Late August/Early September is the perfect time to enjoy the splendor of eastern Connecticut’s coastal towns. The route I am mapping out begins in Old Lyme, the most western of the visited towns and ends in Stonington, the last town before the Rhode Island border. After the packed beaches and the scorching heat of the dog days of summer, venturing back to the coast for one final seasonal journey is certainly in order. Autumn in Connecticut is spectacular, but instead of thinking ahead, stay in the present and enjoy the final glimpses of summer in the form of lighthouses, lobster and ocean waves. This trip includes highlights to stop at along the way.

Old Lyme

 

Start the journey in Old Lyme where the DEP Marine Headquarters Boardwalk invites you to meander down its planked runway. Located off of Ferry Road, the Boardwalk travels underneath the railroad bridge which takes passengers and freight over the Connecticut River. The view is serene and make sure to smell the salt air at the intersection of the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound. Visit http://www.lisrc.uconn.edu/coastalaccess/site.asp?siteid=533&maptool=3 for information about this park.

 

Niantic

Traveling east on Route 156 brings us to our next destination, the village of Niantic in the town of East Lyme. Here we are greeted with two perfect stop offs; one of the natural kind and the other of the literary kind. The Book Barn in Niantic is one of the nation’s finest book stores. The store consists of many different barns, houses, nooks, and crannies all filled with books of all kinds. Among the different areas is a barn building which houses the horror books and a kiosk at the beginning with the name “Ellis Island” which contains the new arrivals. Don’t go looking for any book in particular, but do go with an open mind, since you will most likely be bringing a few more home than originally planned. One recommended book which is typically located near the register is “Connecticut Lore: Strange, Off Kilter and Full of Surprises.” Enjoy the menagerie of animals on the property as well including cats, goats and a dog. Visit http://www.bookbarnniantic.com for more information. It also has other satellite branches in downtown Niantic just up the road.

 

 

Another stop off in Niantic is the Niantic Bay Boardwalk. Park the car off of River Road, near the drawbridge past the downtown for the entrance of the boardwalk. This pleasant jaunt takes you adjacent to the ocean eventually ending at Niantic town beach. Observe swaths of sandy beach and expansive ocean as you walk down the boardwalk or sit on one of the many benches that line the path. http://www.discovereastlyme.com/things_boardwalk.php will provide more information.

 

 

Jump back in the car, continue on 156 until you reach Route 213. On Route 213, two major destination recommendations are Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford (http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2716&q=325214&deepNav_GID=1650%20) and Ocean Beach in New London (http://www.ocean-beach-park.com/). I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry, so we’ll save those spots for another day. But let’s talk about food, on this trip I recommend lobster or other delicacies of the sea. Two great places are Captain Scott’s Lobster Dock in New London or Ford’s Lobsters in Noank.

New London

From Route 213 in Waterford, take Glenwood Avenue to Pequot Avenue in New London. Here glance at two lighthouses, the New London Ledge Light will be seen standing majestically alone in the midst of the blue sea. Ledge Light is one of Connecticut’s two offshore lighthouses (the other being Penfield Light off of Bridgeport/Fairfield). Instead of designed in a traditional lighthouse fashion, it looks like a old brick schoolhouse, albeit in the middle of ocean. Look very closely, you may see the ghost of Ernie, a former keeper. The other lighthouse is on the shore, just up ahead on Pequot Avenue.  Visit http://www.ledgelighthouse.org/ for more information.

Continue down Pequot Ave, at the Rotary take Harris Street and a quick right on to Hamilton. Yes, it looks like you are now in the middle of a warehouse district, but don’t fear, one of the area’s tastiest lobster rolls are here! Captain Scott’s used to be a hidden jewel, it is still a jewel, but is certainly not hidden (as you will be able to see by the lengthy lines). Captain Scott’s specialties include the aforementioned lobster roll. In this area of Connecticut the lobster roll needs to be eaten ‘hot’. This means, toasted roll with butter and lobster meat, get out of here with that mayonnaise and lettuce!  FYI: Both of the food recommendations are no-frills seafood joints. http://www.captscotts.com/Pages/Default.aspx

Noank

If you opted to wait for the food then you must be getting VERY hungry by now! To save some time, hop on the Gold Star Bridge in New London to take you over the Thames River. Follow Route 1 to Route 215, take that and follow signs for Noank. You will be missing the amazing campus of UConn Avery Point and its Branford House, but this way you’ll make a promise to yourself to come back! (http://averypoint.uconn.edu/branford/)  Noank is known for its touristy seafood restaurants like Abbot’s Lobster in the Rough and Costello’s Clam Shack, do yourself a favor, skip the lines and go to Ford’s Lobsters on Riverview Avenue instead. I recommend the lobster roll (of course) and oysters. Here you will overlook the same ocean cove but will be able to enjoy the meal even more. Noank is a quaint coastal village which provides charm at first sight. https://www.facebook.com/Fordslobster

 

Mystic

Ok, so now you should be set with food, after a fantastic meal at either Captain Scott’s or Ford’s. Continue on Route 215 until you hit Mystic. Yes, it is certainly the tourist capital of coastal eastern Connecticut but has much more to offer than just the Aquarium and Mystic Seaport. The downtown is full of restaurants including S&P Oyster Company and Mystic Pizza, but what you want now is ice cream! (On your next trip you’ll try a restaurant) Luckily, Mystic Drawbridge Ice Cream is right downtown ( http://www.mysticdrawbridgeicecream.com/). This ice cream parlor has a timeless appeal to it and features flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter Reeses, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and classics like Vanilla. The actual drawbridge is the focal point of the downtown, which rises every hour at the 40-minute mark in season, a fun view for bystanders, but not so much for drivers. Downtown Mystic has fine shops like The Black Dog, Bank Square Books, and Mystic Disc. Enjoy walking the main street, eating ice cream and poking in and out of stores for a while.

Stonington

Mystic is actually in two towns, Groton on the western side of the river and Stonington to the east. Visitors to Mystic often skip the quaintest, most picturesque part of Stonington and that is Stonington Borough. Drive Route 1 through Mystic until you see Route 1A with signs to Stonington Borough. (You’re close by to the Beer’d Brewery located in the Velvet Mill if you happen to be around during business hours, it’s worth a stop… see a previous website entry on Beer’d). The borough is jam-packed with colonial seaside homes, all in pristine condition, huddled on narrow streets. Water Street, the main boulevard in Stonington, is lined with shops and restaurants. Take that road to the end. You will be at a peninsula jutting out into the ocean. Watch Hill, Rhode Island is across the bay to the left, Dubois Beach to your right and the Old Lighthouse Museum behind you. Take time to soak in the beauty and tranquility, whether exploring outside or rolling down the windows to simply take in the ocean breeze, smell, and sound of waves lapping against the rocks.  For more information visit http://www.stoningtonhistory.org/index.php?id=7

 

This is where our trip ends. I hope you have enjoyed this journey throughout a few of the coastal towns of eastern Connecticut!  Connecticut is most certainly a special place with much to offer the visitor and its seaside towns are certainly worth investigating  Happy Travels!!!