East Lyme and Essex

June 17, Friday 

Brrrrrr…..a seriously chilly morning at 57 degrees!  I don’t think it hit 80 yesterday, and low humidity…..gorgeous day!  We are in a bit of a cold front, apparently, as warmer temps and humidity due to return in a couple of days, but in the meantime, we are enjoying it immensely.  Though I have to admit at 64 interior temp this morning, we were tempted to turn on the heat! 

We arrived in East Lyme at Aces High Campground on Wednesday afternoon, hot and humid day, and we stayed in and relaxed.  Yesterday we left early and took the Essex Steam Train and Steamboat Ride down the Connecticut River.  We opted for the open rail car to improve our view, but most of that was through the woods.  When it opened up to the river view it was very nice, and because the car was an additional charge, and the ticket guy was pushing the better comfort of the bench seats, we had the car to ourselves, with the exception of one young guy and his dad!  A young man clad in 1880’s attire was calling Extra, Extra, and handing out newspapers with news of Coolidge as we left the station with the conductor calling all aboard.  Rocking and rolling down the rails was quite fun, despite an occasional cloud of smoke or dusting of ash and bits of coal!  We moved forward in the car to eliminate the ash!  The steam whistle and horn blasted through each intersection, and amused drivers waved. Clem has never been willing to take one of these rides, but he enjoyed it, and maybe will now do some others, as long as they are not really long in length.  This one was just right.

 

After the trip, we drove to Gillette Castle, opting for the bridge rather than the ferry that takes you across the river.  We had taken Chris there when he was young and we lived in CT, but did not remember it well.  Very interesting place, and what a setting on the river!  Cost a million dollars to build in early 1900’s!  Peculiar place built by an eccentric actor who created the Sherlock Holmes character as we know him, and not written by Doyle.  Good story, interesting place.  Dinner at the G——- Inn for the ambiance on the river, was less than wonderful, but it was a neat old place and adjacent to Goodspeed Opera House, where La Cage was playing, or we would have taken in a show.  (I would have anyway, but Clem was not game!)

We were settling in at the coach, when a young man came over and said he was going to be a nosy neighbor.  He said they had been walking around, and noticed all the A class, but of course, it was our pocketbook! haha!  They have 3 small kids, and a fifth wheel with two bunkhouses!  Plenty of room for the kids to have a play area.  They are here for their daughters dance competition….7 years old.  Nice guy, and we chatted a while before he headed out to get some firewood that was perhaps cheaper than the 7 bucks they want here.  

Our neighbors to our right were gone when we got back, surprisingly.  We had chatted with them the day before when we got in. They had been on a caravan, Fantasy Tours, to the maritimes with a group they had taken one to Alaska with.  From Idaho or somewhere, they were headed to Rhinebeck, and then meandering on home.  

While thinking about “neighbors”, I have to mention the couple next to us at Minuteman.  We discovered they sold their house and all their belongings, and moved into a B+!  Newbies…..no tow car…..definitely learning the hard way, and having considerable troubles with their coach!  They blew the 30 amp service so badly, they were running their generator when we got back one evening.  Clem finally went to see if he could find out what was going on so we didn’t have to listen to that all night!  He was tinkering under the hood, and finally called a repair man.  We chatted with them the last morning at length….said they were into the “small house” movement, so decided to do this!