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.

Day Ten, 24 June 2008

Loop from Pequot Woods and back by public roads. 5.1 miles.

Started at Sandy Hollow road with intention of an in and out to reduce miles for next walk. After work.

I started with intention of going into Pequot woods and maybe some of Judson Rd depending on sunlight as it was getting late in the day. Apparently a thunderstorm must have come by because the trails were wet, even though I saw no rain in New London at work or at home each on either side this walk. After five straight legs of this walk on the paved road, I was looking forward to woods walking again . These trails have rocky rooty muddy sections and I remembered the return as being in a stream bed. Yes it was nice to walk int he woods, but it was dark and somehow gloomy with a late evening sun. Probably sacreligious to say that. The end of the trail hit Rte 1 on a overgrown path with grass and briers. I stopped to look at map on a sign and where was Domino? Sitting right on edge of traffic on rte 1. Wow.

I didn't have enough light to do much more walking, so I went on the roads to the next wooded area, Beebe Pond Park. The first road was Judson Rd-a nice enough road in a quiet neighborhood type place. The sky was full of those big summer clouds so I decided to skip going back through Pequot Woods and try to dead reckon my way back on public roads. I didn't have a map with me, I had just been there on my bike so i kind of knew the roads, just not how far.

I passed our turnoff to the woods to Beebe and continued on quiet roads to rte 1 just wets of the big hill out of Mystic. I started on Allyn Stet Connector but it was too noisy and busy with cars, so i tried to find Pequot Rd and what a nice quiet road that is. I passed the James Mason statue site, a place that Nancy had just me about last year.

A bit of history: James mason was a colonial soldier in the Pequot war, 1635-1636 and the statue commemorated his battle at the Mystic Fort located nearby. The war between the Pequots and the New England colonies and this battle ended it. Not really a battle but a massacre of elderly and children according to some. A bit of revisionists history here, as the Pequot tribe delveloped money from their casino income and subsequent power, the statute was removed. Makes me wonder anyway about who writes history and how accurate the recording of history is? I have wondered where the fort is and I asked a fellow dog walker on this walk and she said no one really knows.

I got back to the car and it was getting dark. Just prior to that we stopped to rest on a couch sized boulder on the corner of Pequot and Sandy Hollow roads the rock was nice and warm. complete a little indentation puddle for water. Watched the last rays of bright sunlight and then boom the sun went away quickly.

Another Milestone: this was the tenth walk in this journey.

Next leg. Beebe to ??? I was hoping to car pool and do one long wak through Pequot woods, Beebe Pond, Haley farm and Bluff Point for a grand tour, but i don't think that is a going to happen.

NInth Leg, 22 June 2008

Another back and forth, we started at end of last walk on Rte 27 just north of the Pequot Trail and turn around point was start of Pequot Woods Trail on Sandy Hollow Rd in Mystic,

Length: 3 miles each way. Total 6 miles walking for the day.

This was day of my going away at Harkness which was a very sad event, but we did this walk early in the morning with intention of turning around sooner. This was a great walk and they keep getting better. Kind of misty and foggy but not bad, cloud cover 100% at start but irregular clouds.

I have ridden this a lot on the bike but never walked any of it. River Rd is very nice and it has always been the road I would suggest that out of town riders to ride on. Somewhere along the river the sky opened briefly and the thinest amount of blue sky and sunshine appeared. That was the last sunshine until right at the turn around point which when I saw direct sunlight on the very spot that we chose to turn around, I saw that as somehow a good sign.

Going back down the hill back into the valley and the sky opened up completely and it was blue and sunny and much hotter, I wasn't expecting heat at all.

The walk was all pavement but went along two small Avolonia preserves one on a road leaving River rd that was actually stream with a bunch of old mill foundations and stuff(and a neat little waterfall)and the other one was marsh right on the river. There is public boat launch right under the twin rte 95 bridges, Domino did not like the sound of the busy Sunday traffic above.

In the first mile we cut through a cemetery that was right on the water, that was nice. On the way back in the same cemetery, there was a solitary woman standing at grave in a very sad pose, I couldn't bear to look at her and her sadness.

A milestone- the first river- the Mystic River even though it is not that far from my start nor that mighty of a river, I am going to measure this walk by rivers crossed and we passed the first one, on small bridge over a narrow stream on a stone lined channel.

Also on Sandy Hollow Rd, there is s state sign signifying this as scenic road, the sign is in the shape of Connecticut with a star in Groton like a "You are Here" indicator. By a rough measure using hand width, we are maybe 1/10 of the way now?

Eighth Leg, June 19th 2008

Pequot Trail from Tom Wheeler to rte 27 and back. 4.8 miles

This was going to be a connect the dots walk with an in and out along the Pequot Trail. I haven't really been on this road much as when I ride in the area, it is one of those roads that I don't seem to do much, maybe because of the climb.

Turns out it was really nice stretch of paved road, don't exactly know how this Pequot Trail connects with the Pequot Trail that now lies beneath he worlds largest casino, but it is a quiet little stretch especially the middle, which is reservoir land and thus no development. It reminded me of a place you'd find somewhere else, a place you would drive hours to get to.

I turned around at Rte 27 at Old Mystic, there is a nice climb with nice views. This too must have been a hill top farm but now the fields are full of big new houses. A guy on a bicycle was going up and down the hill.

A roofless, windowless house of stone on top of the hill has always intrigued me.

This was a before work walk and we started at about 5:00, it was clear here but foggy with that condensation on the trees causing 'rain'. On the return, facing the rising sun, it cleared dramatically and rays of sunlight were beating into the mist into the forest. The road itself is narrow and twisty thing with cable type guardrail things, but traffic wasn't bad enough for that to be a worry.

There were a lot of old cart roads and trails off this road and some were inviting.

I haven't walked in Old Mystic and a few of the houses have signs with dates, names and owners' occupations, all from the early 1800s, Enoch was merchant in a big house across from where the Mystic River just narrows and there was a cabinet maker and hatter's house. All this stuff you don't see from a bicycle no matter what the pace.

Distance 4.8 mile roundtrip (gmaps)
Distance from Start(crow) 13 miles

Next leg; Pequot Trail to Pequot Woods trail head.

Seventh Day, 14 June 2008

Back and forth on Tom Wheeler, from 184(parked) to Pequot Trail

Tom Wheeler is quiet road that runs south directly across form 184, in fact they probabaly once shared the same name. Tom Wheeler is more developed especially as you go south and closer to the interstate. On the way down I saw more bicycles than cars, 4 to 2 and about even on the way back.

Another nice morning and another nice road. All paved about 2.4 miles one way. The road starts with a farm on little hill, with wild roses all over then over a little rise to another pair of small farms. Domino had to climb a stone wall to see some cows and she didn't want to leave them.

At the bottom of a little rise are a bunch of driveways and mailboxes, then crosses a little swamp with a few small stream crossings, so small that stone walls go across the streams at the roadside. After a little bend in the road is a big old stately farm house, bigger than most colonial houses with a bunch of kept out buildings, groomed lawns and a couple of dammed ponds. A place I have seen many times from the bike but especially nice to check out by foot. near the turn around point is first a horse farm then the road is lined with houses.

Besides wild roses, mountain laurel, honey suckle and another flowering shrub are in bloom.

All in and all a nice paved road walk on a quiet little traveled road.

Next leg: Pequot Trail to Old Mystic or start of Pequot woods.

Day 6 June 7th 2008

Parked at intersection of Rte 201 and Al Harvey Rd in Stonington. ( a new town for this trip)

This was a loop consisting of four paved roads and the last part(Rte 201) of my missed leg last week. It rained.

It was really foggy when I got up and I tried to balance fog, and early start because of predicted heat and traffic.

I headed east on rte 201 which I know well from bicycling but never walked it. It had a narrow to nonexistent shoulder and several pinch points with no where to go if cars came by. the wetness in the air made the knee high roadside grass wet. Again this would have been decent leg if not for traffic, even 7 AM Saturday traffic. Started by an active (now turkey) farm and then a little climb to a field bare hill. Cool.

Condensation on the leaves from air moisture made it "rain" under the canopy.

The second road on this square loop was Jeremy Hill Rd, a quiet road that, living up to to it's name, had a nice hill climb, the top of which was another farm site, only this one's latest crop was big houses, really big houses.

The third road was Route 184, AKA as the New London Providence Turnpike. I know this well from frequent bicycle commutes to work but realized that I have never walked on any of it. Even though it was recently paved, it is a raised road bed so it had a lot of cable traffic barriers and the metal kind as well, producing for someone walking a dog prolonged shoulder narrowing. Despite this, it is a great section and quite by chance, it had three spots where I used to stop at and rest on my bike commutes. One was at the top of big climb(same hill but from east on 184) there used to be a sheep farm and I would stop and watch them. There are now two huge houses on those field and no sheep. The second place was across from a farm-a working farm with cows, ageless grazing fields full of rocks and trees. The third place was just a quiet spot near a vernal pond.

The last road was AL Harvey road, which has to be one of the nicest roads around. Except for the part near 184, it has few houses on it and the rest is all woods and fields. Traffic was light. Two old farms with grand old houses and barns. The first one had a barn that looked like it was made of wax and melting fast.

Some of the fields near these farms haven't been abandoned for long, and full of cedars and rose bushes. On these roads I try to imagine other abandoned farms on woods roads in the middle of nowhere and try to picture what they were like in years past.

We stooped to rest near a grazing cow with a nearby bull frog entertaining us.

At one of the corners near the other house, I heard a droning sound and thought that it was an approaching truck coming around the corner. But, the truck never showed and the louder the noise got until I realized that it was the sound of a swarm of bees. Looking up in a big tree that overhung the road, I saw this huge swarm of bees. Scary, but cool.

Near the end, Domino was acting funny, maybe because these are unfamiliar roads, maybe because we had to stop frequently and wait for cars to go by, maybe it was all of the pinch points(she hates bridges and thinks guardrails, cuts into hillsides, are bridges, she gets frightened by those drain grates which to my surprise there quite a few of them on these roads. and at one house we were surprised by a big Shepard who barked suddenly.

Today's distance walked: 5.5 miles ( gmaps)

East west into CT: about 7 miles

Next leg: Tom Wheeler/Pequot Trail to Old Mystic

Day 5 June 5 2008

Ryder RD to Jeremy Hill Rd (North Stonington, CT)
(before work)

Parked at Narragansett Trail/Ryder Rd and walked down Rte 2, Main Crossing Rd, Rte 201 and then turned back right after Assekonk Brook.

After two pure woods walks I was expecting a rough walk on these roads, Rte 2 being the main drag between Rte 95 and the world's largest casino. When I scouted it out, it looked innocent enough, about 5 foot shoulders and today I started at 0540 AM, Traffic was there and three vehicles including one Peter Pan bus crossed the line in my shoulder.

Domino fared well in the newly cropped roadside grass and except for a few bridge crossings she was great.

Not great was traffic especially a trio of SUV/pickup trucks who instead of sensing a need to slow down at the sight of a pedestrian on the shoulderless Main Crossing Rd and Rte 201 went faster with typical disregard for safety and allowing zero margin for error(IE : miscalculating a curve and or on coming traffic, perhaps a FORD SUV as careless as them?

Anyway, there was just enough traffic to prevent me from enjoying these roads that might have been a pleasant walk.

On the way back we stopped and walked on the Narragansett Trail a few feet west of Rte 2, the trail heads west to Lantern Hill. A new foot bridge goes across a small pond's dam, a new metal and wood bridge. very nice.

It was overcast and at few times looked like rain but it stayed dry.

A seed was planted in my mind that a lot of foot travel on well trafficked roads such as these isn't going to keep me going on this venture for long.

Length: about 4 miles round trip, with about .5 miles east west towards NY state.

Next leg-Rest of 201 to Tom Harvey, my favorite road to bike that Tom Harvey.

Day 4 ; June 3rd 2008

Narragansett Trail

Start and Finish: Ryder Road, turn around: point Wyassup Rd

Couldn't do this last Saturday, as I was going to drop off a car and do a point to point hike to Tom Harvey Rd, but it got wicked rainy and thundered so we didn't and instead-

This was our first in and out, returning the same way as we went and it was great section of trail to do it twice, the best part of the Narragansett Trail so far. Lacking the high ledges of other sections, it also seemed to lack a lot of traffic and this was a true footpath with no ATV use evident at all. Starting from Ryder Rd the trail ascends quickly to a high ridge that seemed high enough to see the sea but I couldn't make it out. trees blocked a nice view of the valley below, high enough to see birds from above.

We came to a small brook and it reminded me of a certain stream I used to go-as a child- to on the old Pequot Trail, old meaning pre casino. Black water brook, black smelly mud, and hemlocks added to the sense. Buried under the world's largest casino, I know that I will never be able to go to that stream but this is the close. Real close.

Following this small stream we came to a dammed pond, didn't see and beaver but a lodge. The pond was full of birds. The trail followed the pond which seemed to be low in water height and then followed the stream again. The trail was barely a thread in between vegetation of various types. At one point the trail dived a bright deciduous wood on the left with dark pine forest on the right. An opening in a stone wall back into a single woods and a stream crossing on several rocks, along with a parallel stream seemed to be an old mill site? Suspicious piles of rocks seemed to add to this but barely.



The trail followed up and downs to Wyassup Rd, though I still haven';t figured out where the Narragansett Trail hits the paved road. I hit it last week at one place, I bushwhacked another today and last week parked at another where blue blazes disappeared.?

This is the last of the Narragansett Trail for us , I would have loved to continue on to Lantern Hill and then part of the Pequot Trail, except that Pequot Trail doesn't exist any more and the roads I would have to then use are horrible with casino traffic.

It was almost 80 when I finished at 10 AM.

Length of days hike: 6.2 round trip

East-west distance: about 5 miles

Next leg: Rtes 2 and 201 to Tom Harvey

Day Three 24 May 2008

Start: Rte 49 at Johnson Rd

End: Wyassup lake Rd by gate.

Planted car at end and J and S dropped us off at Rte 49.

Followed Narragansett Trail, point to point. nice trails, which like other sections were crisscrossed by multiple single track trails and old cart roads, some you could almost drive a car on. Trail condition was fair with a lot of blow downs and such, trail markings confusing at times we missed two turns and a few others had unclear intersections.

Right at the beginning, the trail follows a little steam that meanders north, minimal evidence of foot traffic here unlike some others where heavy ATV use has exposed roots and rocks and black mud. Once on higher ground and following endless stone walls I saw some barbed wire fence on a tree, I wondered how much time has passed since these were fields and how old the trees were? Old as me?

This trail is known for some high cliffs with views, we kind of missed the second one (High ledge) as we came to an unmarked fork with equally worn paths, I took the low one and probably would have gone back up if not for a couple of hikers following me who went that way. So I missed the views of the water.

I saw a big black snake stretched perpendicular to the trail maybe about 4-5 feet. Dom must have walked right over it and I didn't notice it until I had passed it.

A lot of wet spots made worse by ATM wear, rocky ledges and hemlocks,

It was supposed to be a perfect day but it was overcast for all the hike and no rain, all the trees couldn't see the sky anyway. Got my first mosquito bite of the year.

Length of days hike; Undetermined. 5-6 miles by time estimate

next leg: Wyassup Lake Rd to Ryder Rd, Narragansett Trail.

Day 2, 17 May 2008

Start: Sand Hill Rd

End: Johnson Rd(just off Rte 49)

This was another loop, going west on the Narragansett Trail to rte 49 and then returning on Rte 49 and Sand Hill Rd.

A Saturday, it was raining when I got up, but stopped early and an at some point in the walk cleared up so nicely that by the time I got to Tom Wheeler Rd there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The first part of this goes over several vernal brook crossing that were flowing, the section from Tom Wheeler to rte 49 crosses though a sportsman club that is posted "no hikers" from Oct to March. There was some sort of child's fishing derby just starting other than that-like the last leg-I saw no other people on this hike

I had my reservations about walking the dog on Rte 49,which I know from bicycling but did it anyway, as I knew that the short section goes by some nice old farmhouses. A nice ridge view was offered over the fields. At one pinch point we were almost wiped out by an SUV, who seemed to speed up way past the posted 45 to make a point. An interesting thing seen was a stone milestone, age undetermined, "11 miles P.B." which I took to mean Pawcutuck Bridge way south, about 11 miles?

The return on Sand Hill Rd was nice and quiet, developed a little at first but with old farm sites at the end and then state forest.

We stopped to rest by a field that was full of singing warblers, some dancing close to us in the air and a few perched a few feet away on the branches. Once back in the state forest we came across a tiny waterfall, that came from a horizontal crack in a giant rock ledge

day's distance: 5.4 miles. Total distance: 9.9 miles. linear east/west in CT now 2.5 miles.

Next leg: Narragansett Trail from Johnson Rd to Wyapsup Lake.

Day One 13 May 2008

Today I started what has been a goal of mine: to take my dog for a walk across the state of Connecticut. She is barely a year old and loves to walk. I originally wanted to ride my bike across CT and the closest i came was a few years ago when I got was far as Newtown, when I had run out of time energy and desire.

Realizing that there this walking route will consist of mostly paved roads, I will see what I can do to includes as many open spaces as possible.

Today I started on the Narragansett Trail off of Yagoog Rd in Hopkinton, RI. This route I intended to do is one of the walks in the late Ken Weber's walk books. I figured it would be nice to start with a walk in the woods since I suspect most of this journey will be on roads.

This part of the trail is nice and contains one of my favorite trails, just below Green falls Pond there is nice hemlock glen above a rocky little stream. I haven't been out there in years.

I missed the Narragansett trail (yellow and blue)split going west and instead followed the Tippacansett Trail(yellow) : I didn't realize this until i approached Rte 138. There are several trails with different color blazes and I foolishly missed my turn. That added almost 3 miles to our trip.



My puppy Domino is a 14 pound bundle of joy: her mother is half Corgy and half Jack Russell and the father is rumored to a Bichon Frese. She loves walking and has a great trail sense. At 14 pounds she is about 100 pounds lighter than my last dog, a big black lab.

She is slowly getting used to water, though not a lab (yet) . On this walk we approached a little stream feeding into the pond, well the stream was covered with leaves and other debris, she thought it was solid trail and plop, down she went, she promptly got up and swam the 5-6 feet to the other side, her first swim.

The route: 4.5 mile loop from Ken Weber's book, the eastern section of the Narragansett trail back to RI border on the dirt road. Add 2.8 miles from the unintentional walk on the Tippacansett trail up to rte 138. East west distance across the state, about 1 mile.

Weather, nice sunny day started little cool finished low 60s. windy as heck, nice to hear new leaves in the breeze. highlights, Dom going for first swim, sitting by an old mill site and having an orange, white caps on Green Pond and that hemlock glen.

Next section: Narragansett trail fromYawgoog road to Rte 49 return as loop on rte 49 and dirt road.