Stamford Nature Center

I can't believe that I have lived 20 minutes away from this place my entire life and never gone. Today started by us hopping in the car to go see the ducks at Stew Leonard's and then my son asking to see a pig. My mom quickly googled where pigs were near us and the Stamford Nature Center popped up. So, we turned around and headed there. If Lincoln wants a pig, he gets to see a pig. 

Thank goodness we did because it was such a great adventure! So much so that we purchased the family year pass! When you enter right now (keep in mind that it's not fully open yet because of COVID), you park and head into the main gate. Masks are required despite the farm being outside unless you can socially distance, but then you must keep your mask easy to pop on. No problem there! We felt safe the entire time and it wasn't crowded. Tons of handwashing stations, too!

The one negative is that the map was a little confusing. We've never been so I didn't know where the certain animals or trails were. But that's not a huge deal. We were also short for time since the farm was so big and we didn't pack lunches. We could've easily spent the day there wandering around. 

Lincoln started in the stroller and we saw some amazing, large farm animals. You first see massive cows--so big that Lincoln called one an elephant! We got spit on by a llama (well, I did because Lincoln made me pet it). The horses were busy eating hay. A ram literally walked right up to us while we called to it from the fences. 

The entire grounds were well-kept, the animals were clean and looked happy and healthy. It felt really nice walking around and seeing how much time and effort went into it. I really loved how laid back the experience was. There wasn't a clear path to go, no flashy exhibits...just animals! They also had plots where crops were growing. There was a bee area that explained beekeeping.

Lincoln loved it all, but I think his favorite was the playground. It wasn't overcrowded despite being there at 11 am. Everything is wood and sort of tucked into a hillside. There are a lot of ladders, nests, and hidden areas. I couldn't believe it when Lincoln wanted to go down the largest slide without even pausing. He was beyond impressive! 

We did the red trail which was a quarter of a mile and again, Lincoln loved the board walk and running up and down it. It crossed a few pieces of the river and there was a bird watching station, too. We only passed one other family and a few walkers on it. Again, so easy to navigate. 

HIGHLY recommend a visit if you live in this area.