Now after a year with the bum knee turned awful and total replacement this past January, I returned yesterday. It was one of those things that during this long hard winter that I thought a lot about, those countless days cooped up inside looking out windows and taking baby steps.
This part along the coast between the CT River and New Haven, I was hoping to use the train as a shuttle, but poor Domino didn't like the train too much, so I decided to do another in and out starting from the Westbrook train station, which is a merely a wooden deck with a small rain cover.
Unlike most other legs, I did not scout out this walk beforehand and since this was right along the shore and ended at a tributary, I wasn't sure how far I could get before I came to private road signs.
This first walk in 2 years started on a fine day, blue skies warm but cooling breeze from the water that was very comfortable walking. We crossed Rte 1 and walked along South Main St, which had to once be the main drag through town. Between the new maple leaves on the trees and the well kept colonial houses, this was a fine welcome to this trek.
After a a very short time on busy Rte 1 we headed south to the water.
And a fine beach along the sound a "No Dogs" sign
This was perhaps the finest stretch of waterfront, with a nice uninterrupted beach, a nice grassy strip between the road full of benches to rest on.
Once past the signs we ventured out on the beach and Domino got her first taste of sand in a long time.
Off in the distance was Long Island and some islands.
The beach ended at the town beach and with houses right on the beach.
We walked west until we hit the dreaded Private Road private signs.
This meant I would have to use Rte 1 and it looked nasty up there. We turned around, found Rte 1(with backtracking) and headed west until our turn around time. Rte 1 is nasty here, mostly lined with business parking lots and such.
I could have returned the way we came, it would have been more scenic but I decided to stay on Rte 1 as it was probably only a mile. Right before downtown Westbrook the shoulder narrowed a bit.
Was hoping to get a grinder at Westbrook Pizza and eat on the tiny but nice green, but the gazebo was taped off.
I rememebr when scouting out Westbrook, at least east of here, that Westbrook does not seem to be not kind to outsiders: ie, full of those awful private road signs, full of them. I was hoping to be done with this town today but think I have about a half mile of Rte 1. The good news is that the next leg will be along a really nice road in Clinton, a road that I have enjoyed from bike rides.
Miles walked: about 4 (from gmaps pedometer)
East to est distance: about a mile
Drive distance to start: 40
gas price 4.04
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4480594
