a day / 37 miles / an hour 14 minutes
Set in natural surroundings, Merritt Parkway's significant design brilliantly integrates the craft of the engineer and the artist. The bridges along the route are excellent examples of Art Deco, or Art Moderne, styles of the 1920s and 1930s. Magnificent foliage abounds in both spring and fall.
Day 1
9:00 - 10.9 miles / 21 minutes - 9:21
Stamford Museum and Nature Center
Rocky ridges, bubbling streams, silent ponds, woodland trails, small farms, and great examples of Americana and art. You can experience it all at a farm, natural science center, exhibitions, and seasonal events. Since its beginnings, the museum has been collecting artifacts from five areas for its collections: the Natural History of New England, 19th- and 20th-century art, Native American art and cultures, early American and Americana objects, and pre-World War II farm implements.
It is not only a museum, but also a nature center. The Stamford Museum and Nature Center has miles of beautiful walking trails. They traverse much of the 118-acre property, allowing visitors to decide whether they want to take a leisurely walk, short hike, or challenging excursion. The nature surrounding the trails is spectacular and includes numerous varieties of plant and animal life. Children will love the Heckscher Farm. School children and families can visit the working farm to learn more about the not-so-distant past when farming was a major way of life.12:21 - 8.3 miles / 16 minutes - 12:38
Earthplace: The Nature Center for Environmental Activities
The Nature Center for Environmental Activities is dedicated to promoting environmental awareness. The center is a haven for those who enjoy nature and encourages people to feel a responsibility toward protecting our environment.
A unique entity, the center consists of several components: museum, wildlife rehabilitation center, water quality research lab, and a 62-acre, open-space wildlife sanctuary, which is a living outdoor exhibit. The sanctuary features a two-mile connecting trail system and an array of wildlife which can be spotted living in their natural surroundings at various times of the year. Through these components, the center offers people an opportunity to experience the most enjoyable elements of the natural world.15:38 - 17.9 miles / 35 minutes - 16:14