The Northeastern United States is a special place, and I've spent the last 32 years calling it home. It's a unique environment with some good things and some bad things, but isn't that the way anywhere you call home?
I live in Connecticut, and summer is upon us very soon. Needless to say, that's important around here, because during the off seasons, there's only so much to do. But, in the summer, most people get out and they go to parks, woods, mountains, camping, hiking, ATV riding, and lots of other activities. One of the big ones is finding a place to go to the beach.
Connecticut has 618 miles of coastline along Long Island Sound. It's our version of an ocean, and it's beautiful. About 87 miles of that is beach. How fabulous is that? Now, I don't have an exact count of how many beaches there are in Connecticut, but I do know that there are 14 of them that are public. 87 miles and only 14 beaches open to the public. There's a lot of beaches that aren't open to the public.
In Connecticut there are several cities along the shore that have city beaches. These beaches charge a fee for an annual permit to park your car there and therefore visit. Most cities will charge well over $200 to people who don't live in their city for said permit. Each and every beach will charge for a separate permit. If you think that's a lot of money to go to a beach, you should see the tickets you get if you park your car there without a permit. It's twice as bad or more. It's hard when you don't live along the shore, so you don't have a beach to go to in your own town. It's hard to fight for space on a nice day when you go to the few public beaches. No matter where you go, you're probably paying a separate parking fee as well. It's a lot, and a lot of people don't have a lot of money.
So, what's a way to have that little adventure and spend some time along the shore?
My answer was to take the train and the bus. Let me explain. I've been wanting to try out the public transportation in my region. I've taken Metro North Railroad to New York City and taken the subway around the city for years. But, there are public transportation systems all over Connecticut and Massachusetts, that I've never tried. Stamford was my first trip doing this.
I boarded the Metro North Train in Waterbury. This is a train station that's basic, but recently, they've redone the parking lot and it's much nicer than it used to be. I took that train to Bridgeport, one of the large hubs on the train system. I waited a few minutes and boarded the train that's route runs from New Haven, Connecticut to Grand Central Station in NYC. I took that train to Stamford and got off there for the first time ever.
When I got to Stewart B. McKinney Transportation Center in Stamford, I found a great place to continue my journey, because that's also where the main bus terminal is. In Connecticut, we not only have local buses, but buses that take you from town to town all over the State. It's quite convenient. However, that day I was looking to ride the local bus system in Stamford. A day ticket for local buses in any city in the state costs $3.50. You can ride all day long in any single city.
After my $7 train ride, I boarded the bus that the sign said would take me to Cove Island Park; the beach by the shore park I'd come to check out. The bus came as promised and it was comfortable and took me straight to the entrance to the park. No permits for my car. No fines for not having one for my car. No fees to park my car. Best experience ever.
I walked two miles around this park, enjoyed the wildlife, the view, and the beach. That's how big the park is. I didn't even go everywhere in the park. The East Coast Greenway runs through that park. In the park there are three beaches, with a beach house to change in and even a snack bar. There're kayak and canoe rentals during the rental agency's operating hours. There's an education center that teaches children about the area's wildlife and ecosystem. There's tidal flats, ball fields, trails for different activities; clearly marked. There're playgrounds, picnic areas, pavilions, a marina and so much more. It's a great place to spend some time.
During weekend and summer hours, there's even a tram to drive you from section to section or from parking lot to beach. This place has it all. And the hack? Take the bus. The 328 bus goes directly to the park entrance. I had a great time, I didn't ruin anyone's beach, the people were lovely, and it was relaxing and beautiful.
And, how was the rest of my trip? I stopped at a place called The Cove Restaurant on my way back to downtown. They had great food and the service was fabulous. There was also a burger joint that looked delicious, and a smoothie stand at the same area. It was all a great experience.
I did take a walk downtown before I left, but I was only on a short day trip, so I didn't get to see all of Stamford. I will go back. I found so many things I wanted to see that this definitely won't be my only trip.
I was intrigued by Stamford over all, and I need to investigate more. Fortunately, it only costs $7 each way to go there and $3.50 for a day pass for the bus. I had a lot of fun for $17.50 round trip. I probably would have paid as much for gas and more if you add parking. Parking in Waterbury and some other stations is free and patrolled by the police for security. I didn't have to drive, which was a godsend, because you have to drive on I-95 to get to Stamford, and I can tell you it's not worth it. The traffic is the worst. So, I relaxed and enjoyed the ride all day. I enjoyed the places I visited. I didn't worry about anything. I didn't pay exorbitant fees. I met nice people, ate good food and had a great time doing almost nothing.
What this did do was get me started investigating the public transportation system that runs in New England and I will be having more trips to talk about. So, if you live in the Northeast, try this out. It's cheaper than gasoline. It's far less frustrating than traffic. You won't have to find parking spaces everywhere you go. Do a little research before you go, get the apps you'll need for your trip and enjoy!
https://soundwaters.org/sails-rentals/rentals/
https://www.stamfordct.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/120/507
https://ctvisit.com/listings/cove-island-park
https://stantonhouseinn.com/cove-island-park-stamford-ct
https://new.mta.info/schedules
https://www.amtrak.com/home.html?cmp=afl-sem-AMNY-connecticut-hartford&gad_source=1
Always remember; it's best to use apps to pay fares for public transit. You can get the apps you need in your regular app store.
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