Connecticut

I enjoyed the Connecticut coastline way more than I thought I would. I knew it would be grand, most coastal towns have a very special flavor that draws in the tourists. But, the little seaside villages like Mystic and Noank are hard to beat.

Groton, Noank, Niantic, Mystic and Stonington are within a 20-mile stretch along the Long Island Sound of Connecticut's southern coast.

The University of Connecticut campus at Avery Point in Groton with its lighthouse and the Branford House makes for a spectacular stroll with panoramic views of the Sound.

The draw in Mystic is the drawbridge, and Niantic's claim is its 1.1-mile boardwalk along the Sound.

As picturesque as Long Point Road in Groton is, there was no getting out to get pictures. I had to pretty much illegally park to get these quick shots. The neighborhood appears private, no public anything, and parking is by residential permit only.

Noank's waterfront, on the other hand, is right the opposite. So touristy that I actually feel bad for the people who live there. The village is small to begin with, but very picturesque with up and down, narrow winding roads. I'm sure the locals are happy when tourist season is over.

So, I was at the Noank historical society building and noticed a plaque on the wall that said Amelia Earhart and George Putnam were married in Noank in 1931. It said no more than taht, but it raised my curiosity. I did some research while there. Though it's disputed by some, there was an article that said they were married in a house on Church Street halfway between Front Street and Cedar Lawn. Amelia herself described the house as "boxy." I found all three of those streets and this house exactly where and how it was described. Could it be?

The University of Connecticut at Avery Point is the perfect setting for this lighthouse, the Avery Point Light. It overlooks Long Island Sound in Groton. It was built in March, 1943, but because of fear of an enemy attack it stayed dark until May of 1944.

Views over Long Island Sound from Avery Point are magnificent. This sailboat happened by just as I was taking a distant shot of the New London Ledge Lighthouse in the background.

The Branford House is located on the UConn campus at Avery Point and is rented out for special occasions and events. It was built in 1902 as a summer house for Morton Plant, a Connecticut businessman. After his death in 1918, it was passed to his descendants who sold it for $55.000 in 1939. Soon after that, it became state property and then property of the U.S. Coast Guard. After that, it was turned over to the university.Today it houses university administrative offices and is rented out for galas and other special events.

The state of Connecticut provides a nice highway overview of the Mystic harbor. Mystic is probably the more popular of the state's seaside towns. Lots of shops and eateries and a calm harbor that runs right through the middle of town.

The Mystic drawbridge was built in 1922 and spans the Mystic River in the heart of the town. Both cars and pedestrians can access the bridge, and it opens daily at 40 minutes past the hour as well as when needed by passing boats.

Fish art on display at the Mystic arts fest that happened to be opening the day I arrived. Thankfully, I got there early and was able to find a parking spot within reason AND beat the traffic coming into town later in the day.

Along its waterfront, Mystic has restored its old maritime history by opening the Mystic Seaport Museum, an open-air museum. The lighthouse (shown in the photo on the right) is a replica of the active Brant Point Lighhouse in Nantucket.

The Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse is another example of what is defined as a sparkplug lighthouse, due to its shape. It sits at the mouth of the Connecticut River at Fenwick Point . It opened in 1886.

The Lynde Point Lighthouse was built in 1803 as an aid to ships coming into Long Island Sound. It sits on the west of side of the mouth of the Connecticut River.