Lime Rock Starts Summer Racing Season May 24-26

Lime Rock Park located on Rte. 112 in Lime Rock CT kicks off the summer racing season with several exciting events. The Memorial Day Race weekend Friday, May 24, Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 (no Monday event) will be jam-packed with top rank sports car series races topped off by a fabulous car show.

New this year, the sports car race series will feature the newly revitalized SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series.  This is Detroit’s big “iron” that includes Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes going head to head with each other while fending off advances of some of Europe’s best sports cars.  In addition to this, there will be the added excitement of heart pounding Formula F and F2000 races.

On Sunday, May 26 one of the most popular events, the 4^th annual Royals Car Show will return to the historic Lime Rock track again this year from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  It is exciting to be able to get out on the track to view all the fantastic cars that will be showing off.  Participating vehicles include muscle cars, tuners and imports, street rods, motorcycles, classic cars, antiques, antique trucks, race cars, exceptional contemporary cars and fire trucks – the list is endless.   The car show entry fees is $10 for adults, $5 for military, and kids 12 and under are free. Proceeds raised from the car show at Lime Rock Park benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.

For tickets for the Trans-Am Races and Royals Car Show visit  http://tickets.limerock.com.  For general information on Lime Rock Park http://www.limerock.comhttp://www.limerock.com.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.comwww.litchfieldhills.com.

About Lime Rock Park

Dreamed up in 1956 by Jim Vaill and with the help of John Fitch and Cornnell Aeronautical Labs, Lime Rock is 1.50 miles of up hill and down dale, a track that looks deceivingly simple but is immensely challenging to drive at high speeds. Its setting is in a village in the heart of the Litchfield Hills renowned for its great natural beauty and cultural heritage.

In its 55 year existence, almost all of the sport’s greats have raced here: Andretti, Moss, Gurney, Posey, Rodriguez, Hobbs, Hill, Donohue, Ward, Fitch…the list of great drivers who’ve raced here is endless.

Lime Rock has also seen virtually every kind of racecar grace its corners and straights…from ground-pounding NASCAR stock cars to Can-Am, Camel GTP, F5000, Trans-Am and Atlantic, this list also goes on and on.

Today, Lime Rock is the leading edge of American LeMans Series and Grand-Am with their own stars and cars that are writing history. 

Free Paddle Guide to Litchfield Hills

Canoeing in Litchfield Hills

Blessed with two major recreational rivers, the Housatonic and the Farmington, and over 9,000 surface acres of lakes and spring-fed ponds, the Litchfield Hills of Northwest Connecticut are overflowing with spring fun on the water.  Melting snow that makes rivers run high means prime time for whitewater challenge and sunny spring days are just right for a peaceful paddle on a sun-dappled river.

The Housatonic Valley Association has just published a free Connecticut Paddling Guide of nine navigable sections of the Housatonic River with 29 access sites starting from Ashley Falls, Mass. and going to Stratford, Connecticut. 

The Guide provides detailed maps and easy to read directions. Descriptions of each section of the river include distance, the type of water flow, landmarks, and tributaries entering the section and warnings where necessary. Other sections of the guide have information on the river’s history, its health, and plant and wildlife species found along the river. The guide also includes tips on boating safety and guarding against spreading invasive aquatic species.  

Notes on specific wildlife, recreational areas, historic sites, other pertinent information as well as photos and illustrations are sprinkled throughout the sections. It is printed on water-resistant paper in two colors with a full color cover and some full color spread throughout the pages.

The guides are available at HVA in Cornwall Bridge; Connecticut Outdoors, LLC, Oakville; Clarke Outdoors, West Cornwall; Main Stream Canoes & Kayaks, New Hartford and The Trading Post, New Milford. This guide may be downloaded at www.hvatoday.org.

For a free paddle guide and the Unwind brochure call 860-567-4506 or visit www.litchfieldhills.com 

Birding In Connecticut

The Greenwich Audubon, http://greenwich.audubon.orghttp://greenwich.audubon.org

 is celebrating May in style with a series of events that will be fun and educational for lovers of nature.   For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

On two Wednesdays, May 15 and May 22, there is a bird walk from 7 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. at Fairchild Wildflower Garden on North Porchuck Road.  For this free event RSVP to 203-869-5272 x230 and don’t forget to bring your binoculars and camera

On Saturday, May 18 and May 25 there will be a bird walk at the Main Sanctuary on Riversville Rd. from 7 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.  Morning bird walks are a spring tradition at the Audubon and participants are asked to RSVP to 203-869-5272 x230 and to meet at the Greenwich parking area on Riversville Road. 

Also on Saturday, May 18, the Audubon is hosting a program from 2 pm. – 3:30 p.m. called Fast Food Feasts for Songbirds.  As neo-tropical migrants return from their wintering areas, emerging insects and other invertebrates provide them with essential foods.  Participants will search for feeding birds visit local plant life in search of insects, spiders, and other creatures that make quick treats for spring’s hungry avian travelers.

To finish up the month of May, on the 25^th the Audubon Greenwich is hosting Turtle Time with Ted Gilman from 2 p.m. – 3:30.  Participants will learn about turtle natural history, nesting behavior, how to help protect turtles, and meet some of our local turtle species. The program is finished with a hike to Mead Lake in search of nesting turtles. This program is appropriate for all ages. Please. RSVP to 203-869-5272 x230.

When visiting the Audubon, don’t miss the Birds of New England now on display in in Kiernan Hall at Audubon Greenwich through July 16^th.  While in New England and the North Atlantic coast, John James Audubon observed many, possibly hundreds of species of birds that lived or migrated here.  Audubon painted many of these species, 52 of them while actually on location in New England, and 34 prints are included in this exhibition.

Lilac Walk & Tea at Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden

On Sunday, May 19 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Bethlehem’s Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden is hosting a Lilac Walk and Tea party.  Participants attending this event will learn the history, care and culture of lilacs with Bellamy- Ferriday Site Horticulturist, George McCleary.  A tea in the historic garden will follow the program on lilacs.  Admission for the event is $12 for adults and $10 for members of the Connecticut Landmarks Association, $5 children, and $25 for families.

Guests will learn about the 14 varieties of lilacs in the Ferriday collection and their various colors, fragrances, flower and leaf size.  One discussion will focus on ways to get your lilacs to bloom this will be especially helpful if you are having trouble getting them to blossom.  Participants will also learn how to increase flower growth and to protect lilacs from powdery mildew organically. You can even take some lilacs home because lilacs from the Bellamy-Ferriday collection will be for sale.

Running concurrently with the adult lilac program is another program about lilacs for children ages 5 and up.  Children will learn about these beautiful purple flowers through games and crafts. 

About Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden

The house embodies the dramatically different passions of two extraordinary individuals, Rev. Joseph Bellamy (1719-1790) and Miss Caroline Ferriday (1902-1990).  Today this 1754 home of Bethlehem's First Minister transformed into a 20th century country estate with antiques, a formal garden of historic roses, lilacs, and peonies and an orchard.  http://www.ctlandmarks.org/?page=bellamy-ferriday-house-garden.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.