Eatons Neck 1872

Eatons Neck by John Frederick Kensett (1816-1872) Metropolitan Museum Of Art, New York New York Times: Final Strokes Are Kensett's Best

Sabino

One of the great things about the Mystic area is the large number of vintage boats that ply the waters. The Sabino is one of the last wooden, coal-fired, steamboats still in operation. Built in Maine in 1908, she she served as a passenger excursion boat along the Damariscotta and Kennebec Rivers. Acquired by Mystic Seaport in 1973, she underwent a five year restoration and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1993. She is on display at Mystic Seaport and is available for charters and excursions. This photo caught her winding her way down the Mystic River recently just north of Morgan Point. Mystic Seaport: Sabino National Park Service

Saybrook Lighthouses

Lynde Point Lighthouse and Saybrook Breakwater Lighthouse 2008 Lynde Point: First Lit 1839 Saybrook Breakwater: First Lit 1886 Lighthouse Friends: Saybrook Breakwater (map) Lighthouse Friends: Lynde Point (map) Cyberlights: Saybrook Breakwater Cyberlights: Lynde Point

Fees and Access

This time of year unfortunately brings restrictions and fees to many coastal access areas of Long Island Sound. I have little problem with a modest fee to park a car or enter a park, especially when it appears that the money is used to maintain the property. But fees do destroy the spontaneity of simply stopping by for 20 minutes or an hour. A walk along the beach after work or having your lunch at a waterfront park becomes less practical. A bigger issue I have is with beaches and parks that are open to residents only. This is done in many underhanded ways. Oftentimes the beach is open to everyone, but a resident pass is needed to park a car. Other times the fees for a non-resident are outrageously high. A third, more cynical policy is to require visitors to purchase a non-resident pass at the town hall that is only open from 9am to 4pm on weekdays. The beach and the town hall are usually miles apart. Originally these restrictions were only in place in a few exclusive enclaves that bordered larger urban areas. Now, residency requirements are quite common on both shores. In some cases I understand the need for them; but other times they disgust me. The argument is usually that residents pay the taxes to support the park, therefor access should be limited to them. What these residents usually ignore is the fact that they use the services and infrastructure of other municipalities without similar restrictions (imagine if every resident of Greenwich or Great Neck had to go to city hall before they could enter Central Park). What is one to do? The state parks are open to all for a modest fee, but they are often crowded on summer weekends. There are also very few state (or county) parks in the western end of the Sound. Most of the places I have written about include a link that will provide information about access and fees. Also, if you have any questions about a particular place, you can email me and I will do my best to assist. Unfortunately, if you email me on a Thursday night, I may not be able to respond by Saturday morning. It may take me a week to respond. That brings up another subject. As some of my regular visitors have already noticed, my pattern for posting has changed drastically. For most of the winter months, I posted two or three times a week. My schedule has changed and I presently have limited access to a computer (no internet access on the boat). I still hope to put together a similar number of posts each month, but they will come in bunches, followed by a week or so with no entries. The same holds true for the blogs and sites I visit. I may not comment regularly, but I am still checking in every ten days or so to see what you have posted. Connecticut Coastal Access Guide New York State Parks: Long Island Westchester County Parks New York City Parks Rhode Island State Parks

Hudson Park In New Rochelle

Lloyd Point

"the long, bare, unfrequented shore that I had all to myself"

Walt Whitman

When I was first tossing around ideas about a blog devoted to Long Island Sound, I thought about a grading system for the parks and beaches. Eventually I decided against this idea because there were too many variables and intangibles. A beach that might be perfect for a winter walk was a poor place to spend a summer afternoon. An ideal place to read a book would be an inappropriate place to bring the kids. A beautiful municipal park might be a poor choice for a nature lover. I decided to treat each location for what it is. Had I decided on a rating system, Caumsett State Park would have scored an A; maybe even an A+. In my opinion, this is one of the premier pieces of public coastal access land on Long Island Sound. Acquired by the state in 1961, the former Marshall Field III estate is 1600 acres of farmland, salt marsh, horse stables, and footpaths. One drawback here is that a significant amount of walking is required to reach the water. In many ways however, this can be seen as a positive. The two mile walk along the bridle path is an easy one and it tends to discourage the beach cooler crowd from overrunning the park. My visit in early April focused on Lloyd Point which is a sandy peninsula in the northwest corner of the park. A few hikers and early season fishermen dotted the shoreline, but for the most part it was as if I had the beach all to myself. New York Parks: Caumsett State Park The Caumsett Foundation Map

New York Harbor Waterbloggers

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy"

Benjamin Franklin

"Ah that's just drunk talk. Sweet beautiful drunk talk"

Homer Simpson

My memory is a bit foggy. But yesterday afternoon a group of New York Harbor waterbloggers got together at Pier 66 on the west side of Manhattan. In attendance were Barbara from Going Coastal; Karen and Brian from Movable Bridge; Harry and Nancy from Hudson Kayaker; Christina from Bowsprite; and Will from Tugster. Let's just say that I am a little dehydrated this morning. It was a fun afternoon (and evening) and it was great to actually meet and speak with some of my fellow waterbloggers. With the skyline of Manhattan at our backs, we drank beer and watched the activity on the river. Pier 66 is a fantastic piece of waterfront property that includes the Frying Pan lightship and the John J Harvey fireboat. Unfortunately, I learned that my photography skills deteriorate sharply with each pint of beer consumed. The conversation for the first few hours focused mostly on blogging, but it eventually devolved into lowbrow discussions about tattoos, scars, and body hair. Christina from Bowsprite is a riot! I could get in a lot of trouble hanging out with her. I have no idea what time it was when we all left. It was that type of party. YouTube: Show Me The Way To Go Home