Day 65 Connecticut to New Jersey

I travelled south from the state forest towards the coast and my first stop in the village of Mystic, Connecticut, which is located at the point where the Mystic River flows into Fishers Island Sound. The village has a very large and active marina, and a very busy downtown area (especially during the summer on a Saturday}. I drove past the Mystic Seaport Museum, which is the largest maritime museum in the United States and has preserved a number of sailing ships, including the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan. I also drove past the Mystic Pizza restaurant, which is the setting for the 1988 movie of the same name, which included the first film role for an 18 year old Matt Damon (in a bit part), the second for 21 year old Julia Roberts (as one of the leads), and the first directing gig for Donald Petrie.

From there, I drove westward along the coast on I-95 through the three largest cities in Connecticut — Bridgeport, Stamford, and New Haven. All of these have active seaports for both commercial shipping and recreational marinas. Stamford surprised me as I drove by, with many large business buildings, apartment complexes, and shopping areas. I noticed the commuter train station right next to I-95 and realized it is a suburban hub for New York businesses and workers. In fact, it is “officially” part of the New York City Metropolitan Area and has the largest financial district in the region outside New York City itself, and is the headquarters for eight Fortune 500 companies.

I drove up around New York City through Yonkers and down into the city far enough to cross over the Hudson River into New Jersey on the George Washington Bridge. I headed down south first to the Gateway National Recreation Area, so called because it is the gateway to New York Harbor. It spans parts of New York City as well as the Sandy Hook area, which is a barrier beach peninsula located at the northern tip of New Jersey’s shoreline. This latter area was my destination, and I drove up to the northern edge to walk the dogs and visit the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, which is the is the oldest working lighthouse in the United States (constructed in 1764), and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The peninsula also houses active beach areas on both the ocean side and the bay side, as well as the historic remains of Fort Hancock, with many empty barracks.

I headed back up north on the Garden State Parkway to the town of Cranford, where I grew up. I stopped to view St. Michael’s Catholic Church (where I was baptized and later served as an altar boy) and the adjoining elementary school which I attended. I then drove along the Rahway River to view the house where I lived on Edgewood Road. Overall, the town was almost exactly the same as when I lived there more than fifty years ago.

I drove west for thirty minutes to the home of my sister Cathy and her husband Martin in Millington, New Jersey, where I will stay for a couple of nights in a real bed for the first time in five weeks. I did stop for gas on the way and had to be reminded that New Jersey is the only state in the country where you cannot pump your own gas; an attendant will pump the gas and collect your fee.

Photos include the Mystic Pizza, the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, a beach are at Sandy Hook, St. Michael’s Church and School, and the Edgewood Road house.