Twenty, 27 July 2008

Parked at Cini Park, East Lyme,CT under Rte 156 Bridge, turn around point, intersection of Fairfield and Black Point Rd. Length, 4.4 miles.

Well, this is our twentieth walk and the 'as the crow flies' across Connecticut is just about 20 miles, so even though we have been getting a lot of miles in, we are making slow progress. That is fine as we are taking our time and often taking the scenic route.

Today was notable because of weather, I left home in a rain and by the time we started we were exposed to thunderstorms. It was never really bad and except for maybe three downpours it was pretty dryish. I decided to walk in my sandals which is about as far as I have gone in those things.

I didn't like Niantic much, not walk friendly, It, like the the shore of Waterford with all its "NO" signs was a big turnoff. Along the shore in Niantic, they have a nice boardwalk along the water. No Dogs. A nice park west of the boardwalk, No Dogs. I guess my patience with walking along the shore in summer is getting thin.

Our turn around point was just past a narrow AMTRAK underpass which was near church that was just starting mass, need I say more?



At a park with a 6 foot chain link fence and obligatory "no dog" signs, I saw a little monument that i could not read but i think it marked the extinction of the Nehantic tribe, who had a reservation on black point and all that land was taken, to become seaside homes of exclusion.

And, this was the first walk in a while where Dom wasn't overheated, in our past few walks she has been really hot and stopping alot to rest in cool grass, today, looking like a wet rat, she was pulling the leash most of the way.

Leg 19, 20 July 2008

Parked at the town park at Magoo Park, walked to the end of the last walk by the RR tracks on Gradiners Woods Rd. Total distance walked 3.4 miles.

This was the shortest of our walks so far and also the longest drive.

Another warm morning even with an early morning start, this walk involved a hill on 156 and then wooded Gardiners Woods Rd which does not ave one house on it, though it looks like some development might be going on.

The open climb up the hill was hot we rested for a spell on the dew wet grass near the ball field and then went down the shaded G Wood Rd which had a nice breeze from the sound. Saw a single deer way off in the distance. D of course found a baseball and she carried that up the hill.

On the return we took a quick detour right on Ridge View(?) rd to Oswegatchie RD and then back along a maze of roads along the river, used to be the main road when the old bridge was there. Waited a bit to see an Amtrak cross that RR drawbridge.

A few days before this walk we went to a beach off Shore road and the only public (ie: 'no trespassing' sign free) place where there were also no " no dog" signs and thus the only place I could find where you take a dog on the water. this was a small parking lot with acres and acres of sand flats, pools of clean water from the sound and even some waves from the sound. D loved it and I wish that I had found this on the previous walk.

Leg 18 July 16th 2008

Start and Finish: Seaside Regional Center site, Shore RD Waterford, CT. Length of walk: 4.5 miles

Another hot day despite starting early.

Walked along Shore Rd across Jordan Cove and turned around at Little league field past RR tracks. Came back on Palmer and New shore roads.

This was always my favorite ride after work, often ridden on cold winter nights in the dark, but in summer it is very busy even at this time in the morning.

I am beginning to tire from both this type of walk-paved roads through shore line activity and also the heat, which seems to affect little Domino more than me. After turning around and temps in the 80s, worse on sun and on roads, she took a liking to lying the cool grass. Can't say i blame her. I tried taking a news paper and took a long rest on a spot overlooking Jordan Cove. At one point I soaked her with my reserve water bottle to cool her off a little.

I prefer walking near the shore in the off season, when not only is it quieter but I don't get that sense of exclusion, perhaps I am too sensitive to the multitude of no parking, no trespassing private signs. Perhaps I am too sensitive to the rudeness of the people I encounter. I personally would prefer these walks which are probably going to be similar for the next months, to not be in the summer.

There are some big houses along here, some on the shore some on a flat low hill near the water. Some have green grass tennis courts that seem to placed to be visible form the road, wheres as almost everything else is hidden?

Saw a threesome of deer at one of our stops, they were 50 feet away and Domino loved it.

The highlight of this walk was walking along the shore of Long island Sound for about .2 miles-not much to brag about I realize but about the only place I could get to near water. This beach was nestled between two public right of ways, and the beach itself was well marked with "no trespassing" and "no dogs" signs, which I interpreted as to refer to the beach itself not the shore line, which in RI anyway, is public domain. D decided to mark this sand with a solid biological marker which I felt like leaving there in spite, but I picked it up as I usually doo.

Waterford is my hometown, though I lived far in the north. Here was the Little League field I umpired at once, the store we sued to stop at skipping school, the house we used to party and their places.

When I got back to the car it was in the 80s and getting hot. I found a note on my car"Don't park here..your car will be towed" I had parked in what I thought was an unused former state facility for the Mentally retarded . There were no sign at this building, unlike the main entrance which had "no trespassing" signage. I had ben parked there for 2-3 hours and started at just after 6 AM. Hmmm

In my previous 17 walks of this trip, I have parked in some pretty suspicious places, nothing illegal but I had wondered if would get a bogus ticket or raise some local's ire by having the audacity to park-for two hours in the early morning-near their homes?

Leg 17, July 12 2008

4.3 Miles, parked at Ridgewood and Niles Hill

When first thinking about this walk I thought of walking along the shore along the Sound, maybe Ocean beach then Waterford, Harkness and maybe Seaside. Then doubts started about walking the dog on beaches in the summer. First noticed a great big "NO DOGS sign last week at Ocean Beach. I skipped that idea until this Am when i thought I would give it shot, maybe I could sneak in early in the morning on a Saturday walk the shore and then return on the roads?

I got to the Waterford beach pay booth and there was piece of paper stapled to the side, "No dogs $100 fine" sign, so I skipped that idea, and when I got to the first Harkness service entrance, there was another no dog sign, So much for that idea, and so we stayed on the main road.
A really nice road.

I know this section of road from after work bike rides, it is a very quiet and scenic underdeveloped section of road with a lot of woods and spaces on road side. It might be one the nicest shore roads on the coast of this part of southern New England.

Saw a few small birds I didn't recognize and turned out to be baby turkeys, I gave them a wide berth and waited for Mom and dad to hop over a fence before going on. This place is crawling with deer and we saw none, though I am sure that many of the sniffs were from deer.

We turned around at Magonk Point which has really nice views of the sound at the end, we didn't go this time but maybe the nest leg.

It wasn't as hot but Dom was still tired and enjoyed the shade and wet grass.

There is sure is an opportunity here for a better walk here , the shore is all public: first, city of New London(Ocean beach), then Waterford town Beach and CT's Harkness and then Seaside, so in theory anyway there is public land for a walk path. Maybe there already is?

:Leg 16, July 9 2008

Start and Finish, corner of Pequot Ave and Westmere, New London, CT . Distance of walk 4.1 miles

We parked here to continue where we left off yesterday, a loop that would include the rest of the shore of New London. We headed down Pequot Ave -I tried to get here for in time sunrise but did not make it as when we started the sun was a red disc just above Groton's industrial complex, the redness of this sun was reflected nicely across the Thames.

The walk was nice enough and we eventually walked on grass on the water side of the street. Many more Private and no trespassing sign on beaches, in planning this route I once thought of walking on the shore itself, and probably could have done so, ignoring the signs, but I didn't want Domino and myself to pay for other dogs doo doo misdoes. Especially at he hands of some of these yahoos that ,live down here. She yanked at my collar at one of the openings in the wall, the L and M beach of all places.

We cut behind Ocean beach- there is a big sign, "NO DOGS" there as well. I would have loved to walk the beach and thought of writing ahead to seek permission for this walk, but never did, maybe in the off season i could have done it.

I headed across the bridge across Alewife cove in Waterford-the town i grew up and live ina long time. Dom did not even seem to mind that bridge-she has balked at much less and this time she could have cared less about this or the next bridge.

We returned back on Ridgewood and I like that from bike rides. Quiet scenic nice to walk.

We found ourselves returning on Montauk and stooped at picnic table at the Nathan Hale School beneath one of several giant beeches that graced the lawn. Down the road we checked out the Gardner cemetery, then cut back to Mitchell college through the Mitchell woods path. WE stooped gain at a bench where we stopped the day before, D stopped to rest on the still wet grass.

Some where after this ride I noticed two things, that it is nice to sit when resting and two, that in these urban/suburban settings, opportunities for such places are few and rare. i noticed that a lot of homes had chairs, seats and benches o their lawns but well out of the reach of the foot traveler's looking to rest for few moments before being on their way.

Now, after this walk, i was curious about the other New London, that part north of the RR station? It was razed in the 60s and never put back together except for the notorious high rise projects and other housing complexes. Now a maze of neglected street and state property. I had wanted to start my walk here at Winthrop's Point, where the old ferries would land, but was afraid to leave my car unattended for long.

After walking, we drove under the bridges, by the state pier, and through Riverside Park.

The entire place is trashy with little redeeming quality not even with the stretch of an nostalgic mind trying to remember or imagine what this place was like. A lot of No Trespassing State property" signs and other no Trespassing sign from Amtrak. Looking at old maps there a bunch of street a few numbered and only one of them exists today.

We used to walk this way to New London along the RR tracks. I am glad for those walks because I have at least faint memories of what this place used to look like as well as the old waterfront and places like the old Main Street.

You can now drive under the bridges to below the bridges( to public water boat ramp access) that was cool. But what of Winthrop Point?

Driving north was more industrial wasteland and then Riverside Park. I have vague memories of going down there in the years of my youth, for the Harvard yale boat races, back when they meant something I guess. Now the place is in want of mowing, never mind half way decent landscaping. Guess it isn't too long before the state takes this land too.

going across the RR tracks was a nice old foot bridge with a metal gate, it looked interesting if not dangerous, plus our exploring energy was gone for the day. What a shame this place is this way.

New London seems to be divided in two by RR tracks, those tracks roughly dive the city into two cities. North of the tracks are compact street with the city center projects and run down sections, south of the RR tracks are nice streets, houses on the water all with well manicured lawns and roads.

One can almost imagine the well fed CEO of NL's largest business(before Pfizer anyway) living on the shore while an employee-lower on the totem pole- in his concern j lost their family house to Imminent domain thing.

Leg Fifteen, July 8 2008

Start and finish at RR station in New London, Distance just over 6 miles.

Well, walking in downtown NL is a homecoming of sorts for me, also at the same time a goodbye. I grew up in Quaker Hill just north of NL and I, just 6 days ago, left my job in NL where I worked for the past 20+ years. So, in this walk I went by places I hadn't been to in years , and also went to familiar places I won't probably visit much again.

There is a lot of history for me here, my ancestors who came here in the 1600s as well being a place I spent much of my childhood.

Many of the places I walked this day were new or hadn't been visited for decades if ever. I used to ride around after work on the bike so those rides sort of weaved the past and present a bit.

I parked on the water by the new wharves, then headed up State Street. I checked out a few of the piers and D didn't balk or anything, she did like that crossing of the RR tracks. Funny dog. Can't remember the last time I walked up State Street but I have biked it recently. Turned south after the Crocker House and then to Coit street. Crocker house where they used to have real soda fountains and Montgomery Wards where we used to go shopping. All Gone.

I read in Caulkins that the Coit St area was where the Bemis' lived, Rebecca Bemis married the first Satterlee to arrive on this shore, so I went down there thinking maybe we somehow walked in the same streets that my ancestors did over 300 years ago. We did a U turn off Blinman and then Bank and Howard St, all of which was once a cove filled in.


Heading on we took a little detour by Fort Trumbull which I go to frequently on the bike but we did a little loop around the fort. No better view can be had anywhere in New London. We sat on one of the benches and watched the world go by.

Fort Trumbull depresses the hell out of me and it reminded me of one of the saddest days of my life- it was a Memorial day a few years ago. I rode to places in SE CT and So RI to pay tribute to those who had sacrificed for our country. well that must have been right after the imminent domain thing, where the US Supreme Court allowed a private corporation to take public land for private use. To me that was awfully depressing, to see where this country has come and to stand under the flags of Fort Trumbull and Fort Griswold across the river, and to think what those men sacrificed for....so that 200 years later, a government would allow the private corporations to take private land for their own profit.

My father once worked here, at the Underwater Sound Lab, located on razed ground.

To make it even more depressing, the hospital used to have a remote parking lot on Walbach ST, I parked there daily last year. Daily I saw the razing of this part of New London, first the remaining buildings were removed, then they took away and entire street, leaving a sole house and tree across the barren, flattened field. One day the structure was gone and the next day, a machine-like a steam shovel with pinchers-took the tree down limb by limb.


I am a direct descendant of John Winthrop (my first and middle names) who founded New London. What would John Winthrop have thought of 2008 New London?

Forgive the transgression.

We headed down Pequot and it was getting hot again. We did some beach checking out at an empty beach across from Stashes and then Green Beach, the only beach in NL in turns out that does not have "NO DOGS" or private signs all over it.

Pequot is a decent walk if you don't mind sidewalks and a barrier of houses between the road and the water. I looked at the water and wondered about what my ancestor, Benedict Satterlee, said to be British ship captain who left the sea for a widow.

Even though we got an early start D was starting to get hot. We headed up the hill through Mitchell College and found our shaded bench and patch of grass. It was next to a Nathan Hale statue.

We headed back on first Montauk to stay in the shade but that grew boring, I saw a dirt lane that headed back to the water, asked a local if that a public right of way and with a yes reply, we heeded back down to Pequot on a very short but pleasant dirt road.

Fortunately all of the obstacles on the views to the water provided shade for us from the rising sun.

Past Pfizer, rest stops grew more frequent and D preferred the still dew moist grass of shade to walking on the sidewalks. I don't mind stopping frequently in fact rest are the best part fo walking.

What happened to that street that used to go under the RR tracks to the Fort Trumbull neighborhood? Next to Miner and Alexander Lumber yard? What happened to Miner and Alexander?

Once on Bank St we cut behind Bank St to a gravel walkway seemingly designed for a condo complex, that spot was the site of an old time hardware store the last time I noticed. We stopped at a bench looking at the RR bridge over Shaw's Coves, hoping it would open but I didn't until we were long gone.

We saw bunch of trains, Acelas and such as well as all of the ferries going to LI, BI and FI.

Leg 14, July 7 2008

5 miles total walk, Start and finish: Fort F Griswold State Park, Groton,CT.

This was notable for being the first walk in three legs where we saw blue sky, sun and sunlight.

This two part walk was planned as being, one, a connection to the end of our last walk on a bland road and two, a great milestone: to hit the Thames River. Did a loop of sorts with a short in and out on Meridian St to get Rte 1 where we stopped. Wasn't expecting much as I knew this road only bicycle commutes a few years ago. Well it was a surprise- a ribbon of sidewalk with cut cross on either side and take away the cars a pleasant green way of sorts.

I tried to imagine what the colonists heading to the fort that day in 1781 must have felt? ....fear..patriotic fervor....excitement....

WE got a late start and it was already getting hot at our turn around point. Two stupid moves on my part lost about half of my water right there, most of it on mt shorts and sneakers.

We cut across just north of Fort Griswold to a bunch of houses, maybe called Groton hights? A lot of nice houses most old, one I saw from 1700 others turn of the century. Nice uniques houses and well kept. Gee, I grew up a few miles away, and commuted on Rte 95 for twenty years but never had been here before?

Got to Bridge St headed west from the WW II Submarine memorial and from old pictures this looks like the spot where the old highway bridge used to meet land in Groton. The woods were locked in with bush and I couldn't even see openings for a bushwhack to the water.

Went south on Thames St another place I have rarely been on, Very nice and and victim of urban desertion, whereas it seems to have once been very active place but now dwindling in disuse?

Tried to get to the water and finally got within spitting distance behind a restaurant. Some of the homes were nestled so closely together with all sorts of nooks and carnies, it looked like Benefit St, but without the pretense.

A giant of a house on the east side is signed the Avery/Copp house and web research show it to be a museum open to the public. Cool.

it was getting hot and I saw Domino do something that I hadn't seen her do before, she plopped her little body in a big puddle to cool off. From these vantage points, one can see New London nicely and we saw a couple of trains go across the new RR bridge.

We had one more hill to get back to the car which was parked right next to the monument. we got up there in no time, had little energy for further explorations(we had just been there on Memorial Day) so s we sat under the shade of a maple tree on a picnic table in a very refreshing southerly breeze. this was our third straight walk where we ended with rests at picnic tables on grass.

Now about bridges: Since Domino does not like bridges-she HATES them-I just can't get her to cross them, whether it be a footbridge on some trail or a big bridge cross the CT River, she hates them. I have decided to skip bridge crossings and end walks at one shore and start at the other. I know that the NL/Groton bridge sucks for any type of passage never mind walking the mile distance with a fraidy cat dog.

13th Leg, July 5th 2008

We parked at Bluff Point and went west to the corner of meridian and Rte 1. Length about 5 miles round trip.

I knew that this walk would be on the worst section of road that I had yet encountered- the main shopping drag of rte 1 with one side full of fast food joints and strip malls and the other side a series of three shopping centers. Well, it wasn't the best walking but there was cool stuff. I was again surprised and again learned that walking in urban areas has wonderful qualities.

One thing i should mention about Domino is that she is a great walking companion but she has some peculiarities , she hates bridges and those traffic grates scare her really bad. The Rte 1 section walked today had many grates and before I got used to them myself, she would suddenly balk or veer away suddenly like towards the traffic. scary.

Anyway, the walk started nice enough going long a cove on the gravel road that is used to drive to the park. It was a lousy day with cloudiness and in fact a rainy morning delayed my start a bit, which I was hoping to do earlier to avoid busy traffic.

Once under the RR tracks there is nice boardwalk along the water, I was afraid that D would freak out with the boardwalk but she loved it. In one frame of the camera that I do not have, I saw an egret, a cormorant sunning its outspread wings and family of swans.

The boardwalk ended at Rte 1 and as I was heading west I saw a sign for the "Avery/Morgan Cemetery" that interested me because I had just this past winter did some family genealogy and learned a Satterlee, many generation earlier had married a Groton Avery and so I went to the cemetery which was up the road a bit. There were many old graves here and as if on demand, i saw a small grass trail heading back to avoid backtracking and sure enough this trail ended back at rte 1. That cemetery probably holds within its earth the remains of my great great(I don't know how many great) parents

Rte 1 soon passed Poquoncok Rd and I remembered that there was a house site of another Avery, the grandfather of the woman who married into the Satterlee line. I didn't remember where, but sure enough it was very close to rte and on the way back I checked it out. It has a g high stone post with the names of the generations of Averys who lived there.

Next walk, I hope to finally get to the Thames River.

Total distance walked: about 68 miles (some trails I don't know exact distances) and east west into Connecticut as the crow flies, about 13.5, about 5 miles for every mile across the state?

12th leg, July 4th 2008

In and Out from Bluff Point east to end of last leg at end of Brook St. Length: 5- 6 miles, not sure.

Parked in parking lot at Bluff Point and headed east, this bypassed most of the Bluff Point I know and went along the RR tracks to an old trolley bridge across the Amtrak line then open dirt roads through Haley Farm Park and then the length of Brook st.

Saw train go by when we were right next to the tracks even with the fine chain link fence I still feared getting a rock in the eye.

At the grass triangle D took a liking to the grass and simply lay down, I saw some nice chairs by the water but instead opted for a telephone pole to rest against while we rested. But, there was some water. Saw a lot of animals this early 6 AMish, foggy cloudy day.

Gave some thought to going down to John Winthrop's house foundation but just went back to the car. Sat on picnic table afterwards place was getting busy.

11th Leg 2 July 2008

In and Out from Judson Rd south through Beebe Pond Park to Brook St.

Before work. Approximate distance 1.5 miles, total 3 miles. estimate by time.

This was the first section of a walk through Groton that I was hoping to be a single point to point walk with two cars, but instead it has become a series of in and outs. this grand Groton walk would have been Pequot woods, beeebe pond, both Town of Groton Parks) Haley Farm and Bluff point State parks.

This walk started in woods south from 210 Judson Rd and followed blue marked trails that i scouted out last week by bike. A blue marked trail circled the pond and met on a parking lot near the Noank Rd. In all of my bike rides by Beebe Pond park I thought it was going to be a big place a park with ball fields, tennis courts, fields paved paths but all it is a sign and a bunch of woods trails. Great place.

On the day of my walk it was foggy and misty, I immediately lost the route of my bicycle ride last week and ended up on the west side of the pond's trail. That was OK. The main road a numbered route between Noank and Mystic wasn't too bad with sidewalk and little traffic early in the day.

The road went along some inlet from LI sound and at one place a yard ended at the water and all I could see were posts of a dock, a few minutes on my return the fog had lifted and I could see all the way across the inlet to RR tracks- pretty cool.

My turn around point was the Brook Rd intersection, at the end of it was a grass triangle with a brass bell with the names of four Noank residents who were lost in wars, one at Fort Griswold, the other three in WW II.

I returned and got a little lost by the turn off from the blue trail back to Judson, not too bad, as there were a a few side trails but unlike Voluntown there isn't a lot of area to get lost in. Heard some deer that Domino chased but all I saw were tracks.