Week of Exploring!

 

This has been a busy week with day trips and keeping up at home, so no crafting time for me. By the time we get home and get things done, I am too tired to do much else.

On the weekend we started with a drive to the beach. I wasn't expecting it to be so nice, but it was warmer than I thought, so we spent more time walking and enjoying the ocean breezes.

The waves were high this day, so I enjoyed watching them, too rough for me to swim in.

We enjoyed the birds, running in and out of the surf, as well as a fly by, for some colorful planes.

Lots of rocks are on this beach, perfect place for glass, but I only found a few pieces. 

Our  first trip was to Harkness park in Connecticut. We were able to park the RV on the lawn in front of the bird sanctuary. The perfect spot to relax and enjoy the birds, who frequent the area.

A pair of Great Blue Herons, rested in front of our spot.

A young Semi - Palmated Sandpiper along the rocks.

We also walked around the grounds. The mansion sits on a large grassy area, with views of the sound.

The gardens are still in bloom and beautiful to walk through.

I was hoping to catch the butterflies, but there were only a few and they are always on the move.

On Tuesday we headed to Windsor Locks. It is a place where you can see eagles and other birds that frequent the area. Of course there were no eagles around and the rest were hiding in the bush. I was able to catch this silly guy, a Cormorant.

And we got a nice long walk along the bike path. It follows the old path from when they pulled boats along the inner side of the locks. We weren't able to do the whole walk, so we will have to bring the bikes the next time.

One day was more of a rest day. We got things done at home and it rained a bit, so once it stopped, we spent some time at the beach. Bean has been loving all the time out, as well.

 

I was able to find some nice treasures, with the lower tide.

And I finally got on my bike. It has been years but we went on a bike path that was paved and mostly flat. I was able to do 12 miles and enjoy some beautiful scenery along the way. And the nice thing was, it is only a few towns away, so we can go back anytime.

Today was another rain day, so we got things done around the house and once the rain stopped, we headed to the beach. Always nice when there are no crowds, and I have the beach to myself. It was a bit cloudy and a bit sunny, but the rain held off.

And of course I found some new treasures. Each time I find some interesting shapes, it gives me ideas for art pieces, so I will have plenty to keep me busy when I finally stay home and sit still, lol. I had such a nice time biking that I am hoping we can get out some more this weekend. I hope everyone has had a nice week and enjoyed my photos of the places we visited. 

Anniversary vacation!

It seems the week flies by and I didn't get to do the things I really wanted to do, but we found ways to get out and have some fun. Most of the ocean beaches are over crowded since they closed the inland lakes and ponds to swimmers, and with the heat, we tried to be on the coast when we could.

We had one day with the boys, taking them to New London Connecticut to visit Fort Trumbull. The fort was closed, but we got to explore around the grounds.

From there, we headed to Harkness park and were pleased to find it was free and we had a spot in a grassy field, facing the bird sanctuary. The boys had fun walking around the grounds and visiting the mansion's gardens.

I took a day off to visit my lyme doctor and to get a refill on my sinus medicine. Well, he said I had a sinus infection, could be why I have been feeling cruddy and put me on antibiotics and other meds I won't take. Then he said, you need a family doctor and it isn't me, so I guess I won't be going back and no idea what to do, just that I am tired of doctors who do not get, I do not like medicines and the one I need the most, they won't give me.

So I am taking the antibiotics and decided to stay away from the boys just in case and went out the next day for some exploring. We visited several parks along the back roads of Connecticut and ended up at Gay City Park.

We hiked around the trails and had some lunch in the picnic area. It is nice to have our food with us and a bathroom. Lots of old ruins from the old homestead along the trails. We will definitely go back for more hiking when it cools down.

And today we went back to Harkness and enjoyed a few walks around the bird sanctuary and sat at our camper, to enjoy the views. The main park was crowded so it was nice to have a more quiet spot to ourselves.

Here are some Ospreys that I got from the bird shelter. The bright sun makes it hard to get good shots, but it was fun to see the new ones testing their wings.

Lots of shore birds in the marshes.

And a variety of birds in the bush, as well.

And to top off our week, we came home to this. It seems Bill didn't notice the amount he paid for a case of flour. He wanted 6 bags and we got 6 cases and it is non returnable. I cannot use that much flour and I cannot afford to spend that much for flour, so I was not happy about that and thinking we will have to donate the rest to the food bank and take the loss.

I hope you all have a nice weekend, we have rain coming in, so we will stay at home and go out for short trips if it stops.

Vacation Fun!

Bill has this week off, since he worked straight for three weeks, he needed a break. So what to do, run him ragged driving me around to my adventures, lol. We started Saturday with hemming and hawing on what to do and finally decided to go to the beach for an ocean swim.

It was a bit cooler and the fog was rolling in but it was nice to get out for a bit, and the waves were picking up. Bill went out for a bit and played in the waves, then I went out and the waves got bigger. The area starts out shallow, then drops deep, then shallow again. I spent the time trying to get out the to second shallows while the waves kept pushing me back. I woke up sore today, it is definitely a good workout.

Sunday was the same thing, was tired from the beach but I wanted to get out so we decided to go to Jamestown for a stroll around the cliffs. It was a beautiful day and the tides were coming in and crashing on the rocks, a peaceful place to walk around and just enjoy the fresh ocean air.

Of course I had to find a hidden path that led to a rocky crevice and an island, so more climbing and exploring.

Today was our first planned day. We headed to Connecticut to visit a few places along the ocean. The first was Harkness State Park. We headed up a broad walk to the beach and enjoyed the views.

No swimming at this beach, so we strolled along the beach to the rocks at the point. The New London ferry was coming out of the Thames River to Long Island. A trip I took every summer to stay with my grandmother.

Above the point is the original home of the Harkness family, a Mansion with beautiful gardens. It is open to walk around, and they do tours of the inside of the home.

We walked around the area and found this fun tower. It is definitely worth a visit.

The next stop was a place I found last minute and had to take a look. It is Seaside Sanatorium that was built as a hospital for children with tuberculosis, then a nursing home and then an institution for the mentally ill and that is when it went downhill and they closed it down. They say it is haunted and now it is run down and the grounds are open as a park.

No swimming now but it is a beautiful area to walk around and Bean enjoyed being able to play a bit.

The next stop was our main stop, Rocky Neck State park. It is separated from the beach by a train track, so you go under the tunnel to get in from the parking lot. We walked outside the beach area to the picnic area and along the rocks.

We found a hidden cove with a beautiful sandy spot for Bean to play at. Wish I had bought our suits, it was warmer there and the water was nice, at least I got to cool down a bit. 

There is also a large pavillion so we walked up the rocks and along the porch. Of course I saw a sign on the other side that said, no dogs allowed in the pavilion, oops. Higher up above the picnic area and beautiful views of the Long Island Sound. 

We drove back through New London, saw a few lighthouses, the ferries going out and headed home. It was a long but fun day and the rest of my night has been busy catching up around the house, so no time to visit blogs, so hopefully I can catch up with all of you soon. Tomorrow is another day, who knows where we will end up;)