Explore the 2020 Out and About Challenge

With thousands of City residents and visitors turning to open spaces and trails during the COVID19 pandemic, things have gotten crowded, and quickly, along the Shelton Lakes Recreation Path.  In an effort to avoid closing the RecPath due to overcrowding, like a number of communities around Connecticut; the Shelton 2020 Out and About Challenge was born.

It's not hard.  There are three levels;  easy drive byes spots, middlin' easy fun walks, and some visits to picturesque locations that require a little more walkin'.  Grab some trinket to show you're you, go visit spots along trails and open spaces, take a picture with said trinket, send the photos to the Conservation Commission, and maybe win a prize (we're working on the prize but it ma ybe a walking stick).  You can get as creative, or non-creative, as you want to be.  It's a fun
opportunity to go exploring and do a little social distancing at the same time.

You'll visit various waterfalls, trails, vistas, rivers, and open spaces around town that you may, or may not be famillar with.

You may see the occasional Red Tailed Hawk up close and personal at said feature.  All it takes is sitting still for a couple of minutes quietly enjoying the scenery.

There is a lot of really nice stuff right under our noses that we drive past every day and don't appreciate.  This is a pair of dams along the Far Mill River that I would normally drive past twice a day, and never see.  The challenge takes you to the other side of the river and this is a little-known, but really nice spot to visit that most people overlook.  And if you sit still for a bit you'll see some neat things.

There was a bird swooping down getting fish at the pond.  At first I thought it was a Kingfisher, but later looking it up it looks like a Black Capped Night Heron.  Either way it was big and something that you wouldn't notice just driving by on the road.

There are 3 groups of 30 locations total to visit.  One of which I had never seen until the other week.  Visit the Out and About Page for directions and information.  Take some good pictures of your visits.  Enjoy not just the RecPath, but all Shelton's trails and open spaces this spring.

And please spread out.