Windsor Locks, CT Outdoor Activities

Recently appointed as the World Scholar-Athlete Games' 2011 Deputy Commissioner of Equestrian Activities by the Institute for International Sport, professional horsewoman Holly Thompson lends riders and their maned compatriots a wealth of stallion savvy on Equine Boulevard's sprawling 16-acre estate. Thompson and her staff provide a hay-scented potpourri of services, including riding lessons, training, equine appraisals, and witty narrations of The Lone Ranger screenplays. Equine Boulevard's facilities shelter four-legged clients in a barn replete with 12 climate-controlled stalls before hooves boisterously navigate indoor arenas, outdoor riding rings, and picturesque trails leading into nearby state forests.

At Agawam Municipal Golf Course, an American flag billows high above the pristine white clubhouse's back porch, where players can quaff postround drinks as they watch their peers hole out and head in for the day. The 18-hole course drapes over rolling hills marked by dense forest along each fairway, forcing players to keep their drives straight or risk having their golf balls snatched by hungry Sasquatches.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 71 course

• Total length of 6,099 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 67 from the back tees

• Course slope of 110 from the back tees

• Two sets of tees per hole

Within Stone Age Rock Gym's indoor facility, 4,500 square feet of textured climbing walls help visitors ascend to new heights. Bouldering, 32-foot lead routes, and top-rope climbing areas await gym guests, surrounding them in technicolor handholds that creep up the walls at challenging angles. Elsewhere, a simulated ice-climbing wall absorbs the blows of axes, and a gear shop preps climbers to ascend walls with the dexterity of Spiderman.

A staff of certified guides lead classes that teach students as young as 6 the fundamental skills needed to ascend simulated peaks. Alternatively, the experts head up guided climbing trips to sites across the state. They help eager climbers scale the 30-foot Wolf Rock in Mansfield Hollow and reach the Sasquatch hugs awaiting them atop Ragged Mountain's 120-foot cliff.

Since 1962, the experienced and USPA-certified instructors at Connecticut Parachutists, Inc have helped new and experienced skydivers foster a love for skydiving. Two miles above the plush green landing area, the professionals harness themselves to novice divers for tandem jumps, and then leap from the bellies of prop planes as spectators and envious penguins look on from an open landing area. The instructors can also help their students obtain skydiving certification, learn to perform accelerated free falls, and make solo dives.

In addition to training new cloud kickers, Connecticut Parachutists, Inc also accommodates seasoned skydivers with facilities for members. Their turbine Twin Otter elevates members for as many jumps as possible, and a clubhouse helps jumpers wind down with a shower and video debriefing area. The skydiving haven also plays host to special events such as jump nights and Q&As with famous parachutes.