Connecticut and Rhode Island State Parks Quest

I recently read “The Happiness of Pursuit” by Chris Guillebeau and man, was I inspired! In a nutshell – the book is about dedicating yourself to pursuing a quest, and shares the stories of a cast of fascinating characters and their quests, such as – visiting every country in the world (the author’s – and he did it!), walking across the United States, bicycling around the world, creating a charity dedicated to providing the world with clean water, making a meal at home from every country, creating (and completing) a “life list” (like a bucket list)…… and on, and on, and on.

The book left me feeling excited and inspired. SO many ideas swirling around in my head. The section on creating a life list is dog-eared and I’ll be coming back to that here in a future post; in the meantime, a QUEST!

It’s no secret I love being outdoors in nature. Exploring new places through running, hiking, and biking is what drives me and makes my soul happy. After reading the book I was practically buzzing with excitement. I want to travel the country, to all of the National Parks! Now! RIGHT NOW! And then I took a step back. Yes, I most definitely do want to do that. That is a long term quest that we have begun to chip away at, and it will happen slowly. But those are big trips that require lots of planning… and money. In between these, how about a smaller, more manageable quest that really shares what Adventure Sneaker is all about?

And so, my new quest will be – visiting all of the Connecticut and Rhode Island State Parks.

I have been to many of these already. Some I frequent on a weekly basis. But some I have never seen, or never knew they existed! So it’s time to hit the road and do some exploring. At first I only included Connecticut, but what fun is that?? We are practically in Rhode Island in my neck of the woods anyway and I spend lots of time exploring there as well, so might as well include both! Eventually… all of New England!

Armed with my state park guide Apps (and some real books, paper maps, and some internet research) I’ll be heading out around the state to find and visit all of our parks. But more than just visiting – actively experiencing what they have to offer. This won’t be a drive-by, pull into the parking lot and check a box sort of a gig. I will be spending some time there – researching each park and planning for whatever recreation opportunities they have to offer (except probably fishing, because I seriously can’t sit still that long.)

And, of course, I’ll be sharing that here with YOU, with blog posts of each of my visits. In hopes of inspiring everyone (including me!) to get out there and experience, enjoy, and preserve our open spaces. I have also dedicated myself to getting more involved with the parks that I love so much. I started out by joining the Connecticut Forest and Parks Association as well as our local land conservancy, and will be getting out there as a volunteer. No more passively reaping the benefits of everyone else’s hard work. I spend hours on these trails…. it’s time to give back.

So, cheers to exploring, adventure sneaking, and getting out there! See you on the trails!

Where should I head first?

What is your favorite Connecticut or Rhode Island Park?

Here are some of my planning resources, to get this party started!

If you are interested in purchasing some of the resources mentioned above, consider clicking through my Amazon affiliate links below. It doesn’t cost you any extra, and I’ll get a few pennies from your shopping. Thanks!