8/2- Flew out of Atlanta to Boston via Spirit Airlines. I do NOT recommend them. I was charged $55 for a carry on bag. On most other airlines, it fits under the seat and there is no charge. Not so this time. At any rate, I arrived on time and got my rental car. Driving in Boston was a little dicey but I made it to a nearby T-station after some circling around. It was Blue Line to Government Center then Green Line to Kenmore with a short walk to Fenway Park. I got there just in time for the 11:00 stadium tour. That was really cool. I heard plenty of interesting stories about the oldest stadium in MLB. I got to view the Visitor's Clubhouse and the press box as well as to sit in the stands on top of the Green Monster.
After a quick lunch across the street, I took the T back to the airport station then hit the road to Connecticut via I-90. Bad call there. Take I-95 instead. Traffic was nasty and I only averaged about 25 mph but once I hit 395, it was smooth sailing to my destination in Groton. Dinner was a pretty good steak at a diner near the Mystic seaport. My final stop was Bluff Point Park for sunset.
8/3- After about a 15 minute drive to New London, I arrived in Ocean Beach for my race. The normal high/low temps for this area are 82/68F and yes, Connecticut can get heat waves in which temps climb over 90. Today was about average but unfortunately, the race did not begin until 9 AM so that meant it was high noon when the last finishers came plus there was virtually no cloud cover. I'm normally done with my long runs before 8:30 in the summer so this was hot. Temps were already pushing 80 by the start and it had climbed higher by the finish. That said, cooler conditions would not have made much difference. My formula was off and I melted down after just 3 miles. I employed a walk/jog strategy to remain as comfortable as possible, which later evolved into more walking than jogging. Nevertheless, I beat the cutoff with plenty of time to spare and state #42 is in the books. After a quick dip in the cool water, I hit the road again to Narragansett, Rhode Island.
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| Ocean Beach, Connecticut |
As for the New England beaches, nothing even remotely compares with the Emerald Coast on the FLA/ALA line. Connecticut is all on the Long Island Sound, which means whiter and softer sand but zero surf. In Rhode Island and neighboring Massachusetts, sand is grayish and brown near the water, which is not nearly as clear as in the South. On the plus side, Rhode Island does have pretty consistent surf and felt a tad warmer than Connecticut as well. It didn't take long before I was comfortable in those cool waters and I got plenty of good waist high rides all the way to the shore. All in all, it was an enjoyable afternoon. Dinner was in Newport which was followed by a walk to the beach to see the sunset.
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| Rhode Island Coast |
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| Newport |
8/4- I took a later flight to steal a few more hours in the surf, this time at Horseneck Beach in Massachusetts, about 1 hour from Boston. Conditions were similar to Rhode Island albeit with a bit more seaweed and a few rocks on the ocean floor. It was a fun morning but I would have to leave to catch my flight back. This one was delayed by 90 minutes and I did not get home until midnight. The next day, I was up at 6:30 and ready for work.
The rental car expense is the one cost that I dislike the most but on this trip, it was a necessity. If you plan to stick to Boston, you can simply use the T and stay on the outskirts where hotels are more reasonable. No doubt, this is the best time of year to visit if you want to hit the beaches. The risk of a hot weather race was a price that I was willing to pay for time in the surf. What is my favorite state of the 3 that I just visited? I've got to say Rhode Island. It's small but Providence and Newport can be fun at night. Both New York and Boston are fairly easily accessible and IMO, the best beaches in the region can be found here in what is known as the Ocean State. I still need Maine and New Hampshire so I'll be up this way again but most likely will stick to northern New England and Canada on those trips.
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