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The Return Trip
Sep. 2nd, 2021 06:29 pm You may have heard about the rain the New York area got drenched in, with record rainfalls post-Ida. However, you might not realize that included Middletown/Cromwell, CT, where we were last night. One of the dorms at Mason's university was flooded and needed to be evacuated. Some freshmen spent their first night at college huddled in the gymnasium wondering if their stuff was underwater. Fortunately, that did not include Mason, so far as we know.
We spent yesterday mostly crashed. After setting up Mason's room and all that, we retreated to the hotel where Shawn promptly slept off several years of stress. This morning we woke to sunshine and a desire for ADVENTURE. So, we decided to head to the ocean.
Image: A classic image of a seagull sitting on a wooden post. Beyond, is the Atlantic Ocean.
South of Middletown is the city of Old Saybrook. We decided to check it out. We found the point, which included crusty old guys sitting around an outdoor table shooting the breeze and the carcass of a small shark that had been washed up in yesterday's flooding. (I did take a picture, but since it is dead, I didn't post it. If people want to see it, I can add it in an update.) But, it was really no longer than my forearm, and I have small forearms.
We decided to continue along the coast on Highway 1, where we found this rather delightful, deserted public beach. Shawn and I spent some time beach combing. We found a lot of slipper shells, oyster shells, and a blue mussel (?). We also found a couple of small crab shells. After a nice time there, we continued along Hwy 1 to Hammonasset Beach State Park.
Yes, a STATE PARK!!
We bought a day pass so that we could see what we might see.
Image: a map of the location of the State Park.
Shawn and I decided that since we'd paid for the day pass, we might as well stick our toes into the Atlantic. Here is my lovely, joyful wife.
Image: Shawn at the Atlantic, her feet in the water.
I suspect these guys are also dead, but we saw a bunch of jellyfish floating near the shore, too.
Image: A dead (?) jellyfish floating near the shoreline of Hammonasset Beach.
After that was a whole lot of driving. I did NOT want to take I-90 back, so Shawn charted us a route that took us along I-95 through New Haven, then some really tiny side roads (including a county 34), and then I-84 to I-81 to I-80. It was not a straight route. Our plan tomorrow is to be a bit more direct and make up more time. But, we really aren't sure when we'll be back this way, so we figured we might as well explore a bit!
We've been joking that, without Mason, we're making some... dubious life choices. We are, for instance, just going in a direction until we get tired. So, tonight we are currently staying in Williamsport, PA.
Mason said he might call us with an update on his first couple of days at university so far, but that it would be pretty late tonight. I'm thinking that I might actually take a little wander and do a bit of exploring. I have to say, I really love the foothills of Pennsylvania a LOT. They look like where I grew up in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I found the drive today generally gorgeous from start to finish.
Hopefully tomorrow will be as fun.
Post Script: We heard from our cat sitter and Ms. Piggy has rallied. Of course, that meant that she then had to wrangle our other two kitties, both of which managed to slip past her to outside. But, all remains well, if a little chaotic back home.
We spent yesterday mostly crashed. After setting up Mason's room and all that, we retreated to the hotel where Shawn promptly slept off several years of stress. This morning we woke to sunshine and a desire for ADVENTURE. So, we decided to head to the ocean.
Image: A classic image of a seagull sitting on a wooden post. Beyond, is the Atlantic Ocean.
South of Middletown is the city of Old Saybrook. We decided to check it out. We found the point, which included crusty old guys sitting around an outdoor table shooting the breeze and the carcass of a small shark that had been washed up in yesterday's flooding. (I did take a picture, but since it is dead, I didn't post it. If people want to see it, I can add it in an update.) But, it was really no longer than my forearm, and I have small forearms.
We decided to continue along the coast on Highway 1, where we found this rather delightful, deserted public beach. Shawn and I spent some time beach combing. We found a lot of slipper shells, oyster shells, and a blue mussel (?). We also found a couple of small crab shells. After a nice time there, we continued along Hwy 1 to Hammonasset Beach State Park.
Yes, a STATE PARK!!
We bought a day pass so that we could see what we might see.
Image: a map of the location of the State Park.
Shawn and I decided that since we'd paid for the day pass, we might as well stick our toes into the Atlantic. Here is my lovely, joyful wife.
Image: Shawn at the Atlantic, her feet in the water.
I suspect these guys are also dead, but we saw a bunch of jellyfish floating near the shore, too.
Image: A dead (?) jellyfish floating near the shoreline of Hammonasset Beach.
After that was a whole lot of driving. I did NOT want to take I-90 back, so Shawn charted us a route that took us along I-95 through New Haven, then some really tiny side roads (including a county 34), and then I-84 to I-81 to I-80. It was not a straight route. Our plan tomorrow is to be a bit more direct and make up more time. But, we really aren't sure when we'll be back this way, so we figured we might as well explore a bit!
We've been joking that, without Mason, we're making some... dubious life choices. We are, for instance, just going in a direction until we get tired. So, tonight we are currently staying in Williamsport, PA.
Mason said he might call us with an update on his first couple of days at university so far, but that it would be pretty late tonight. I'm thinking that I might actually take a little wander and do a bit of exploring. I have to say, I really love the foothills of Pennsylvania a LOT. They look like where I grew up in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. I found the drive today generally gorgeous from start to finish.
Hopefully tomorrow will be as fun.
Post Script: We heard from our cat sitter and Ms. Piggy has rallied. Of course, that meant that she then had to wrangle our other two kitties, both of which managed to slip past her to outside. But, all remains well, if a little chaotic back home.