Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 860-415-9266;
www.oysterclubct.com
; 13 Water St; Noank oysters $2, meals $12-35; 4-9pm
Mon-Thu, 11am-2pm & 4-9pm Fri-Sun; )
A little off the main drag, this is the place locals
come for oysters served grilled or raw on the deck out back. Classics such as chowder
and cherrystone clams satisfy traditionalists, while mussels steamed in lemongrass and
coconut milk tempt more adventurous palates.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Lower Connecticut River Valley
Several Colonial-era towns grace the banks of the Connecticut River, offering up their
rural charm at an unhurried pace. The
River Valley Tourism District
(
860-787-9640;
www.visitctriver.com
)
provides information on the region.
Old Lyme
Set near the mouth of the Connecticut River, Old Lyme was home to some 60 sea cap-
tains in the 19th century. Today its claim to fame is its art community. In the early 1900s
art patron Florence Griswold opened her estate to visiting artists, many of whom offered
paintings in lieu of rent. Her Georgian mansion, now the
Florence Griswold Museum
(
860-434-5542;
www.flogris.org
; 96 Lyme St; adult/child $10/free; 10am-5pm Tue-Sat,
1-5pm Sun; )
contains a fine selection of both impressionist and Barbizon paintings.
Nearby, the classy
Bee & Thistle Inn & Spa
( 860-434-1667;
www.beeandthistleinn.com
; 100 Lyme St; r $180-280; )
, a 1756 Dutch Colonial farm-
house, has antique-filled rooms and a romantic dining room serving New American
cuisine (meals $30 to $60).
Essex
Tree-lined Essex, established in 1635, stands as the chief town of the region and features
well-preserved Federal-period houses, legacies of rum and tobacco fortunes made in the
19th century.
adult/child $8/5; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun; )
, next to
Steamboat Dock
, recounts the re-
gion's history and includes a replica of the world's first submarine, built by Yale student
David Bushnell in 1776. The museum runs summer river
cruises
(adult/child $26/16;
Jun-Oct)
and weekend
eagle-watch tours
Friday to Sunday between February and mid-
March ($40 per person).
