No Limit to Winter Fun

The temptation to hibernate in winter is natural, but with so much going on nearby, your excuses for getting out are limited. This just may be the best time of year to step outside your comfort zone-and zip code. This week, Living brings you a round-up of some of the area's family friendly cold-weather activities.

Walk it Off, Take a Hike

Why not get a little exercise while you appreciate the great outdoors?

The Shoreline Greenway Trail leads winter walks on the first Saturday of each month along different trail sections. Sturdy shoes and poles or snowshoes are recommended; leashed dogs are welcome. Upcoming walks include the Pine Orchard Loop, Branford, on Feb. 4 at 10 a.m.; East River Preserve, Guilford, on March 3 at 10 a.m.; and Farm River State Park, East Haven, on April 7 at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.shorelinegreenwaytrail.org.

Celebrate Groundhog Day with a 1½-hour hike on the Indian Rock Shelters Trail led by the Madison Land Conservation Trust. The annual hike takes place this year on Sunday, Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. The trail provides an opportunity to see the modest beginnings of the Neck River. West of this watercourse, rock ledges contain shallow caves once used for winter shelter by members of the Hammonasset Tribe. The terrain of this area is rocky and uneven, providing numerous hiding places for groundhogs and making it advisable that hikers wear sturdy boots (or snowshoes, if necessary!). Dogs should be leashed. For more information and trail maps, visit www.madisonlandtrust.org.

Learn the art of animal tracking from the Branford Land Trust's Nature Explorer Program. Two classes are offered, on Saturday, Jan. 28 and Saturday, Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m. Each class runs 90 minutes and is held outdoors in Lake Saltonstall forest in western Branford. The classes are open to all ages and free of charge. Participants should wear hiking boots and warm clothes and meet at the Regional Water Authority Parking lot on the north side of Hosley Avenue. For more info, contact Tom Cleveland at 203-981-9040 or tgcleve@yahoo.com or visit www.branfordlandtrust.org.

Get an Eagle-Eye View of the National Symbol

The majestic bald eagle has returned to the Connecticut River, which boasts the largest concentration of the national symbol in all of New England. Three area organizations offer educational and scenic eagle-viewing tours.

Connecticut Audubon Society EcoTravel hosts eagle-viewing boat trips aboard RiverQuest beginning on Saturday, Feb. 11 and running through March 18. Boat departures are at 9 and 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekends and 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursdays. The trips include a narrated tour and depart from Eagle Landing State Park in Haddam. The fee is $40 per person. For more information or reservations, call 860-767-0660 or 1-800-996-8747 or visit www.ctriverquest.com.

In Essex, the Connecticut River Museum partners with marine science and environmental education organization Project Oceanology to lead eagle-viewing cruises. The trips run on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from

Feb. 3 through March 11, with passengers boarding Project Oceanology's Envirolab III. The trips run in conjunction with the museum's Eagles of Essex exhibit encompassing amateur digital photography. Special programming is also planned. Boat tours are $40 per person; includes free museum admission. For more information, call 860-767-8269 or visit www.ctrivermuseum.org.

The Audubon Shop of Madison guides land-based eagle-viewing tours on Saturdays, Jan. 28; Feb. 4, 11, 18, and 25; and March 3. Participants see bald eagles in the wild from a variety of vantage points along the river's edge while carpooling. Pre-registration is required. Tickets are on sale now for $20, which includes a soup and sandwich lunch at Oliver's Taverne, Essex. For more information, call 203-245-9056 or visit www.theaudubonshop.com.

A Winter Wonder

Old Lyme's Florence Griswold Museum seeks to cure those seasonal blues with a Winter Wonderment Weekend. Slated for Feb. 11 and 12, this two-day event will feature "hands-on, minds-on fun," including scavenger hunts in the Griswold House, "Can You Find Me?" cards in the Krieble Gallery, and creative projects in the Hartman Education Center.

Special performances include a puppet show on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. called The Twig Family in the Oak Tree. Then, on Sunday, Feb. 12 at noon, Dave Fry presents his "Just Imagine" concert, which mixes folk and rock and roll sounds with spontaneous storytelling and audience participation. Each of these performances costs $5 per person and requires registration.

The weekend also includes the opportunity to view the new exhibit ...isms: Unlocking Art's Mysteries, featuring 100 works of American art and culture form the 18th- through 21st centuries that seek to explain artistic movements.

For more information, call 860-434-5542 or visit www.flogris.org.

Carnivale, New England Style

If a day marked by an ice-carving competition, tractor parade, and chili cook-off rounded out by gallery openings, receptions, and special shop events sounds good to you, mark your calendar for the 22nd annual Chester Winter Carnivale. It takes place this year on Sunday, Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Chester center.

Free parking is available at the Water Street and Maple Street parking lots. A courtesy shuttle bus will also run into town from the commuter lot at Route 9, exit 6.

For more information, visit www.visit-chester.com.

A Little Farther Afield

Middlefield might seem like a trek, but this 40-year annual tradition could be worth it. Lyman Orchards presents its 40th annual Winterfest featuring a Red Hot "Ice Wars" Carving Competition and much more on Feb. 25 and 26. The country's hottest professional ice carvers flock to the free event. Lyman's regular amenities will also be open to the public during Winterfest.

For more information, visit www.lymanorchards.com.