New Haven, Connecticut is somewhere I've been a hundred times. But, this time I tried something a bit different. I took the train and took buses around town. This park, once again is a city park and comes with parking fees. This one's fee is only $25 for out of town residents. But why pay when you can have an adventure?
The park has a lighthouse and an antique carousel, and beaches. There're pavilions, banquet venues and so much more. Along the shore you find things like viewfinders, a boat launch, and a lot of green. One thing you can see through the viewfinder is another light house along the breakwater. There's a dolphin statue on the beach, and it's a positively peaceful and beautiful place to spend some time.
But I didn't start my day in New Haven. I started my day with the Waterbury train again. This time I took it to Bridgeport and transferred to the New Haven Line, landing at State Street Station in New Haven. I had a lovely walk to the green where I caught the 206 bus and went to Lighthouse Point Park. It was all a lovely ride. The bus driver's in New Haven were all very nice.
What I like about riding trains and buses is that I don't have to deal with as much stuff. I don't have to drive. That's a wonderful thing. When I was a kid and I was coming into being 16, I wanted to get a driver's license. Now, I just don't care. I like to look at the scenery while I ride. I like to people watch. I relax on the ride. Then I relax on the walk. It's a great way to get away from it all.
Now, it's not all perfect. There are layovers. I waited for nearly an hour at Stratford on my train change home, but it was a nice day and I just hung out. What this does is gives me a new perspective. I get a chance to think, take photos and get some exercise. I even took the 274 bus to IKEA to do some shopping while I was in town.
The bus hub in New Haven is the town green. From there you can catch literally any bus to anywhere. They have city to city buses, local buses and they all stop at the city green. Unfortunately, there are a lot of homeless people on the green, but don't let that bother you. It didn't bother me, and I was alone.
New Haven is not only the home of Yale, but of so many fun things. They have parks, theater, great food, and so much more. It's worth spending some time. And if you go to Long Wharf, you can have some of the best food truck food around. It's all worth it.
On my way home, I went to Union Station. I'd never been to New Haven's Union Station before. It's awesome. It's a historic train station and is still beautiful inside. But that's not all. They have 14 tracks, and you can go anywhere. Not only can you go there on the New Haven line of Metro North, but also you can catch CT Rail, CT Shoreline East, Amtrak, and specifically the Acela. The Vermonter and many other trains come through New Haven. It's a great hub.
So, once again I say; get out of your comfort zone. Gas costs a fortune. I rode the train for a total of $13.50 and spent $3.50 on a day bus pass. I had a great time. I saw something new and spent the day relaxing and exercising. The sun came out and everything was perfect. I love a new adventure, and there will be more of this kind of adventure here over the summer. I will be trying all kinds of New England public transit. It's here, and most parts of the country don't have the intricate system that we do, so I hope people use it to get out more.
Be aware that unfortunately, a lot of the services I use aren't available on weekends. I wish they were, but there doesn't seem to be a demand for them on weekends, because people here drive their cars everywhere they go. If you're headed into NYC you can find transport, but in other places it can be sparse. Hopefully that will change in the future.
So, summer is here. There're a lot of places to go, and there's public transport to get there. It's an adventure. You meet people. You get to relax. It's a great way to spend the day, and it doesn't cost a lot of money. So, take some time and have an adventure, take a train; take a bus and enjoy!
https://www.newhavenct.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/16/664
https://ctvisit.com/listings/lighthouse-point-park
https://visitnewhaven.com/places/lighthouse-point-park-carousel/
https://new.mta.info/agency/metro-north-railroad
https://portal.ct.gov/services/driving-and-transportation/getting-around/trains
https://www.cttransit.com/schedules
https://portal.ct.gov/dot/publictrans/bureau-of-public-transportation/local-bus-service
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