Connecticut Photo Adventures: Day Two
A more modern locomotive takes care of the coaches of the steam train once the ride is over.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
The beauty of Connecticut was evident for my friends Hugo Pech and John Yates in the first day of our photographic adventure of the state. Despite the rain, we managed to capture some good photos and also had a great time.
Day two was coming, and as we did in Havana as part of I Love Cuba Photo Tours, we woke up very early and hit the road before sunrise.
Lighthouse and Thames River
A view of the Ledge Lighthouse.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
Our first stop was going to be trying to photograph the Ledge Lighthouse. Built in 1909 in the Second Empire style, it has been part of the National Register of Historic Places since 1990.
Its peculiar position, in the middle of the Thames River, approaching the Long Island Sound, makes it impossible to access by carThe location we chose, Groton Beach & City Recreation, gave us an acceptable vantage point, but only with high zoom lenses. As with other places in New England, there are rumors of a ghost dwelling the lighthouse.
A nice edifice with available restrooms at Eastern Point Beach also provided us with good captures. There was also Hobbs Island (or Hobs Island), a rock located about 200 yards from the shore that has a house in it. The house was built by David Hays between 1975 and 1977 and has “medieval Russian, churchininspired (sic) design, with Japanese accents,'“ according to an article by The New York Times.
Old train iron wheels.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
We enjoyed the pictures and the smell, and we stayed there for over an hour before heading to find a place for breakfast. On the way, we made a stop at a monument park, where we did something we had done in Cuba: see and photograph old train iron wheels.
Our ride took us to Ashlawn Farm Coffee, located in old Saybrook. The place was beautiful and the ambiance was very friendly. We enjoyed our breakfast and coffee before heading to our next destination.
Submarines and Essex Chocolate
View of the Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
Due to our proximity to the location of the Submarine Force Museum in Groton, home to the Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, we decided to make a stop there.
Although the museum was closed due to some work being done during that particular weekend, we caught a glimpse of the vessel, built in 1952 and decommissioned and stricken in 1980. We took some photos and headed to the Submarine Memorial.
Conning tower of the USS Flasher at the Submarine Memorial.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
Dedicated to the 3,617 sailors who lost their lives as part of submarine crews during World War II, the monument displays granite engravings of all the submarines lost during the conflict. At the center stands the conning tower of the USS Flasher, which sank 21 ships amounting for a total of 100,231 tons of Japanese shipping.
We silently walked and photographed, paying our respects to the lives lost, and read the granite engravings one by one.
Church on Essex Main Street.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
After that, we headed to the town of Essex for a stroll.
The friendliness of people there became evident when we entered the Joy Chocolate Co., as Suzanne, the clerk, invited us to flash our cameras out and photograph the place. We of course left not only with the pictures, but also with a chocolate drink and our photo taken and posted on their social media.
Our next stop was going to be a fun one.
Essex Steam Train and Riverboat
An old truck stands by the Essex Train Station.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
We had booked a ride for the Essex Steam Train and Boat, and we arrived at the station (built in 1892) with plenty of time to stroll and explore the place. The arrival of the train prompted a lot of people to take pictures, as the old locomotive blew steam while approaching.
The locomotive of the Essex steam train.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
We took the train, and observed many interesting things on the path, as we made it through the towns of Deep Rever and Chester. Then, we rode back to the Deep River Landing, the location where the boat was going to be.
On board of the Becky Thatcher riverboat, we enjoyed the view of the Connecticut River, which included the beautiful Gillette Castle and an airfield—which enabled Hugo to photograph some airplanes.
The front of the Griswold Inn in Essex.|Credit: Reynaldo Cruz Diaz
Upon our return, we drove to the Griswold Inn, where we had an early dinner before heading back to our hotel in Cromwell.
Final Thoughts
Day Two was already in the books. We had a much better weather, and could sit and relax between some of our stops. The night ended with another discussion of the day and planning for the next and last journey.
Pictures were better than the first day, and our early morning activities allowed us to relax a little after every stop.
