, such as gas stations, diners, and motor lodges, flourished.

I remember vaguely driving to Vermont on the Berlin Turnpike before I-91 was built and my father hated it. It was slow because of all of the businesses and traffic signals. It added a lot of time to the trip. Once the section of I-91 opened from Meriden to Hartford in 1965, our trip to visit family was cut by an hour. As I-91 was completed through Massachusetts and Vermont, our trips took even less time. What was once an all-day trip was now cut to 4 hours. That was less than half of what it took before the highway was complete. We were amazed at that. Jay

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by DJDeadParrot

That would be the Berlin Turnpike. Part of the reason why it has that blast-from-the-past aura is that, before I-91 opened in the mid-1960s, it was the main motor road between Hartford and New Haven, dating back to 1909 [the straight-line route actually goes back before 1800]. Plans for the Wilbur Cross Parkway would have bypassed this route, but the state found that it would cost less to simply widen the existing roadway between Meriden and Hartford. Because this was the only segment that wasn't limited-access, traveler-oriented businesses, such as gas stations, diners, and motor lodges, flourished.

Great post! Enjoyed reading that. Thank You.

[WouldLoveTo]

Rt 5 still parallels 91 all the way to up Canada. But it's like driving Rt 1 south with all the traffic lights. Years ago I was going to ride my bike up it to visit a friend in southern VT.